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 noted that the Art Scroll translation of the pasuk ("You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your G-d") does not really present the meaning of the pasuk. Instead, he preferred Rashi's explanation that the pasuk is telling us to walk with Hashem simply and not to attempt to discern the future.
R' Frand then quoted a Medrash which is cited in a R' Bentzion Kook sefer. The Medrash involves a relative of Shlomo HaMelech who came to him and asked to be taught the language of the birds. Shlomo said no, but the person who is believed to be Benayhu Ben Yehoyada, was insistent. Eventually, Shlomo taught him the language of the birds.
Shortly thereafter, the man was walking in the field when he heard a bird say to the other that the man's flock of sheep would soon die. The man quickly sold all of his sheep and the loss was suffered by the buyer the following week.
Not long after, the man was again walking in the field when he heard a bird say to another that the man's house would soon burn down. He quickly arranged a bucket brigade in and around the house, and when the fire started, they were able to quickly extinguish it.
Thereafter the man was again walking when he heard the howling of dogs, which was known to be a sign that the Malach HaMaves was nearby. He went to Shlomo to ask what he should do. Shlomo replied - I told you that you should not learn the language of the birds. You must have committed a sin that Hashem was warning you to repent from and had you suffered either the loss of the sheep or the home, you might have done so. Now it is too late תָּמִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה עִ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ.
R' Frand told a personal story about one of his sons who at the age of 3 was unable to tie his shoes. 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.
R' Frand next told a story about R' Azriel Tauber which is found in the Sefer - Pirkei Machshava. When R' Tauber was celebrating the Shabbos Sheva Berachos of his youngest daughter, it was 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?
Their mother had been deported to Auschwitz and they had been hiding pretending to be non-Jews. The younger brothers did not even know their Hebrew names. Then a blast hit the shelter and his father fell to the ground, unconscious. When he awoke he told R' Yechiel who was then six years old what he believed what his last will and testament. Your mother has gone to Auschwitz, but don't worry as Hashem takes care of orphans. Your brothers Hebrew names are...
R' Tauber then turned to his father and said that if a prophet came to you in the bomb shelter and said that you and your wife would survive the war and have 5 more children and that 50 years later you would be sitting in Monsey, NY at the Shabbos Sheva Berachos of your granddaughter would you have believed it? And his father replied with an emphatic- NO. But it happened and that was what Rashi means by don't try to figure out the future.
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