Delicious irony of timing: God says "I will hide My face" while there is the greatest manifestation of the divine presence, via the anan (cloud of Glory of God) on top of the entrance to the mishkan, the total opposite of hiding! ('I will hide My face" ='haster astir et panai": Deut 31:17,18 ; mentioned also later on in the next parshat, Ha'azinu).
Hide, and Seek: The reason for this ironic juxtaposition (of the greatest closeness and mention of later estrangement) is that we are being taught that a time of closeness in a relationship is an opportunity to create mechanisms to overcome later inevitable periods of distance.
And the topic of God's message during this revelation is the song/poem ('shirah') [which is read next week], a message of hope meant to be consulted and internalized by the Jewush People when God seems hidden, and hope seems lost.
.
More explanation: God ensures that when there is this closeness enabling the revelation of this 'song'-poem, the ground is prepared for a later time when the closeness is not present. As with a human couple - where there is love and closeness, that shuld be leveraged, utilized to create a preparation for the inevitable times of lesser closeness.
The purpose is to tell the Jewish People that God wants them to SEEK God. That God is 'hiding' but is present. That what God wants is NOT to be hidden but rather for the closeness to be such that God's presence is MANIFEST, as it was when God was revealing all this. And so it is exactly appropriate that specifically at this peak of divine revelation & closeness, when the 'Anan' (cloud of glory) is manifest on top of the entrance to the mishkan, that God speaks of the time of alienation a time of 'hiding of God's "face'' 'haster astir' et panai', and it is then that God writes the 'song/poem' to be kept for that time of estrangement, and this care for the very-long-term relationship is an expression of the manifest closeness., and the intense revelation is itself an example of what could be when estrangement is ended.
In last week's Torah portion and in the reading for Rosh Hashanah we pointed out an expression of deep closeness - that in some sense God promises to do teshuva (so to speak, ie God returns to us, and returns us), opening us up to return to God - specifically, God encourages us via the prophet Jeremiah that in times when we are feleing distant, to pray "Hashiveni ve'ashuva" "return me to You and I will return to you." So when the Jewish People are estranged, they need to understand that God is always there, waiting, and it is only our own estrangement which makes it seem that God is distant, hiding, and so the moment we reuturn, God is there - so we are to read the 'love-renewal poem' [written out explicitly in the next portion ('haazinu')] which God wrote for that purpose.
God tells Moses and Yehoshua that the song should be written and placed in the mouths of people, or they should internalize it now so that it becomes part of their inner arsenal, which will be remebered always, so that they could remember it exists even when estranged so it serves as an 'ed' (witness) in the future, in order to be read then, and thus catalyze the re-establishment. of closeness. When will this happen? God tells them it will happen later, and outlines this prediction of the future: while in the land of Israel, they will whore after other gods and will leave God, and so it will seem as if God left them and is 'hiding his face' (azov; haster astir et panai: Deut 31"17,18), and then bad things will happen to the people, and as a beginning of the path to return they'll say the bad things are happening "because God is not among us". And God states that the poem-song is being given to be read then as a means of bringing the straying Jewish people back to an awareness that God is actually still connected to them, waiting for them to return (God is always there, just that our actions can cause ourselves to feel a distance which leads to us not seeing the God Who is everywhere always).
The word God uses for infidelity, straying from God, is 'znut' 'whoring' ,ie so I used the same category of term to describe ha'azinu - I call it a 'love poem', even though it is not about love, it is a stern message which is an expression of God's undying love for us, a love poem not because it expresses love at the time of closeness, but because it is kept for the time of non-closeness, when the connection is seemingly irreparably broke, in order to re-igntie the closeness - this promiseof eternal connection, and the preparation of a way back to closeness is an expression of true undying love.
Conclusion: Twice the Torah mentions that we should love and be 'davek' ('cleave unto') God (see the end of Nitzavim, Deut 30: 16 & 20) and twice mentions 've'ahavta et Hashem' = 'thou shalt love God'. And we know it is reciprocal, God mentions elsewhere about loving us and our forefathers and that we are children of God, all is meant as a hint at the deep relationship with us, the closeness, which God wants most. So when we feel some regret at the esrangement, we are to read the poem which God wrote for that purpose, to tell us in that future that the possibility of connection cannot be abrogated, God has promised it to us FOREVER, NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE DONE. As God told us in several other places in the Torah, and as in Deut 29:14 God's desire for our love and connection is addressed to all of us living today, not just those living at the time long long ago. When we are estranged, we need to understand that God is always there, waiting, and it is only our own estrangement which makes it seem that God is distant, hiding, and so the moment we reuturn....God is there!
So after the previous portions about the closeness God seeks with us, in our portion this week, Parshat Vayelech, we hear of the inevitable estrangement which will occur and the seeming loss of hope,and then next week we read the poetic cure for that
God does not just warn of a time of estrangement, but rather has also prepared for that time, telling Moses to write a love song between God and the Jewish People, to be read in those times of distance, estrangement,: to remind the Jewish People at that time of God's desire to be close, teaching us that when there is love and closeness, it is necessary to prepare THEN for the inevitable eventuality of loss of the closeness, Whenever we feel estranged, may we remember in our hearts that the other side wants so much to re-establish the closeness, and has whispered this to us when we were close....in preparation for this very time.
..
.
.
Two very similar roots, though the exact same form dos NOT appear in both contexts... the vowelization is different, but the letters as written in the voweless parchment, are they ever identical? Ask baal Koreh: is it ever confusing as to which is meant?
At various junctures in the Torah we see words which are similarly spelled and pronounced but have very different meanings (and in technical terms, different 'roots') appearing in a story. Presumably this is a device used by God, meant to teach us something.
Scripture is written (on parchment) without punctuation etc, only the letters', where the words for "fear" and "saw" (or "appeared") are juxtaposed these two words are written identically eg:
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.
you can see that without the dots and lines under the letters the words (ofr 'fear' and 'see' or 'appear') are identical
...
Parshat Vayelech: Deut. Ch 31: 6-13:
The Torah says lo tirah - don't fear - twice, re the upcoming wars; once it is said by Moses to the Jewish People, the next time to Yehoshua; ie we are told that because God is with us, we need not fear;
Then the Torah speaks of succos, yovel(Jubilee) & hakhel (the assembly) and Moses relays God's words regarding coming annually "layro’os panai" "to see my face" where "to fear/be in awe" and "to see" are basically the same word, same letters;
A few passages later the Torah says two times to fear God
Then again (31:14-15) it says God appeared to them via the cloud of glory using the term"vayera""appeear" again.
The above four are shown below:
When the words are in different tenses etc the spelling changes slightly, but one sees the "רָא" in all, with either yud or vav or heh: two roots "ירָא" and "רָאה" in various forms such as "רָאוֹ" or both yud and vav:"יָרְאוּ"
We can see this deliberate usage of the same word in various meanings as perhap intending to tie it it all into the same theme. For example: When God presents the Jewish People with a mission, we shouldn't fear the mission, we should fear God and there will be success (see a similar relationship in these words, in the account of the Jewish midwives in Egypt.who saved the Jewish babies from Pharoah's death-decree; and Moses at the burning bush).
I leave it to anyone to come up with their own understanding, below is mine:
When we come to the Temple to see (lir'ot) God’s presence, this induces yirah/awe-fear, and then God's presence will appear. But in general how do we get to see God's presence?
Moshe Rabenu (Moses) was the greatest anav (most humble person who ever lived), and these very passages relate how he voluntarily gave over - in public - the reins to Yehoshua, a great act of humility; God instructs him to come to the ark and bring Yehoshua there, and that's when the glory of God was revealed. Perhaps it was this lowered ego state of Moses which brought forth - or revealed the ever-present - shchinah via the anan (cloud of Gory of God) .
which was itself a manifestation of "lir’os panai" "to see my face" (as would happen on festivals as described in the passages here), which itself then induces yirah, and in that state we need not be afraid of anything because God is with us.
.....
MESH
Says lo tirah twice re war, bec oGod is with us so don’t fear, then fear god twice, but in middle is re succos yovel hakhel says layro’os panai, and again re anan vayera, so this ties it into same theme, when see god’s presence it induces yirah, and how get there? MR was anav, gave over in public the reins to Yehoshua, and this lowered ego state brought the shcinah, anan manifested, and this is lir’os panai which induces yirah, and in that state we need not be afrain of anything bec God is with us.
..
.
insert in the below vortL
And there is the theme of panai, layraos panai, then haster astir panai, and says that in the future ‘ufanu’ to toher gods etc.
So yirah and vayera, and panai, and vayelch and nitzavim are all interrelated.
Then haazinu, it is interesting which senses are mentioned when: re’eh’, later ‘ha’azinu’, (ktoret is smell).
And a few parshas speak of vehalachta bidrachav, and veshamata lekolo, so there is ‘going’
Also: haidosi..shamayim vaaretz, haazinu hashamayim vehaaretz’ towards end of torah, and beginning is breishis,,,shamayim ..haaretz’.
.....
MR says ‘lo uchal latzes velavo’ sound strange, but there are two earlier parshiyos with these names! So the ki tetzeh lamilchama and the ki tavo take on added significance, so tht is maybe why chazal chose there to start parsha. And this explains the order, otherwise we would expect MR to say lavo velatzes! (or bec MR uses this order, for some deep reason, therefore Hashem gave the parshiyos in this order, or etc)
.....
nitzavim & vayalech (& Ki Setzey , KiSovo)
Names of the parshos
R Machlis asked re why some parshiyos are so brief, nitzavim and vayelech are about 30/40 psukim only. I was thinking about the names of parshiyos, and his question got me thinking, I later told him re the following conneciotn between the names and the length, ie where chazal chose to start a parsha.., he said Chabad rebbe (recent) wrote a lot about this (AR: I should look it up).
Add to elswhere that I found this type of remez:
In vayelech : speaks of God telling MR & Yehoshua to assemble in mishkan, tityatzvu, 31 14, and makes a point of saying vayityatzev moshe, so this means the word is significant, so when in an earlier parsha MR says “atem nitzavim hayom kulchem….’ (Yeshno po and also future) so it is a formal assemble of giving over and mediated via shchinah etc, so it makes sense that parsha name is nitzavim, it is not just an insignificant word, and maybe it is why chazal chose this pasuk to begin a parsha!
Also: when MR comes at God’s behest, it says ‘vayelech Moshe vayityatzev’ so the ‘going’ is significant, and indeed in earlier parsha , vayelech, ibn ezra says it is ‘vayelech mimachaneh yisroel lemachaneh shchinah’, so it makes sense bec here indeed re MR & Y it states ‘veyelech moshe veyeoshua vayityatzvu’ so this has implication of shechinah and indeed they have an appearance ‘vayera’ and the anan is manifest! And this is connected to sucos layraos panai, where succos is the anan. And by ‘veyated..’ the reason is that shchinah mithalechet, (and also ‘va’olich etchem’) so ‘going; has a significiance (vayithalech chanoch et hashem etc). And a few nearby parshas speak of vehalachta bidrachav.
So maybe that’s why chazal chose this pasuk, because of the word ‘vayelech’ as the beginning of a parsha.
So it is not that they chose the story to begin the parsha, and this pasuk begins the story and this word begins the pasuk so they chose this word as the name of the parsha, but rather it is the reverse: this word was chosen as the beginning of the parsha bec it is so significant, and so it was also of course chosen as the name of the parsha.
email Oct 2019
Chumash: for parshas vayelech: shabbos shuva, or right before Yom Kippur: yk: (and nitzavim before, plus ha'azinu after) haazinu
...
To machlis, spoke, (he gave me a long build up that I can speak in a way that is interesting for people at didff levels and etc) spoke on parsha & YK.
....
Said at machlis in Hebrew, people liked it (even the tough customers)
previous parsha, Nitzavim, says 'veahavta et H' twice and we know it is reciprocal (ve ahevcha, banim atem etc) AND WHNE THERE IS LOVE, AND ARE CLOSE, NEED TO PREPARE FOR TIME WHEN NOT CLOSE.
..
vayelech: or shabbos shuva, or right before Yom Kippur:
(and nitzavim before, plus ha'azinu after) haazinu
Add/MESh with other version of this
...
Sh: to machlis. spoke on YK parallel to G Eden ad also sucos joy after YK reconnection, purpose is reconeting, and kaparah is guaranteed, not like in world where people judge based on results achievemnt not effort, so if make the internal effort kaparah is guanranteed, hence it is called YK iand is a day of joy, then leading to succs (and the parsha[vayelech] mentions succos and annan) people liked it.
previous parsha, Nitzavim, says 'veahavta et H' twice and we know it is reciprocal (ve ahevcha, banim atem etc) AND WHNE THERE IS LOVE, AND ARE CLOSE, NEED TO PREPARE FOR TIME WHEN NOT CLOSE...
..
nitzavim/Ha'azinu/Vayelech
for Rosh Hashanah, or teshuva process:
Vayelech: (Deut 31:17,18): The delicious irony of the timing of God saying 'I will hide My face ('haster astir et panai': the word is used also later on in parshat Ha'azinu ): It is said by God while there is the manifestation of the divine presence! And indeed the greatest manifestation - the anan (cloud of Glory of God) on top of the entrance to the mishkan!
Vort: It is interesting that this famous speech of 'haster astir' is said by God (and the word is used also in Ha'azinu [revi'i?] while there is the greatest manifestation of the divine presence, an anan on top of the entrance to the mishkan!
And there is a reason for this ironic juxtaposition of the greatest closeness and mention of later estrangement.
In this parsha in some sense Hashem promises to do teshuva! What does teshuva mean? "Hashiveni veashuva" "we pray to God "return me to You and I will return to you.
Netzavim: Devarim 30:1-10: The pasuk says "veshavta" and then "veshav Hashem'", we will return and then Hashem will return us to the Land, and Hashem will "return" to the situation of "sass" "rejoicing over us" as Hashem did over our forefathers.
The last pasuk of parshat Netzavim says that we should love and cleave ('davek') unto Hashem which is a statement of the deep relationship that Hashem wants most, that we should return to the special closeness between us.
Parshat Vayelech warns of a time of estrangement, and clearly God is preparing for that time: God tells Moses to write a love song between God and the Jewish People, to be read in those times of distance, estrangement, to remind the Jewish People then of God's desire to be close! And the Torah then says that Moses indeed wrote it down (and we read it in the parsha coming very soon), teaching us that when there is love and closeness, it is necessary to prepare THEN for the inevitable eventuality of loss of the closeness, in order to be able to bring about its re-establishment.
Whenever we feel estranged, may we remember in our hearts that the other side wants so much to re-establish the closeness, and has whispered this to us when we were close....in preparation for this very time.....
.... ...…..
previous parsha, Nitzavim, says 'veahavta et H' twice and we know it is reciprocal (ve ahevcha, banim atem etc) AND WHNE THERE IS LOVE, AND ARE CLOSE, NEED TO PREPARE FOR TIME WHEN NOT CLOSE.
.In vayelech: God tells M"R and Yehoshua that the song (shira) should be written and placed in the mouths of people, so that they could read it as an 'ed' (witness) in the future. When? Later, while in the land of Israel, they will whore after other gods and will leave god, ands o god will leave them and hide his face (azov, haster astir et panai), and then bad things will happen tot he people and they'll say it is bec God is not among them.
So ha'azinu is a means of bringing the straying Jewish people back to an awareness that God is still connected to them.
....
Drosho: Because the word 'znut' is used for straying, i used the term 'love poem' to describe ha'azinu, even though it is not about love - it is an expression of god's undying love for us that god prepared this poem for that day when the connection is seemingly irreparably broken.
This is true undying love - not a poem about love, but an act of love, preparing beforehand a fixing for the conneciotn in the itme when it semes impossible to fix.
...
It is close to succos time, and the anan represents the closeness of the shchinah during the midbar, and here it is somewhat similar.
Also: god promises us a week of closeness in the succah to compensate for and recreate the closeness in the midbar, in prep for hashanah rabbah, when we repair our connneciotn to God. So here too the anan is used in the context of to repair conneciotn
........
Vayelech: ANAn IS GREATEST LEVEL OF REVELATION OF h, THAT;S WHEN h SAYS VIA mr RE HASTER AsTIR, IE AT GREATEST PEAK OF REVELATION, h PREPARES FOR THE OPPOSITE, WRIT EHTIS SHIRA, TO READ WHEN ESTRANGED = 'haazinu'.
So it is good for YK, to remember from Vayelech that when feel that H is not with us, it is bec we left H, and the second we return, H is there, lkie it says in Nitzavim that H does teshuva, ie when we return also H H is ;shav', wice says ths (after revii)
so when estranged we need to read the love poem )haazinu) which H wrote for that purpose.
..