Since there are no Rabbi Frand shiurim on the Parsha until next week, I am continuing to substitute a vort from other Rabbanim each week, rather than leaving the blog without a vort for shabbos. This week, I am again attempting to repeat a vort heard from a young maggid shiur in my community - R' Jeff Thurm who gives a great 40 minute parsha shiur at the BTU shul on Thursday nights. 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.
This week's parsha begins with Moshe telling the Jews in Devarim 11:26 - "רְאֵ֗ה אָֽנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה" - See I present before you today a blessing and a curse. However in Parshas Netzavim, Moshe tells the Jews in Devarim 30:15 - "רְאֵ֨ה נָתַ֤תִּי לְפָנֶ֨יךָ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם אֶת־הַֽחַיִּ֖ים וְאֶת־הַטּ֑וֹב וְאֶת־הַמָּ֖וֶת וְאֶת־הָרָֽע" - See I have placed before you today the life and the good and the death and the bad.
The obvious question is - what changed that the statement in Netazim is so much more ominous then the lighter reference in this week's parsha?
R' Jeff answered by quoting the Meshech Chachma, who explains that in the interim there was an introduction of the concept of teshuva and that "raised the stakes." Before the possibility of repentance there was the possibility of making the wrong choice, but once Elul comes and with it the power of teshuva, there is now a life and death possibility as we race towards Rosh Hashana and the Yimei HaDin. Whereas the light choices during the summer merely carried the possibility of blessing/curse, when the Days of Awe are approaching and we have the possibility to do teshuva, the results can swing more violently in either direction.
R' Jeff also said a vort about the Chasida - the stork, which is classified as a non-kosher bird, albeit with a pleasant sounding name. Rashi quotes the gemara in Chullin which states that it is called the Chasida because it gives of its food to its stork brethren. But if the bird is a generous and kind creature, why is it not kosher? The Ramban teaches that each non-kosher bird had a character flaw of some kind and that is why we are forbidden to consume it!
R' Jeff answered by quoting the Chidushei HaRim who explains that the stork is a giving creature - but only to other storks and not to other types of birds. This should be a lesson to us that we should not just be kind and giving to our friends, without regard or conciousness of other outside of our inner circle, because only giving to one who is close to us does not make you generous. Instead, a person should reach out to the new family or single person in town and invite them into his home for a meal or a shabbos.
In Devarim 12:23 - the Torah tells us to be strong and not eat blood. Two pesukim later the Torah states that at 12:25 there is a reward for not consuming blood as refraining from eating blood will be good for you and your children afterwards. R' Jeff noted the juxtaposition of this commandment to the law of Ir HaNidachas - the city where the majority of its residents worship idols and we are told in Devarim 13:15 to wipe out that city and not benefit from any of its possessions. If the city is wiped out, we are promised in Devarim 13:18, that Hashem will show mercy to you and cause you to be fruitful and multiply.
R' Jeff quoted the Kli Yakar who explains that each rule shows the positive results of keeping mitzvos. A person is told not to eat the blood because consuming blood will have a negative impact on a person. And while a person might be concerned that following through on wiping out the rebellious city will have a negative impact on him, the Torah promises that Hashem will show him mercy and insure not only that he will not be impacted by this act, but that he will grow and his family will be fruitful and multiply.
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