כי ירחק ממך המקום אשר יבחר ה' אלהיך לשום שמו שם וזבחת מבקרך ומצאנך אשר נתן ה' לך ... (יב-כא)
In a homiletical approach to this posuk, I was thinking perhaps to put forth the following interpretation. A person may sometimes feel that traversing life’s road is just too difficult, and he cannot carry the load. The Torah then reveals the root cause of such feelings of despondency. It may be because "כי ירחק ממך המקום". Hashem, המקום, is far from you. Either, because of one’s actions which can cause Hashem to distance Himself, or the person’s lack of emunah and bitachon which causes that feeling of being alone. On the other hand, when a person lives with Hashem’s constant presence, he is never alone. The road of life seems paved with only a few minor potholes.
Alternatively, when a person is far from the Beis Medrash, the “place” to be, far from the oasis of Torah life, these feelings of gloom arise. Because the Torah is our guiding light and it illuminates the road.
R’ Shimshon Pincus zt”l says the following vort on the Haftorah which beautifully complements this machshava and is very timely. The posuk states: "וכל בניך למודי ה' ורב שלום בניך" - “All your children shall be disciples of Hashem, and your children’s peace shall increase.” He explains that Torah is our shemira, our protection, and without it we are left vulnerable. In the summer months, when our children - young and old - are not necessarily surrounded by the protective walls of our Yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs, that protection is somewhat lessened and we all become a bit exposed. We, as parents must be extra vigilant to continue, even in a minimal and non-pressurized manner, to perpetuate that shemiras haTorah. This, then, is the meaning of the posuk: "וכל בניך לימודי ה'", when our children are learning, "ורב שלום בניך", they will then be exceedingly protected. May Hakadosh Baruch Hu watch over all of us as we prepare our children to re-enter the protective walls of the yeshivos, and utilize the upcoming Chodesh Elul to get closer to “Hamakom”!
Comments