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 observed that the portion of the parsha which discusses Hashem's disgust for the abominations of the residents of the land of Canaan who use black magic practices to divine the future (Devarim 18:9-12) ends with the pasuk "תָּמִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה עִ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ" (Devarim 18:13).
R' Frand referred to Rashi's explanation of the Pasuk - that a Jew should walk with Hashem wholeheartedly and trust in what Hashem has in store for him in the future and accept that what Hashem gives him is for the best.
R' Frand then read extensively from an essay by R' Azriel Tauber which is found in the Sefer - Pirkei Machshava. When R' Tauber was six years old, his mother was taken to a concentration camp and he and his three brothers were left with their father. The younger brothers did not even know their Hebrew names.
One day they were in a bomb shelter when a blast hit and his father fell to the ground, unconscious. They carried their father to his bed where ne remained for some time. When he awoke he told R' Tauber who was then six years old what he believed what his last will and testament. He said to him that he had lost his strength and was going to die and their mother had gone to Auschwitz, but don't worry as Hashem takes care of orphans. Be strong as the war will end and Mashiach will come he was told. And then he was specifically instructed to look after his younger brothers and make sure they knew their Hebrew names.
Fifty years later, R' Tauber celebrated the Shabbos Sheva Berachos of his youngest daughter on Shabbos Shoftim. R' Tauber turned to his father and said do you remember the night in the bomb shelter in Budapest. Do you remember when it was you and me and my three brothers in the bomb shelter? And if a Navi had told you that you would survive and live another 50 years and attend the Shabbos Sheva Brachos of your grandchild, with your wife in attendance, would you have believed it? No, he said.
And if you would have been shown a picture of all of your children and grandchildren as a family, would you have believed it then? Again - No - he said.
The post script is that R' Tauber's father passed away on the 27th of Sivan - the same Hebrew date that his father's community was liquidated and the residence sent to their deaths. R' Tauber said that it was on that date they died Al Kiddush Hashem while his father lived Al Kiddush Hashem.
R' Frand remarked that this Rashi is not a Chumra - its good advice not to question what Hashem has in store for you.
R' Frand told a personal story about one of his sons who at the age of 3 R' Frand tied his shoes in the morning. One day when R' Frand tied the shoe, the boy said to him - who will tie my shoes when I am bar mitzva? The boy had no concept of when a bar mitzva happens or that in the future he will learn to tie his own shoes, because he could not understand what lies ahead. And like R' Tauber's father said to him - if a Navi told me what would be and showed me a picture, I would not have believed.
The message of Rashi is not to try to figure out what will happen in the future, because you can't. Just accept that its all from Hashem.
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