The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
R' Frand began the vort by quoting from Devarim 29:15-20, in which the Torah warns that the Jews have seen the abominations in Egypt and that perhaps there is a man among them who after hearing this warning -- וְהִתְבָּרֵ֨ךְ בִּלְבָב֤וֹ לֵאמֹר֙ שָׁל֣וֹם יִֽהְיֶה־לִּ֔י כִּ֛י בִּשְׁרִר֥וּת לִבִּ֖י אֵלֵ֑ךְ - he will bless himself in his heart and say peace will be on me and I will do what I want.
R' Frand quoted the Ibn Ezra who explains the curious complacency of this man. The man believes that no harm will come to him because he is part of a community (Tzibur) and that they will protect him from the harm of his sins.
This of course is a well established principle - we pray as part of a community so that our prayers will be heard and the zechus of the community does afford protection.
But not for this man, as the Torah states in Devarim 29:20 - וְהִבְדִּיל֤וֹ יְהֹוָה֙ לְרָעָ֔ה מִכֹּ֖ל שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל - Hashem will separate him out for punishment.
R' Frand underscored the protection of the Tzibur by telling stories about the Mirrer Yeshiva - the only European yeshiva whose student body and staff survived the Holocaust intact. When things started getting bad in Europe, the Rosh Yeshiva told the talmidim that they needed to stay together. He would not allow any of the boys to go home for Sukkos and required them to all learn together in the same Beis Medrash.
R' Frand then tied this into the Zohar's explanation of a story in Melachim Beis involving Elisha and the Shunamis woman. She had built a room for him to rest and וַיְהִ֥י הַיּ֖וֹם וַיָּ֣בֹא שָׁ֑מָּה וַיָּ֥סַר אֶל־הָעֲלִיָּ֖ה וַיִּשְׁכַּב־שָֽׁמָּה - it was on that day that he came there and lay down in the attic (4:11) - the Zohar explains that this day was Rosh Hashanah.
Elisha then called Gechazi and asked him to inquire of the Shunamis woman - מֶה לַעֲשֹ֣וֹת לָ֔ךְ הֲיֵ֚שׁ לְדַבֶּר־לָךְ֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ - what can we do for you - should we speak to the King (4:13) - the Zohar explains that Elisha was offering to daven to Hashem for her.
She responded that she did not want this, using the term בְּת֥וֹךְ עַמִּ֖י אָנֹכִ֥י ישָֽׁבֶת - I dwell among my people. R' Frand explained that she was saying - I don't want to be separated from my people on Rosh Hashanah. R' Frand tied this to R Finkel who did not want to sit separately in the East on Rosh Hashanah - he wanted to be with the rest of the yeshiva.
R' Frand then said a thought from the Chofetz Chaim about another way to succeed in Judgment. He talked about the 1901 Russia-Japan war. When things were going badly for Czar Nikolai he decided to reshape the Russian army by taking a junior level officer and asking him to reorganize. The junior level officer immediately fired all the senior officers who had their positions based on nepotism or stature. These people decided to see if they could find some dirt on the junior officers and eventually discovered that he was lining his pockets.
The former officers then came to Czar and told them what they discovered, in an attempt to get him fired. The Czar responded - I believe you, but I am willing to look past this because I need him and he is doing a great job in reforming the army.
The Chofetz Chaim concluded - this is how you succeed in Judgment on Rosh Hashanah - make yourself valuable and needed by the Tzibur.
Wishing everyone a Kesiva V'Chasima Tova and sweet and healthy New Year.
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