Since there are no Rabbi Frand shiurim on the Parsha until Elul, I would like to substitute a vort from other Rabbanim each week, rather than leaving the blog without a vort for shabbos. [Also due to having to drive KB Jr to Camp M after I finished work last night, I was unable to blog until today]. This week, I am attempting to repeat a vort heard from R' Eli Mansour as recorded on www.learntorah.com. Same rules as usual apply - I have attempted to reproduce the 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 the maggid shiur.
The first two pesukim of the parsha utilize the word Anochi - once in the first pasuk where Moshe says "See that today I am giving before you a bracha and a curse", where the word Anochi is used for I. The next pasuk states at the end "... that I am commanding you" again using the word Anochi for I.
But its hardly coincidental that the Anochi is used in consecutive pesukim. The question is why? Clearly, the word Anochi has special significance, as both the Aseres Hadibros in Yisro and Va'eschanan begin with the word Anochi. But what is the connection?
R' Mansour began the vort by noting that the first luchos were broken in Tammuz, then Moshe went up and received forgiveness and then went up again and brought down the second luchos on Yom Kippur - the tenth of Tishrei. The gemara teaches that the Jews worshipped the Egel only to teach that a person can get forgiveness, with the teshuva being completed during Elul and the ten days of repentance ending with Yom Kippur.
R' Mansour quoted last week's haftorah which discusses the conversation between Hashem and the Jews and the Jews asking will Hashem forget us and He says, I will always remember you. The gemara teaches that the Jews were asking --if You will always remember then maybe you will remember the sin of the Egel? To this Hashem answers "Gam Aleh Tishcahna" - also this I will forget. The gemara teaches that Hashem says that He will forget the sin of the Egel wherein it was said about the Egel "Aleh elohecha Yisrael." The Jews then say, but maybe you will also forget that we received the Torah? To this, Hashem responds "V'Anochi, Lo Eshcacheh" - I will not forget the Anochi.
R' Mansour expanded on this gemara, explaining that the Jews were saying - we committed many sins, maybe you wont forget our sins and they are in front of You constantly. To this Hashem responds - I can forget your sins, because I gave you the second luchos. Just like the first luchos begin Anochi, so do the second, because I will forget your sins and take you back.
R' Mansour noted that the word Anochi is 1. How would you say two Anochi? He answered by quoting Rashi that when a pasuk begins with a Vuv it is a repetitive perpetual act. Thus the V'Anochi in the conversation is the second Anochi.
R' Mansour then connected this to a gemara in Rosh Hashana 16b, which discusses the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana in various points and postures. Why? In order to confuse the Satan. Tosafos ties this to a Yerushalmi which states that when the Satan hears the shofar the first time, he is a little confused, but not disturbed. But when he hears the second blowing, he gets nervous and thinks Moshiach is coming. R' Sadya Gaon lists 10 reasons that we blow the shofar, including to remember the shofar blowing at Matan Torah. R' Mansour tied this together --the first shofar reminds the Satan of the first luchos, But then he says - but they sinned after they accepted the Torah and they will sin again. But when he hears the second shofar it reminds him that Hashem gave us another set of luchos and forgave us. If that's the case, Hashem will forgive the Jews for their sins now as well.
The double use of Anochi in Re'eh is teaching that the biggest blessing is to know that a person can start his life again today, even if he sinned yesterday. A person can't move forward if he is fixated on what he did previously. Like an addict abandoning a habit, he needs to say, today is a new day. And the Torah is given today, so don't worry what you did yesterday. See that I am giving you Today a blessing and a curse, and if you use it positively, it will be a blessing. And the proof that you can start Today, is that there are two Anochis. There is an Anochi that was before the sin and an Anochi after the sin. Use the today and start over, because I am giving you another chance. And I will never forget that there is a second Anochi.
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