Rabbi Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi, Kehillat New Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance Counselor – ASHAR
Principal – Ohr Naftoli- New Windsor
STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
NETOZVIM-VAYELECH 5774
“TAKING
STOCK”
“I want to speak about Shabbos because it’s
such a foundation of Judaism. We must speak about the dimensions of Shabbos and
what Shabbos used to be for Jews. It puts it into our consciousness and can
help us penetrate more into what Shabbos is all about; it has become so
commercialized today.
“My Rebbe used to say that when two drunks
have no money for schnapps, they talk about schnapps.
“Let’s talk about what Shabbos is:
“The gemara[1]
says that on Shabbos your speech must be different…The Yerushalmi sheds light
on this: On Shabbos the world was complete, and there were no more utterances
from G-d, no more of G-d’s commands. Just like the Creator of the World
observes Shabbos, so must we. This entails curbing one’s speech on Shabbos.
“This is puzzling; the crown of man lies in
his koach hadibbur, his ability to speak and communicate. How can it be that on
the holiest day of the week he shouldn’t use that ability which is so central
to his essence, to the fullest extent?
“I asked the son of the malach[2]
who lives in Albany ,
‘Did your father sleep on Shabbos?’ He told me, ‘Not Friday night, not Motzei
Shabbos, nor Yom Tov.’ The malach understood that Shabbos was too precious to
be wasted.
“By not talking on Shabbos you’re
connecting with the Divine Presence…”
(Harav Shlomo Freifeld zt’l, lecture given
at a Kiddush on a Shabbos morning[3])
On the final day of his life, Moshe
gathered together every member of the Jewish people - from prestigious to simple,
old and young, men and women - to urge them to be faithful to the covenant. “אתם נצבים היום - You are
standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d; the heads of your tribes,
your elders, and your officers….for you to pass into the covenant of Hashem,
your G-d, and into His imprecation that Hashem, your G-d, seals with you today.
In order to establish you today as a people to Him…”
Rashi explains that Moshe gathered the
nation en masse because he was about to pass the mantle of leadership to his
successor Yehoshua. Moshe arranged the ‘standing ceremony’ in order to exhort
the nation one final time to not lose sight of their mission. Rashi adds that a
similar standing ceremony transpired shortly before the mantle of leadership
transferred from Yehoshua at the end of his life, and then again shortly before
the leadership transferred from Shmuel to King Shaul.
What was the purpose of having a ‘standing
ceremony’? Why couldn’t they sit and listen to Moshe’s exhortation? What
message was Moshe trying to convey by emphasizing the fact that they were
standing at that time?
Harav Elya Meir Bloch zt’l explained that
the word ‘stand’ in our context does not refer to the physical act of standing
on one’s feet, but rather to the concept of standing immobile, (i.e. standing
still).
Rabbi Yissacher Frand quotes Rabbi Bloch’s
answer: “Life is very hectic. If we were left to our own devices, we would
rarely take the time to stop and think. Like gerbils running around on a
spinning wheel, we would just keep running and running without thinking where
we came, where we are trying to go, and how we are going to get there. We would
go from home to shul, from shul to work, work to home, and then go to sleep,
only to wake up and start the same race all over again the next morning.
“If we want to succeed in life, we need to
have direction. We must know what we are trying to achieve in life and come up
with a plan to reach those goals. We are unlikely to take stock of what we have
achieved and what we still have to accomplish on a daily basis (although we
should probably do so), so it is absolutely vital that we take stock when we
reach a transition point in life.
“This is what Moshe, Yehoshua, and Shmuel
had in mind in bringing Klal Yisroel to a standstill when it came time for each
one to hand the reins to his perspective heir, says Rabbi Bloch. They used the
momentous occasion of a ‘changing of the guard’ to point out that the
nation-at-large was at a major crossroads, and that such a crucial moment calls
for serious introspection.
“We undergo many defining moments in our
lives: the beginning of high school, yeshivah gedolah, or seminary;
getting married; having a first child; and marrying off a child are all
occasions when we should stop and think: What was I supposed to achieve up to
now? What am I supposed to achieve in the next stage of life? How can I
accomplish all that I want to accomplish?
“It is easy to fall into a humdrum routine
and go through life without making much of ourselves. If we just go from one
stage in life to the next without coming to a standstill and thinking about our
past and future, we are guaranteed not to achieve much in life. Moshe brought
the nation to a standstill and caused them to take note of the defining moment
they had reached so they would not squander the opportunity to take stock of
their spiritual standing.”
The recitation of selichos always begins on
Motzei Shabbos[4].
The pizmon[5]
of the first night’s selichos begins with the words, “במוצאי
מנוחה קדמנוך תחלה – At the departure of (the day of) rest, we have come before
You (G-d) for the first time[6].”
The prayer does not merely state that after the departure of the Shabbos we
began reciting selichos, but specifically after the departure of the day of
rest. It could have just as simply and poetically stated, “at the departure of
the holy (day)” or “at the departure of the coveted (day)”. Why is the aspect
of resting on Shabbos singled out as the prelude for reciting selichos?
In order to answer
that question we must understand what it means that Shabbos is a “day of rest”.
It does not simply refer to a cessation and rest from physical laborious
activities. In the afternoon shemone esrei of Shabbos we refer to the
aspect of rest on Shabbos in glowingly lofty terms: “A day of rest and holiness
You granted to Your nation… A rest of love and donation; a rest of truth and
faith; a rest of peace and tranquility, of quiet and security; a complete rest
that You desire in it…”
Although relaxation
and enjoyment are surely integral components of Shabbos, they fall under the
umbrella of oneg Shabbos, enjoyment on Shabbos.[7]
But it is different than the concept of menucha on Shabbos.
Rabbi Shimshon Pinkus
zt’l explains that built into creation is the concept that exertion breeds fatigue.
After working for a certain amount of time one becomes tired which necessitates
that he rest/sleep before being able to resume working.
Life in this world is a constant struggle
between body (physical) and soul (spiritual). Those two diverse forces are
always at odds with each other. In order to survive in this world one must
involve himself in physical pursuits. Too much involvement in the physicality
of the world however, will inevitably detract from one’s spiritual pursuits and
focus.
Rabbi Pinkus explains
that when one involves himself in physical labor his overwhelming focus is on
his physical self. For that time, he somewhat neglects his spiritual self. It
is for that reason that G-d created the concept of tiredness and exhaustion. We
become tired, not really because our strength has ebbed, but because we have
become too far removed from our spiritual selves which serves as our connection
to G-d, the source of life.
When one feels tired
it is G-d’s reminder to him that he must reevaluate his spiritual level. He
must not allow himself to become so distracted by the mundane that his spiritual
connectedness becomes severed and withered. If a person was able to work
without tiring, we can only imagine how involved people would become in their work
and pursuits at the expense of his spiritual responsibilities and obligations.
In other words, every
time one yawns and feels fatigued he should view its message as a reminder that
he must not allow himself to become too distracted from his spiritual
obligations.
After creating the
world in six days and involving Himself in its formation, G-d rested on the
seventh day, as it were. In so doing G-d demonstrated that one who is involved
in this world for too long will grow tired and must withdraw from it in order
to regain his depleted energy.
That is the definition
of the menucha - rest of Shabbos. It is a rest from physical pursuits providing
the opportunity for one to refocus. It is a detachment from our involvement
with the physical world so that we do not stray from our true selves and
purpose. Shabbos is a day of realignment with the Source of life, and our
responsibilities to our Creator.[8]
On Shabbos we rest from the business of the week where we lose sight of what is
truly important.
With this in mind, we
can understand why we begin reciting selichos specifically after Shabbos, the
Day of Rest. It is only after spending a day contemplating and taking stock of
our spiritual level and reminding ourselves of our priorities and ultimate
goals that we are truly ready to commence the arduous process of penitence. The
High Holy Days are by definition “days of rest” in the sense that they are a
time when we seek to break the monotony of the daily drone by infusing our
lives with inspiration and desire for spiritual ascension and renewal. The
aspect of spiritual rest granted on Shabbbos serves as the perfect segue for
the commencement of the recitation of selichos and the final stretch leading up
to the awesome Days of Judgment.
Parshas Netzovim is invariably read shortly
prior to Rosh Hashanah. The parsha opens with the nation standing, gathered
together in silent contemplation of their current standing along with their future
hopes and goals. There could hardly be any more appropriate prelude for Rosh
Hashanah.
“You
are standing today, all of you, before Hashem, your G-d”
“A rest of love and donation… a complete rest that You
desire…”
[1] Shabbos
113b
[2] Rabbi
Chaim Avrohom Dov Ber Levine HaCohen
[3] From the
book, “Reb Shlomo” about Rav Shlomo Freifeld zt’l
[4] For
Askanazim. Sefardim begin reciting Selichos at the beginning of Elul.
[5] hymn
recited responsively
[6] i.e. we have now begun reciting the selichos – the
prayers for forgiveness
[7] When one demonstrates his love for the holy and
sanctified day it is equally a testament to one’s desire to be close with G-d,
as it were. But that is the obligation of oneg Shabbos.
[8]
Rabbi Pinkus adds that, in truth, according to this idea the physical world
should cease to function throughout Shabbos; rain should not fall, plants
should not grow. The reason that does not occur is because through our
reconnection with our spiritual selves on Shabbos we are able to recognize the
entire physical world as a medium for holiness. The reason why we would need to
completely remove ourselves from the physical world on Shabbos is because that
world serves as a detraction from our spirituality. However, if we are able to
view the physical world as a means to achieve spirituality (as we do on Shabbos
when delicious food, added sleep, and general enjoyment are part and parcel of
proper Shabbos observance) then we need not remove ourselves from those
enjoyments and benefits.
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