Parashas Va'eschanan — Shabbos Nachamu

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Keeping the momentum after Tisha B'Av

Good morning, everyone. I really hadn't thought I would manage to send you a short message, but it's Shabbos Nachamu, and we were all davening, davening yesterday on Tisha B'Av, and I would like to try and keep the momentum and keep up the inspiration and the awakening that we had on Tisha B'Av, that we shouldn't forget all that we felt, all this awakening, and in that z'chus Hashem will rebuild the third Beis Hamikdash bekarov. And of course this is being sent to you, as you all know, as we are reading Parashas Va'eschanan this week.

Why a double consolation — "Nachamu, nachamu ami"

The haftarah starts with the words Nachamu, nachamu ami. Hashem says: comfort. I want to comfort you. We know that Hashem comforts always with the various attributes of comfort, but nechamah is the one we use for a person in mourning.

And the question is asked: why is there a double nachamu? Two words, nachamu, nachamu. And we say, because Megillas Eichah started with the words bacho sivkeh — there is a double crying. There is a double pain, for the first Beis Hamikdash and the second Beis Hamikdash. So Hashem says, I will give you also a double consolation.

So why not just say nachamu? After all, the mourning is that we do not have a Temple. Does it make a difference, the first one or the second one? We can say: Hashem, just give us nechamah for all the persecutions we've been through. And it's not only the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. You could say it's also all that we've been through — the wars, the destruction of the town of Beitar after the revolt of Bar Kochba, the Inquisition, the pogroms in Poland, the world wars, the Holocaust. So why say nachamu, nachamu?

And the prophet Yeshayahu is telling us: you should know, Hashem knows exactly what measure of consolation to give you. It's not just a general nechamah, but for all the suffering, all the pain, whether it's the communal pain, whether it's the individual pain. Hashem will come, in time, at the time of the Geulah, and shall bring nechamah for each sad situation we have been through. And Hashem will give us the courage to start everything afresh, and to understand that everything had a reason, as we will explain, and everything was meant for our benefit, even if we do not understand that.

Va'eschanan — 515 tefillos

Now, what does the parashah start with? The parashah starts with the words va'eschanan, that Moshe Rabbeinu said after it had been decided that he would not enter Eretz Yisrael. And the whole purpose of my life was to enter Eretz Yisrael — not for some personal benefit, because the purpose of man is to serve Hashem in Eretz Yisrael with all the mitzvos, the mitzvos hateluyos ba'aretz. And Moshe Rabbeinu said, that is what had been promised to our forefathers, and that's what I wanted to merit, even as a private person and not as a leader.

And as the midrash says, va'eschanan — the numerical value of va'eschanan is 515, that Moshe Rabbeinu davened 515 tefillos. And something very interesting that the midrash says: when was he davening? He was davening mainly on the fifteenth of Av, on Tu B'Av, which falls this coming week.

Where Moshe Rabbeinu learned it: Yitzchak and Rivka

And from whom did he learn this? He learned from Yitzchak and Rivka. We know that Yitzchak and Rivka didn't have children for many, many years, and it says in Parashas Toldos, vaye'tar Yitzchak laHashem l'nochach ishto. The both of them went to daven on Har HaMoriah, and after that they had a child.

Now I heard something very interesting last night: that the gematria of Yitzchak, the numerical value, is 208. The numerical value of Rivka is 307. Together, that gives us also 515 — the numerical value of va'eschanan. And from whom did Moshe Rabbeinu learn that he had to pray 515 times? Because that has the power to transform the middas hadin, the middah of judgment, into middas harachamim, the middah of mercy. He learned that from Yitzchak and Rivka.

Yitzchak, we know, had the middah of gevurah, of din. Rivka had the middah of chesed. And when they davened together, both of them, and they also davened 515 tefillos, then Rivka got pregnant.

The power of one more tefillah

And the midrash says something very interesting. Moshe Rabbeinu davened also 515, and then Hashem said: Moshe, that's enough, I don't want to hear another word. Because the midrash says, had he added one more tefillah, he would have been able to overcome the gezeirah.

What is this teaching us? We're now after Tisha B'Av, and we davened, and we davened, and we davened, all of us together, so many prayers. And we begged this whole period of bein hametzarim more than ever. We were begging Hashem over and over and over again. And we could say: is it worthwhile, another prayer? Will one prayer make the difference?

And the midrash says yes. You have no idea of the power of one tefillah. It can be one tefillah, it can be one tear. You remember we spoke about the sha'ar hadma'os, about the tears that reach heaven. That's why we say it was so important to cry on Tisha B'Av, because a tear is a true expression of emotion. And as we say on Yom Kippur, simah dim'asi v'nodecha— Hashem has this special cup in heaven, where He preserves every single tear. Each tear is precious, just like each prayer is precious.

And if we realize how precious our tefillos are, and that it can be one single tefillah that will make the difference, we would never, never give up on praying. We would continue with the same enthusiasm, with the same kavanah, because we understand how much each tefillah counts. And that is what we have to do after we think Tisha B'Av is over, so the period of mourning is over, so our prayers are going to become less intense. That is what Moshe Rabbeinu teaches us: I never gave up on praying. I understood that it is the power of tefillah that keeps us going.

Shema — the large ayin and the large dalet

I want to be very brief, because everybody is busy today. But we have in this parashah, besides Moshe Rabbeinu giving general words of mussar and of rebuke to Am Yisrael, the Aseres Hadibros, and we have also Parashas Shema, the first parashah of Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad.

Now, in the first letters — we spoke about that last week, but I would just like to remind you — the ayin is big, and the dalet is big. And the midrash says something very beautiful. The ayin is big because the letter ayin means our eye, and we know that when we say krias Shema, as we've mentioned many times, we cover our eyes. Because the midrash says, not all that a person sees, not a person's perspective, is what is right. What our eyes see is very, very different from what HaKadosh Baruch Hu is doing. So we say Shema Yisrael: remember, Hashem, shema. When you say Shema and you listen, cover your eyes. Don't try to look at things with human understanding, from a human perspective. You should understand that there is Hashem, there is middas harachamim, the middah of mercy, and there is Elokim, this middas hadin, and Hashem Echad.

And the dalet is big. Now, the dalet in Hebrew — we know that the letter dalet means a door. And we have to realize that sometimes in life there are doors that close on us, which means we do not always obtain that which we want. We can pray and pray, and sometimes we feel somehow: Hashem, You didn't give me what I wanted. Even if there are doors that are closed and we do not understand why, we have to remember Hashem Echad. It's Hashem who decides. Hashem knows exactly what we need, and we have to continue having emunah. We have to continue having bitachon.

V'asisa hayashar v'hatov — going beyond the letter of the law

And I will just end with some words from the end of the parashah, where it says v'asisa hayashar — do that which is right — v'hatov, and that which is good. And Chazal ask: what does it mean, v'asisa hayashar v'hatov?

We know that the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because, as we mentioned last week, of al din Torah. That means they wanted to do just strict judgment. In life you have to understand, you have to do lifnim mishuras hadin. You have to do more than the strict line of judgment. Try to go towards the other.

And that is why Hashem chose Avraham Avinu. Because about Avraham Avinu it is told, ki y'dativ l'ma'an asher y'tzaveh es banav — I know that Avraham will educate his children, la'asos tzedakah umishpat, charity before justice. Which means they will always do the extra step, the step forward. They will go what we call lifnim mishuras hadin. Even though, according to the law, this and this has to be done, and that is what the Torah teaches, there are times when a dayan, when a judge, will say no: for such a person, under such circumstances, we have to do lifnim mishuras hadin. We have to look away and just try to be more merciful.

Because that is what happened at the time of the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash. They were very strict. They said, al din Torah, and they didn't try to show empathy towards others.

The arei miklat — Moshe Rabbeinu's empathy

This whole parashah is about empathy, about Moshe Rabbeinu preparing the future generation, telling them: I know it won't be easy for you.

And we find something very interesting. Moshe Rabbeinu is going to designate the six towns of refuge. But we know that the six towns of refuge would only become valid once they had conquered the land. So what difference did it make? Why did Moshe Rabbeinu have to designate them? He could have said, you should know, there'll come a time when you will have to limit the areas around these towns, and these will be the towns of refuge. Why is he doing it now?

So various reasons are given. We are told that he says, if I have the possibility now to do a mitzvah, I'm going to do it. But mainly, Moshe Rabbeinu felt tremendous empathy towards a person who has to run away, who is a refugee, who is fleeing because he's afraid for his life. And he says: I was in such a situation when I left Egypt. Pharaoh wanted to kill me. I fled to Midyan, and they helped me out. And I myself know how important it is that people should reach out to you, should feel for you. And that's why he says, whenever in life you have the possibility to do it, do it. Just like Moshe Rabbeinu, who designated the towns of refuge.

Se'u marom eineichem — each neshamah is a star

I will just end with the beautiful words of the haftarah, of Parashas Nachamu, which over the years we've mentioned so many times.

Remember that there'll be times in life where you feel disheartened, you feel you cannot go on, what will be. You have to remember that everything is in the hands of Hashem. Because Yeshayahu says, halo yada'ta im lo shamata — do you not know, and you've heard, and you've learned from past events, that Hashem is the One who has created, and not only created but is constantly renewing, making miracles in the world. He is the One who decides who will be powerful and who not. He can take the most powerful person and destroy him in a minute.

So remember, when you feel a bit lost and desperate: se'u marom eineichem. Look always upwards, as Hashem told Avraham Avinu, habeit na hashamayma. That is the message that Hashem gives every son of Avraham Avinu. Look upwards, because each Jewish neshamah is a special star, and there are millions and millions of them in the sky.

Even if we don't see them, they are bright when darkness falls, when it becomes dark. And that means that even in times of difficulties, we all rise up to the challenge. Because hamotzi b'mispar tzeva'am, l'chulam b'sheim yikra — each star has a name. A name is a purpose, which means Hashem has created each star for a specific purpose, and no person is superfluous in the world. And as we know, if Hashem has brought us into the world, we have to remember that bishvili nivra ha'olam. Hashem says, I created the world for you. I created you, that's one individual, and the world can't exist without you.

So what is my purpose? Well, each person has his potential, has his talents. Each person can make the world a little better around him, and may Hashem give us the koach to do so.

Tu B'Av — the rav and the shoemaker

Remember, this week is going to be Tu B'Av, a day of joy, a day when they stopped dying in the desert. And I'll just end with a well known story, but I'll repeat it again.

We're speaking about a great rav. This story has various versions, but this version I think took place in Iraq. There was this great rabbi who took care of his community, and he had a gemach. He would lend out money to all the people of his community, whoever was in need.

And there was the old shoemaker in town, a very honest and God fearing person, who came to him for a loan. And the rabbi told him, just remember, you have to return the loan within a certain time. The shoemaker did everything possible, and after a month he came back to the rabbi and he returned the loan. But when he came in, the rabbi was studying, and he said, "Rabbi, I've returned the loan." And the rabbi said, "Thank you." He put the envelope down, and the shoemaker left.

The rabbi forgot about it. He was busy learning, so when he finished learning, he forgot about the envelope on his table, and he just put it in the Gemara he was learning, to keep the page where he had stopped learning. He put the envelope in, and he put this Gemara away. But he didn't learn from this Gemara for the following few months.

After three months, he sends his servant to the shoemaker. He says, "I will need it — you haven't returned the loan." And the shoemaker says, "Sure, I've brought it back to you." And the rabbi said, "No." And the shoemaker said, "Yes."

And of course, so who does one believe, the rabbi or the shoemaker? So they went to beis din. They assembled the three dayanim, and the case was brought forward. The shoemaker said, "I brought it back," but he had no proof. The rabbi said, "I'm sorry, but he didn't give me the money, and I need the money to lend it out further." The shoemaker was extremely hurt, humiliated, upset. He started repaying the loan, and life went on.

I think a whole year passed by, and the rabbi needed to learn from this specific Gemara. And that day he opened it up. He took out the envelope, he opened it, and he found the money. And he felt terrible. He immediately went over to the shoemaker himself, and he said, "I've come to ask for mechilah. I was choshed you. I suspected you in a very unjust way. I beg you for forgiveness."

And the shoemaker said, "No, I cannot forgive you."

And he said, "I will say this week in the beis haknesses, in the shul, I will get up and I will announce it publicly that you are right and I was wrong."

And the shoemaker said, "Who's going to believe it? You are the righteous man. You've already destroyed my reputation in town. Everybody thinks I'm dishonest. Nobody comes to me anymore for shoe repairs. Why should I? I cannot forgive you."

And the rabbi said, "But I beg you, I'm willing to do anything for you." And the rabbi thought and thought and thought, and he said, "Do you have a son?" And the shoemaker said yes. And he said, "Listen, I have a daughter. I'm willing to give you my daughter as a future bride. Your son will marry my daughter, and then everybody will believe me when I say that I was the one who was wrong."

What is the moral of the story? We're not saying here, I don't know, was it the most appropriate shidduch for the rabbi's daughter? I do not know. But we have to know that every shidduch, every couple that gets married, has been decided in heaven, forty days before the baby is born. So how would the son of a shoemaker marry the daughter of a rabbi? So Hashem made certain that this incident should happen. There would have been no way for the rabbi to take the shoemaker's son as a son-in-law. After this happened, this is what took place.

Closing

So now, this week is going to be Tu B'Av. There are so many, so many singles waiting for shidduchim. So let us pray with all our heart that each one of them should find their shidduch, as we say, very, very, very fast, bekarov, bekarov. May we only share simchas, and may we be zocheh l'vias Mashiach very speedily in our days. We'll never stop praying.

Have a wonderful Shabbos, and all my love from Yerushalayim.