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.
In Vayikra 26:42 the Torah writes "וְזָֽכַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י יַֽעֲק֑וֹב וְאַף֩ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֨י יִצְחָ֜ק וְאַ֨ף אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶזְכֹּ֖ר וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֶזְכֹּֽר." R' Frand noted that this language is usually read by the Ba'al Koreh with full voice as opposed to the rest of the Tochacha which is read low. Additionally, the location of the pasuk within the Tochacha is curious as the pasuk which seems positive on its face in that Hashem states that He will remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob does not appear at the end of the Tochacha. Instead, the Tochacha continues for two more pesukim before finally there is a promise of salvation. So is this a positive statement or a continuation of the recitation of the curses?
R' Frand first answered by quoting the Shelah who takes the position that the pasuk is part of the curses within the Tochacha. He notes that there is a difference between a rasha who is the son of a tzaddik and one who is the son of a rasha. While a person may sin because he does not know better and was raised in an environment bereft of morals, there is no similar excuse for someone who commits crimes but comes from an environment where he was taught how to act.
This is why the pasuk is a continuation of the Tochacha - Hashem is saying, even though you came from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who I had covenants with, you did not lean from your environment.
R' Frand then added that perhaps this is the reason that the pasuk ends with the statement that "the land will remember." You (the Jews) were living in Israel, a land where you had everything and positive reinforcement, yet you sinned.
R' Frand also quoted R' Bukspan from Miami who cited a Medrash which states that at the Akeidah, Avraham davened to Hashem that the Jews should have a period of Aseres Yimei Teshuva to achieve forgiveness. Why was this prayer/request made then? R' Bukspan answered that Akeidas Yitzchak is a great merit for the Jews and it could provoke the question - with this kind of background, how could you have sinned? Therefore, Avraham asked at the Akeidah - please give the Jews an annual period of teshuva.
R' Frand also added that some machzorim for Rosh Hashanah have the words "Brachamim Tizkor" in the mussaf liturgy of Zichronos. Why? Because we want Hashem to remember the Akeidah with mercy and not ask why we sinned despite our background.
Lastly, R' Frand quoted his son R' Yitzchakm who explained that there are two forms of mussar - one that informs the person that he is horrible and has done something terrible and another derech where the individual giving mussar says "you are normally a good person, what caused you to do this wrong act?" The second form of mussar is the sentence from the Tochacha which recalls our forefathers - you came from a good family, why did you sin?
R' Frand also said a vort on the pasuk in Vayikra 26:3 "אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֹתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם". He noted that the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh had 42 explanations for why this was written in present tense, but he quoted the Shelah who writes that we learn from here that if a person intended to do a mitzva, but was prevented from doing so, he gets the reward as if he did ot.
R' Frand connected this to a story about a mohel who lived in Israel called R' Chussin. At an advanced age he was asked to do a Shabbos Bris which required him to walk a great distance on Shabbos. He agreed to do so and brought along a companion for the long walk. Upon arriving at the Bris, the father of the baby boy seemed to be stalling and eventually said to R' Chussin - I have a problem as I asked you to come, but would like to give this kibbud to a different mohel. R' Chussin agreed with a smile on his face.
Yet, the bris still did not go forward. Again, the father seemed to be stalling until he approached R' Chussin and asked to borrow his implements as the new mohel did not have them with him. Again, R Chussin agreed with a smile on his face.
On the walk back to his home, R' Chussin's assistant asked - you were shown disrespect, why are you smiling? He responded - this is the best bris I ever performed! He explained that generally a mohel is shown respect and kavod and this has some impact on his psyche. Here, I was prevented from doing the mitzva, but am credited with having performed the milah, and without any kavod to tarnish the act!
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