Parashas Nitzovim - A Swear Within a Swear... It Happens More Than You Think!

It says in this week's Parasha, "I am not only making this covenant with you, but I am also making it with whoever is standing with us today in the presence of Hashem, our God, and with those who are not here with us today. For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we passed through the nations which you passed through. Where you observed the abominations and their loathsomeness [idols] - wood and stone, silver and gold, that they owned."[1]


Rashi explains what the Torah meant by, "For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt." He says that since we have observed the idolatrous Gentile nations, perhaps someone among Bnei Yisroel may have been tempted to follow them, therefore, Hashem needed to compel us to swear and keep His mitzvos.


I had a couple questions while reading this:


1) The Torah says, "For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt." I understand there might have been temptations to follow the other nation's abominations, ie. idol worshiping, but why would we have contemplated worshiping idols after witnessing the great miracles Hashem performed for us by yetzias mitzraim? Even the magicians of Pharoah admitted the miracles were "Yad Elokim - the Hand of God!"


2) "Therefore, Hashem needed to compel us to swear to keep His mitzvos?" We just read last week all the curses and blessings; after hearing that, why would swearing to keep His mitzvos be more effective?


To answer the first question; it comes to show how strong the yeitzer hara is for worshiping idols. Perhaps it's one of the reasons why Hashem listed it as One of our Ten Commandments! Alternatively, even though we having something amazing going for us, sometimes we feel it's not enough. We'll always want what the other person has. A familiar example is, "I'm jealous of this guy, he doesn't have to worry about money. If I were rich, I would be so happy!" However, it's not true. Even rich people have their own issues.


Regarding the second answer; I'd like to answer with a personal story: This week I tried to access my online banking. Upon signing on, I got an error message saying, "You have been denied access and must call (xxx) xxx - xxxx. We apologize for the inconvenience." When I called, I had to go through a series of security questions to make sure the person they are speaking to was really me. After going through the whole process, the rep explained to me that someone tried calling in on a burner cell phone to get information about my account. Since the number was unfamiliar, they decided to close all my credit cards and temporarily close my account. In addition, they asked me to set up a "Verbal Password" so that the next time I call, only I would know the verbal password and be granted access - as a preliminary measure.


We heard the curses and brachos as an incentive to keep Hashem's mitzvos, but as a preliminary measure Hashem also made us swear. Even though we've heard the curses and blessings, at times it can be hard to keep. Sometimes we feel it helps if we 'swore' we weren't going to do a specific sin, as a boost to help us keep 'our word'.


That doesn't mean, however, we'd be able to use this 'measure' [tactic] and swear for our own personal use. In addition to 'not worshiping other gods' in the Ten Commandments, there's another commandment of, "You shall not take the Name of Hashem, your God, in vain, for Hashem will not absolve anyone who takes His Name in vain."[2] Hashem forbade us to swear. We say in Hataras Nedarim (as you'll see in a few days;) "Any vow, or oath, or prohibition... for which we have accepted to perform good deeds... we regret only the acceptance of these matters with an expression of vow or oath... And therefore we ask for annulment of them all, etc.
We see from here, that even though you want to swear for good reasons, ie: You've just eaten meat and you now have to wait six hours to eat this luscious dairy cheesecake. You know it's too hard to keep, so to help yourself refrain, you swear you won't eat this cheese cake for the next six hours. That is forbidden.


If you think about it though, you don't even need to swear that you won't eat this cheesecake for the next six hours because you already swore to Hashem that you will keep His Torah and Mitzvos! So when you feel you need to swear to help yourself keep Hashem's mitzvos, DON'T - because you ALREADY did.


Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso


[1] Devarim 29:14-17
[2] Shemos 20:7

Parashas Ki Savo - Curses or Blessings - That Is the Question

In this week's parash, the Torah gives a list of commandments and whether one would be cursed or blessed for doing them. For example: Cursed is whoever curses his father or his mother... Rashi explains, "One who denigrates [their parents.]" "Cursed is whoever accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person, etc." Then it says, "And when you hear and obey Hashem, your God, to keep all His mitzvos... You will be blessed.. your fruits.. your offspring.. You will be blessed upon your arrival and blessed upon your departure." And if you deviate from My commandments... Cursed are you upon your arrival and cursed are you upon your departure." [1]


I asked myself the following questions:
1) What does "You will be blessed upon your arrival" mean? Upon entering this world, as a newborn? Why would we be blessed? What merits do we have as newborns?
2) The same question can be asked in reverse: What does the Torah mean when it says, "...cursed are you upon your arrival?" What sins do we have as newborns which justify our being cursed?
3) Why is it grouped as blessed upon arrival and departure and cursed upon arrival and departure - why can't you be blessed upon arrival and then cursed upon departure, and vice versa?


I think I can answer all three questions with the following passage from Sefer Chovos Halevavos [2]: On the day of judgment, many people will find themselves credited with meritorious deeds which they did not do. "These are not mine!" each one will declare. They will be told, "These are the deeds of those who spoke disparagingly of you [and thereby caused their merits to be transferred to your account]." And the ones who spoke disparagingly will be told, "These deeds were taken from you when you spoke against So-and-so." Conversely, some will find acts of guilt on their account which they never committed. When each one will protest, "These are not mine!" they will be told, "These were taken from the account of So-and-So, against whom you spoke..."


Sefer Chovos Halevavos is teaching us that one may spend days trying to earn mitzvos and blessings, however, with one action, that can all be taken away. That's the power of speaking Loshon Harah - now that you've spoken about someone else, they accumulate all your mitzvos and you accumulate all their sins. That's how it's possible for us to be blessed/cursed upon our arrival and departure - because retroactively, it's as if you have no sins/merits recorded.


Above we mentioned an example and Rashi's explanation: One is cursed if he curses his parents. I don't think it's dakfa denigrating through words. It can also mean through actions.


R' Yochanan said in the name of R' Yossi ben Zimra: Whoever speaks loshon hara is considered as if he had denied the existence of Hashem...[3] The Midrash [4] states: R' Mona said, "Whoever speaks loshon hara causes the Shechinah to ascend from this world. Regarding the gossiper, Hashem says, "He and I cannot dwell together in this world."

The action of speaking loshon hara is what causes Hashem's Shechina to leave. It's no different than your flesh and blood parents telling you, "If you do this, I will leave!" Doing something which would ultimately lead to your parents [kol sh'ken Hakadosh Baruch Ho] to leave, chas vShalom, is considered denigrating and cursed are those who do that. Loshon Hara is 'cursing' Hashem in a sense. The same should also apply to any actions deviating from Hashem's commandments.


Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso


[1] 27:16 - 28:19
[2] Sha'ar Hakaneh Ch. 7
[3] Arachin 15b
[4] Devarim Rabba 5:10

Parashas Ki Seitzei - But I Didn't Mean to Hurt You...

Scenario 1: (actively hurting someone) Yankel #1 went to the store to buy a pack of dollar gum. He gave the shop owner $20 but realized later he only got back $18 in change. For those who majored in Mathematics (or who've gone to first grade,) they know Yankel should have gotten back $19. Yankel always suspected the shop owner of being a dishonest guy, so... "The next time I go to the store, I'll just take two extra packs of gum. If he's not honest with me, I won't be honest with him!" he says.

Scenario 2: (passively hurting someone) Yankel #2 loved to dance. When he went to weddings, he'd always 'break out his moves'. Being so engrossed in his dancing, he'd accidentally hit someone in the face. "Oh, I am SO sorry! It was an accident - I didn't see you! Don't worry, your kallah will never realize the discoloration on your face... I am so sorry, mazal tov though! Again, I am so sorry!" he'd exclaim.

Scenario 3: (passively hurting someone by means of his property) Yankel #3 loves to ride his skateboard. The problem is, when he gets back after skateboarding all afternoon, he's so exhausted he leaves the skateboard wherever it is most convenient. Meanwhile, his brother comes home carrying a load of boxes, unable to see the skateboard, he steps on it and falls. He yells at Yankel about how negligent that was and Yankle replies, "Listen, I'm sorry you got hurt but obviously you were supposed to get hurt. That was Hashem's plan. I was just the shliach! Don't kill the messenger."

The third aliya in Parashas Ki Seitzei starts off by saying: When you build a new house, you should build a fence for your roof. And do not place blood (ie. Become responsible for others' blood) in your house, for someone who should fall, may fall from it. Rashi explains: The guy who falls deserves to fall, but even so, let his death not come about through you.

I thought this Rashi is amazing! Above I mentioned three scenarios scaling from severe to not: (a) Actively hurting someone, (b) passively hurting someone, and (c) passively hurting someone by means of his property. Rashi's teaching us that there's 'passively hurting someone by means of your property', (which some people would understand isn't so much different than walking by a couch and stubbing your toe,) and then there's an action you can take to preempt passively hurting someone by means of your property. If you're intentionally hurting someone, which the Torah specifically warns us not to do in Parashas Kedoshim, “Don't bear a grudge and don't take revenge,” then it's even worse.

We are amidst Elul - a time to work on ourselves and do teshuva. I felt it was appropriate to suggest, in honor of this week's Parasha, that we have extra kavanas during Hamapil in Shema baMita. We mention every night, "I forgive anyone who angered or sinned against me, whether against my honor or anything that's mine. Whether he did it accidentally, willfully, carelessly, purposely, through speech, actions, or thoughts... I forgive all of Bnei Yisroel and may they not be punished because of me..."

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

Nisso