A Thought on Parshas V'zos HaBracha
A Thought on Parshas V'zos HaBracha
"...ashrecha Yisroel mi ka'mocha am nosha ba'HaShem..." (33:29)
"...fortunate are you Israel, who is like you, a nation delivered by HaShem..."
Moshe praises his nation and rejoices in their fortune. We are a nation unlike others. We are saved and delivered by Divine intervention.
The Rambam (Moreh HaNevuchim 2:29) explains that we Jewish people do not fear when we see our foes perish and disappear. We do not chalk up our victories to chance nor to our momentary surge of strength or strategy. If that was our premise, we would still fear the outcome of battle, always worried that the next encounter might result in our defeat. Our faith is in the One Above. It is His victory. With this trust - knowing that we are "delivered by HaShem" - there is no other nation like us.
The Rosh understands Moshe's exultation in a very similar fashion. "HaShem is our sword." When the Jewish nation must engage in battle, the weapon which we bear is the knowledge that when we march beneath the banner of Heaven, the Divine Presence leads the way. It is not our victories nor our might nor our cunning which separate us from the other nations. It is this faith - our trust in His word - which elevates the Jewish people in the eyes of the world.
According to the Rambam, we are like no other nation when we attribute our successes to HaShem. According to the Rosh, we are like no other nation when the rest of the world can see that we Jews remain steadfast in our faith in times of strife.
According to the Rambam, the battles we encounter are won by the Highest Power. We must know this. According to the Rosh, the battles we encounter are fought by the Highest Power. Everyone should know this.
When I studied under HaGaon Rav Moshe Feinstein zt'l, the Yom Kippur War broke out in Israel. This was perhaps the first and only time when I saw this great Rosh Yeshiva agitated. He literally ran into the Bais Medrash and demanded that we stop our break-the-fast and cry out Tehillim. After the war ended, we learned in the Yeshiva that one perspective for better understanding what happened in that tragic encounter was that during the Six Day War, there were many, many miraculous victories and events which defied rational understanding. For many, it was a sign that HaShem was our sword, and that it was His victory over His foes. For others, it was a sign of the superiority of Israeli military might. The suggestion was made, therefore, that the Yom Kippur War served to humble that mistaken view. It was not our might or tactics which determined the outcome, and if anyone assumed that, their mistake became evident in that follow-up encounter. Whether in Israel or in exile, the Jew needs to maintain the perspectives of the Rambam and the Rosh.
* * * * * *
This is the final parsha of the Torah. I have drawn on the holy words of these two exalted Rishonim this year, selecting nuggets of wisdom and insight from their many writings. I shall miss the Rambam and the Rosh. With the help of HaShem, I shall begin Parshas Bereishis
with my study of yet another Rishon. Good Shabbos and good Yom Tov. D Fox
"...ashrecha Yisroel mi ka'mocha am nosha ba'HaShem..." (33:29)
"...fortunate are you Israel, who is like you, a nation delivered by HaShem..."
Moshe praises his nation and rejoices in their fortune. We are a nation unlike others. We are saved and delivered by Divine intervention.
The Rambam (Moreh HaNevuchim 2:29) explains that we Jewish people do not fear when we see our foes perish and disappear. We do not chalk up our victories to chance nor to our momentary surge of strength or strategy. If that was our premise, we would still fear the outcome of battle, always worried that the next encounter might result in our defeat. Our faith is in the One Above. It is His victory. With this trust - knowing that we are "delivered by HaShem" - there is no other nation like us.
The Rosh understands Moshe's exultation in a very similar fashion. "HaShem is our sword." When the Jewish nation must engage in battle, the weapon which we bear is the knowledge that when we march beneath the banner of Heaven, the Divine Presence leads the way. It is not our victories nor our might nor our cunning which separate us from the other nations. It is this faith - our trust in His word - which elevates the Jewish people in the eyes of the world.
According to the Rambam, we are like no other nation when we attribute our successes to HaShem. According to the Rosh, we are like no other nation when the rest of the world can see that we Jews remain steadfast in our faith in times of strife.
According to the Rambam, the battles we encounter are won by the Highest Power. We must know this. According to the Rosh, the battles we encounter are fought by the Highest Power. Everyone should know this.
When I studied under HaGaon Rav Moshe Feinstein zt'l, the Yom Kippur War broke out in Israel. This was perhaps the first and only time when I saw this great Rosh Yeshiva agitated. He literally ran into the Bais Medrash and demanded that we stop our break-the-fast and cry out Tehillim. After the war ended, we learned in the Yeshiva that one perspective for better understanding what happened in that tragic encounter was that during the Six Day War, there were many, many miraculous victories and events which defied rational understanding. For many, it was a sign that HaShem was our sword, and that it was His victory over His foes. For others, it was a sign of the superiority of Israeli military might. The suggestion was made, therefore, that the Yom Kippur War served to humble that mistaken view. It was not our might or tactics which determined the outcome, and if anyone assumed that, their mistake became evident in that follow-up encounter. Whether in Israel or in exile, the Jew needs to maintain the perspectives of the Rambam and the Rosh.
* * * * * *
This is the final parsha of the Torah. I have drawn on the holy words of these two exalted Rishonim this year, selecting nuggets of wisdom and insight from their many writings. I shall miss the Rambam and the Rosh. With the help of HaShem, I shall begin Parshas Bereishis
with my study of yet another Rishon. Good Shabbos and good Yom Tov. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 10:52 PM
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