Rabbi Frand on Parshas Haazinu
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah portion: Tape #
67, The Mitzvah of Writing a Sefer Torah. Good Shabbos and G'mar Chasima
Tova, may you be sealed for a good year!
Rav Herzog on the Comparison of Torah to a Song
The pasuk [verse] from which we learn the mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah says
"And now write for yourselves this song..." [Devorim 31:19]. The Torah refers
to itself as a "Song" (Shirah). Why is Torah called Shirah?
Rav Herzog once gave the following explanation: In virtually all fields of
study, a person who is uninitiated in that discipline does not derive any
pleasure from hearing a theory or an insight concerning that field of study.
Take physics, for example: A physicist will derive great pleasure from
hearing a "chiddush" [novel interpretation or insight] in his field of
expertise. However someone who has never studied and never been interested in
physics will be totally unmoved by the very same insight. The same applies to
many, many other disciplines.
However, this is not the case with music. When Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is
played -- regardless of whether one is a concertmaster or a plain simple
person -- there is something one can get out of it. Music is something that
everyone on his or her own level can enjoy. Everyone can relate to music.
Rav Herzog says that this is why the Torah is called "Shirah". On one hand,
someone can be a great Talmid Chochom [Torah Scholar] and learn "Bereishis
Barah Elokim..." [the first three words of the Torah] and see great wisdom
therein. On the other hand, one can be a five-year-old child, just beginning
to read, and learn "Bereishis Barah Elokim..." and also gain something from
it. Every person, on his own level can have an appreciation for Torah.
Therefore, the pasuk aptly refers to Torah when it says "And now, write for
yourselves this 'song'..."
Menachem Tzion on "Binu Shnos Dor V'Dor"
The pasuk in Parshas Ha'azinu says "Remember bygone days; understand the
years of each generation; ask your father and he will tell you, your
grandfather and he will say it over to you" [32:7]. Even on a very simple and
basic level, this pasuk is teaching the importance of having an appreciation
for history.
It is very important for us to have an appreciation for history. If a person
has an appreciation of what was, of tradition, of what transpired over the
years, then he is capable of dealing with the present. A person has an
obligation to remember and understand and to try to see the Hand of G-d
(Hashgocha) in history.
When Willaim Shirer wrote his book "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" (1959),
he used as an epigraph, a quote from U.S. philosopher George Santayana:
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This is a
truth. We must remember history (Zechor Yemos Olam).
On a simple level, the next words in the pasuk, which say, "Binu Shnos Dor
V'Dor" [Understand each and every generation], seem redundant. It appears to
be nothing more than a poetic restatement of the beginning of the pasuk. On a
homiletic level however, the Menachem Zion offers a very nice interpretation
of this expression.
Yes, we must understand history and learn the lessons of history and apply
them to our generation, but in addition to that, "Binu 'Shnos' dor v'dor".
The Menachem Zion explains homiletically that the word 'Shnos' is not derived
from the word 'Shana' [year] but from the word 'Shoneh' [different]. The
meaning is that you must understand the changes from one generation to the
next.
We can not blindly apply the same rules that worked in the past to present
situations. If you try, you will fall short. Each generation is different. We
can not glibly say "That's the way it was; therefore that's the way it has to
be". Binu Shnos Dor V'dor -- learn the lesson of history, but bear in mind
the changes from generation to generation. Times change, people change, and
circumstances change. There are times when we must alter and redirect and not
merely go with what was.
If someone today were to send a half million troops to the beaches of
Normandy, he would rightly be called a "meshuganer" [crazy one]. While 50+
years ago there was indeed a need to fight a battle on the beaches of
Normandy, that battle is now over; that battle has already been fought; and
that battle has already been won. We cannot always continually fight the same
battles again and again.
Understand the changes ('shnos') in each generation. Understand that each
generation has it's own set of problems and own set of rules and own set of
circumstances. We must remember the days gone by, but couple that remembrance
with an understanding of the changes that take place in each generation.
In the past, I have quoted the 'Chassideshe vort' of Reb Levi Yitzchak
regarding why Eliyahu HaNavi (rather than Moshe Rabbenu or anyone else) was
the one designated to resolve all of the Talmud's "Teykus" [acronym used by
the Talmud to indicate a question remains unresolved until Tishbi (Elijah)
will provide the resolution].
The reason, the Berditchever says, is because Eliyahu never died -- he has
been around in all generations. We need someone who has an understanding of
each generation to pasken the shaylos [issue Rabbinic rulings on Halachic
questions] for that generation. Therefore, only Eliyahu, who was present
during all generations, is qualified to resolve the "Teykus".
Glossary
Chassideshe vort -- homiletic interpretation, popular in the teachings of
Chassidic Rebbes, that teach a moral lesson from a
Scriptural verse by deviating from the simple or literal
interpretation
Personalities & Sources:
Rav Yitzchak Herzog -- (1888-1959) Chief Rabbi of Ireland and later Palestine
- Israel.
Menachem Tzion -- Rabbi Menachem Ben-Zion Zachs.
Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev -- (1740-1810) famous Hassidic Rebbe,
disciple of Dov Baer of Mezhirech.
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah portion (#67). The
corresponding halachic portion for this tape is: #67 is: The Mitzvah of
Writing a Sefer Torah. The other halachic portions for Parshas Haazinu from
the Commuter Chavrusah Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
