Thursday, August 31, 2023

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Ki Savo

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 first quoted the pasuk in Devarim 26:15 הַשְׁקִ֩יפָה֩ מִמְּע֨וֹן קָדְשְׁךָ֜ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבָרֵ֤ךְ אֶת־עַמְּךָ֙ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל which follows the declaration by the farmer that he has given the tithes that he was required to give. Rashi on this pasuk states that the farmer says to Hashem - we did ours, now You do what you promised to do.

How can we demand that Hashem pay up? To make the question stronger, it is known that Nechemia when he brought the Jews back from Bavel he says to Hashem - I did what I was supposed to do, now its Your turn to take care of me. The Gemara in Sanhedrin notes that the Sefer is called Ezra, but it should have been called Nechemia because its about him. But its called Ezra, because Nechemia demanded that Hashem pay him back for what he did.

So why is this different?

R' Frand quoted the Tolner Rebbi who quotes a Rashi on the previous pasuk in which  the farmer states - עָשִׂ֕יתִי כְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתָֽנִי that the farmer is actually saying Samachti V'Simachti - I was happy and I made other happy. Who did he make happy? The Ger, Yasom, Almanah and Levi. The Tolner Rebbi said that when a person takes care of the people with problems, Hashem says - you did yours - I will do mine.

R' Frand quoted a Rashi on a pasuk in Re'eh that when a person goes up to Yerushalayim he says that he has made Levi, Yasom, Almanah and the Ger happy. Hashem says to him - there are 4 types of people that I care about - if you provided for them, I will make your 4 happy - your son daughter, avdecha and amasecha.

R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the Meshech Chachma which cites a pasuk in Tehillim that Hashem looks after the downtrodden from his Ma'on. This is the same word that is used in 26:15 - if you do what you are supposed to do for those Hashem looks after, He will take care of yours.

R' Frand said a second vort which contrasted the Berachos and Klallos which both the use word וְהִשִּׂיגֻ֑ךָ - and they will come upon you and overtake you. In Devarim 28:2, the Torah writes וּבָ֧אוּ עָלֶ֛יךָ כָּל־הַבְּרָכ֥וֹת הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְהִשִּׂיגֻ֑ךָ - the Berachos will come upon you and overtake you. But in Devarim 28:15, the Torah writes וּבָ֧אוּ עָלֶ֛יךָ כָּל־הַקְּלָל֥וֹת הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְהִשִּׂיגֽוּךָ - the Klallos will do this. 

It is understandable why a person would want to avoid the Klallos and thus they will overtake him, but why would someone want to avoid the Berachos?

R' Frand first quoted the Seforno who explains that a person needs to do his Hishtadlus and then leave it up to Hashem and the Brachos will come on you. Normally, a person needs to do his Hishtadlus, but afterwards he needs to let Hashem bring it to him.

R' Frand next quoted the Degel Machaneh Ephraim which explains that there are times that Hashem will send us a beracha which we do not capitalize on. Maybe because we don't understand that its a blessing or perhaps because our nature is not to jump at potential opportunities which involve change. Hashem says - I will send this beracha and it will overcome you, even if you are trying to avoid it. A couple may go out a few times and then decide its not for them. But a few months later they will reconsider and then it works out. Why? Because they made the wrong decision initially, but the tova chased after them.

R' Frand also quoted R' Bunim M'Parshicha who stated that the true bracha is that the good thing will come upon you, but you will not change as they will meet you where you are. Sometimes a person is different after he comes into money - but here it wont change you. This also explains why the same word is used by the Klallos - you won't change even though you are experiencing this.

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