Rosh Hashana - Parshas Ha'azinu 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Oct 2, 2024
- 3 min read
בהדין עירובא יהא שרא לנא ... (נוסח של עירוב תבשילין)
If you are reading this vort and have not yet remembered to make an eiruv tavshilin, please hurry home to arrange one or ask your Rov for guidance and direction.
Over the course of the upcoming Yamim Tovim we will have several opportunities to be mekayeim the unique and special mitzvah of eiruv tavshilin. The basic concept is, that in order to prepare on Yom Tov for Shabbos, one must have made this eiruv before Yom Tov. It is then reckoned like he already started his Shabbos cooking prior to Yom Tov, and is just completing his Shabbos preparations on Friday - Erev Shabbos.
The Maharal zt”l explains this concept al pi drush. Shabbos, Chazal say, is a reference to עולם הבא, while Yom Tov alludes to ימות המשיח. How can we prepare for Olam Haba during the days of Moshiach - days that we no longer have to wage war against the Yetzer Hara? We find the answer on erev Yom Tov. Based on our actions in Olam Hazeh, we prepare and pave the way. Then, on Yom Tov itself, the ימות המשיח, we are merely finishing off our preparations. As Chazal say, "מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת". The emphasis is on the טרח, the efforts expended, and not necessarily the final results. That is the yardstick used by Hashem to measure our merits. When He sees the טרח, especially in difficult circumstances, then even when the going is easy we still receive full credit.
Throughout the year we each have good days, yamim tovim, and frustrating ones. We tend to think that the days that weigh heavily on the merit side of our Heavenly scale are the days in which our avodas Hashem flows smoothly and unimpeded. In truth, the opposite is correct. If on the challenging days, we still manage our avodas Hashem, albeit maybe not so perfectly, that is the real reflection of who we are. As we usher in the new year and prepare the eiruv, let us remember that specifically through our nisyonos - "לנא יהא שרא למעבד כל צרכנא" - will we be permitted to prepare for the future, the יום שכולו שבת.
May we all be zoche to a כתיבה וחתימה טובה.
יצב גבולות עמים למספר בני ישראל ... (דברים לב-ח)
Klal Yisroel reads this parsha after Rosh Hashana, every year, as we stand in limbo until our individual verdicts are sealed (hopefully l’tova) on Yom Kippur. This would explain the above posuk. Hashem establishes all the borders of the goyim; all that will happen to them. (As we say in davening (ועל המדינות בו יאמר, איזו לחרב ואיזו לשלום ....) And the posuk above says, "למספר בני ישראל" - this is all done according to how it will affect the yidden.
There is a well known Ramban who says that Shiras Haazinu includes the present, the past, the future, olam hazeh and olam haba. R’ Moshe Wolfson zt”l, in his sefer אמונת עתיך, explains this Ramban. He says since it coincides with Shabbos Shuva, our introspection and repentance at this juncture connects us to the past and present, and will also impact our futures here and in the next world. He then relates a story of the Ramban’s disciple named Avner who became an apostate after the Ramban exclaimed that each person’s name is symbolized in this parsha.
Years went by and Avner came to visit his rebbi and brazenly asked where his name is found. The Ramban prayed for Siyata diShmaya and received divine wisdom. He quoted the posuk "אפאיהם אשביתה מאנוש זכרם", and said the third letter of each of these words spells out "אבנר". Legend has it that Avner set out on a raft without no provisions and was never heard from again. There are many lessons we can glean from this powerful story.
R’ Moshe Wolfson says as follows: Usually we find a remez in either the roshei teivos or the sofei teivos. Why here was Avner’s acronym in the middle? He answers that the beginning and end of a person, even a rasha is unknown as they can always repent. But at this point in time, based on his matzav and actions, it was "אשביתה מאנוש" - deserving of being banished. But one’s end is not known, as every yid has the ability to do teshuva.
Yehi ratzon that we all do a proper teshuva finding chein in Hashem’s eyes, and be sealed for a gitte, zeesah yuhr, full of besuros tovos, yeshuos, refuos, parnassa and nachas.