Shalom Friends;
Our Simchat Torah vort is being sponsored by Simon and Aliza Baum and family of Ramat Beit Shemesh who dedicate this vort Lilui Nishmas in honor of Simon’s Parents: Chaya Miriam Bas Boruch and Simcha ben Yehuda Leib and for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all remaining hostages and their return home home without experiencing any further harm, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Baum family, many thanks for your sponsorship and your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring (or as the case may be, co-sponsoring) a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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Torah records in Sefer Vayikra, Parshat Emor (Perek 23. posuk 36 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash) :
“For a seven-day period you shall offer a fire-offering to Hashem; on the eighth day there shall be a holy convocation for you and you shall offer a fire-offering to Hashem, It is an assembly, you shall not do any laborious work.”
Shem Mishmuel comments on on the Yom Tov Shemini Atzeret, which in Israel combines with Simchat Torah (translated to English, Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein, pages 454 – 455) ;
The very essence Shemini Atzeret is derived from the word “atzeret” itself. It literally means “stopping,” and Rashi informs us that it is Klal Yisrael who stop, or stay behind:
Stay back near me. This is like a king who invites his children to a banquet for a certain number of days. When their time comes to go home, he says, “I ask of you: stay behind with me one extra day; your departure is difficult for me.”(Shem Mishmuel citing Rashi on Sefer Vayikra, Parshat Emor, Perek 23. posuk 36)
Shem Mishmuel continues (ibid) :
During Succot, Klal Yisrael offered seventy bulls in the Beit Hamikdash. These brought brachot to the seventy primary nations of the world. Since this Yom Tov is for all of the nations, including Yisrael, the primary flow of bracha must be… without lasting connection. The nations collect their brachot from their Divine source, remain for a moment, and then are gone.
Hashem says to [Klal Yisrael], as it were, “Don’t go. Your departure… is hard for Me. I want to give you a special Bracha, one unsuitable for the other nations. Therefore, stay behind one further day and I will give you this Bracha.” The intimacy which results [for Klal Yisrael] from the special day of Shemini Atzeret far outlasts the gift itself. Therefore, staying for one more day will not in fact make Klal Yisrael’s departure from Hashem harder to bear; rather, it will strengthen their relationship, providing them with real closeness during the months ahead.
It is now clear why this special last day is applicable only to Succot. Every other Yom Yov applies just to Klal Yisrael and not to the non-Jewish nations… On Succot, though, Klal Yisrael receives a Bracha together with the other nations. Then they alone remain with Hashem for one more day — Shemini Atzeret — to mark their special relationship with Him and to receive an appropriate and unique Bracha.
It would seem to this author that there is a common thread between Shemini Atzeret — Simchat Torah and Parshat V’zot HaBracha, as Shem Mishmuel indicates — “this special last day.” Torah records, in the very first posuk of our Parsha:
“And this is the blessing that Moshe, the man of G’d, bestowed upon the B’nei Yisrael before his death.” (Perek 33, posuk 1 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash)
Rabbi David Feinstein, z”l provides commentary in his Sefer, “Kol Dodi” (page 300) :
Later in our Parsha, Torah relates that when Moshe actually went up on the mountain, he surveyed the whole of Eretz Yisrael, including the portions of each of the Sh’vatim, “until the farthest sea” (R’ Feinstein referring to Sefer Devarim, Perek 34, posuk 2) Rashi mentions the homiletical interpretation of the Sages that this phrase ,ay also read “until the last day,” to say that Hashem showed Moshe everything that was destined to happen to the Jews until the “last day,” namely tthe Resuscitation of the Dead.
It is also possible to interpret this another way: On the last day of his life, Moshe saw the physical portion of the Land that would be given to each Shevet and he was shown each Shevet’s destiny until its last day. Based on his knowledge of the Shevet and its destiny, and the physical characteristics of its portion, he gave each one the Bracha that was most appropriate for it.
Having cited R’ Feinstein on Sefer Devarim, Perek 34, posuk 2, Torah records:
“So Moshe, servant of Hashem, died there, in the land of Moav, by the mouth of Hashem.” (Sefer Devarim, Perek 34, posuk 5 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash)
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin comments, citing the Radak, on Sefer Devarim, Perek 34, posuk 5 in his sefer, “Growth Through Torah” (page 474) :
The Radak (Rabbi Pliskin citing Yehoshua 1:1) explains that just as all that a servant does for his master, so too Moshe utilized all that he had just for the Almighty. All of his abilities and talents were devoted to serving the Almighty. Similarly, everyone else is able to devote all that he has to serve the Almighty. (Rabbi Pliskin citing Kovetz Ma’amarim, page 48)
B’ezrat Hashem that we all double-down on increasing our service of Hashem, at all levels, collectively and in Unity.
Israel’s current victory-oriented strategies in Gaza and attacks in Iran which demolished much of their nuclear facilities, scientists, military leadership, ballistic missiles and ballistic missile manufacturing facilities exemplify positive changes resulting from the appointments of a new defense minister and foreign minister. The pre-emptive actions against Iran are nothing short of miraculous, B’Yad Hashem.
May our government and military bring total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May we see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May we see our Chayalim totally eradicate Hamas, Islamic Jihad, those so-called “civilians(sic)” who collaborated on 7 October, as well as Hezbollah, the Houthies, the Mullahs of Iran and all their terror accomplices while liberating all remaining hostages, B’Yad Hashem and mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif e permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fifth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recovery of the remains of Oron Shaul as should the remains of the other chayal from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we see, in 5785, the REAL Jews from the Ukraine and Russia as well as the US and Canada, the real Jews via matrilineal descent, make Aliyah enmass — via thorough review by Misrad HaPanim. And may we soon and finally see the total end to the Communist Chinese Wuhan Lab corona virus pandemic and all like viruses and variants. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Yom Tov and Good Shabbos! May You, All of My Brothers and Sisters, be Inscribed and Sealed for another Year of Life… Now and always! L’Shana Tova!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of
The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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