Thursday, September 29, 2022

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayelech

Tonight is the annual Teshuva Derasha which for technial reasons was not available on TCN. I do hope to receive a link to the recorded version and will IYH try to summarize it in a post(s) over the weekend. However there was a pre-recorded Parsha vort on OU Torah which can be found at https://outorah.org/p/129615 . I have attempted to reproduce the vort to the best of my ability in this post. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to the maggid shiur.

Rabbi Frand began the vort by quoting from Moshe's "valedictory address" that Moshe stated in Devarim 31:2 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם בֶּן־מֵאָה֩ וְעֶשְׂרִ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ הַיּ֔וֹם לֹֽא־אוּכַ֥ל ע֖וֹד לָצֵ֣את וְלָב֑וֹא. R' Frand asked what did it mean that Moshe could not go out and come back? Rashi immediately dispels the notion that Moshe was physically weakened as he states that Moshe's strength had not waned.

Rashi gives an answer that Moshe could no longer be engaged in the back and forth of Torah discussion as Hashem had shut off to Moshe the wellsprings of Torah. As a result, Moshe said I cannot go on any longer - if I can't learn and give over Torah, I have no point in living as this is my reason d'etra.

R' Frand told two stories with a warning that he did not sanction the behavior in the stories. He mentioned that he had a Rebbi who could not kick the smoking habit, as much as his family and students begged him. The Rebbi said - if I can't smoke, I can't learn. And if I can't learn then I can't live.

R' Frand remarked that without approving this lifestyle choice, the fact that if he could not learn he could not live, demonstrates the Rebbi's life meaning.

R' Frand also told a story about a man who visited R' Chaim Kanievsky and told him that he had inherited great wealth and was worried about Ayin Hara. R' Chaim asked him - did you use this money to allow yourself to learn more? No, said that man. Did you use the money to hire tutors so that your children could learn better? No, said the man. R' Chaim responded - if you are not using the money to learn or to help your children learn you don't need to worry about Ayin Hara as no one will be jealous of you. Of course this said more about R' Chaim then the man, but it shows what a life of Torah can mean.

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