A thought on Parshas Ha'azinu

"...ki dor ta'hapuchos hae'ma..." "...for they are a reversing generation..." (32:20) The expression "reversing generation" (dor means generation; ta'hapuchos comes from the word "hepech" which means opposite or reversed) sounds unusual. What does a generation of people do in order to be called "reversing"? Some of the commentaries struggle with this. Rashi suggests that it means that our people would behave in such a way that would reverse the Divine quality of tolerant mercy into an emanation of wrath and anger. This happens in exile and is a cause of our going into exile. The Bechor Shor sees it differently than Rashi. Perhaps he is troubled by the all inclusive plural wording in the term "reversing generation." According to Rashi, there is only one reversal, our testing Divine Providence until mercy seems to turn to anger. That might have fit had the term been "dor me'hapech" which is singular. The word ta'hapuchos suggests more than one reversal. Perhaps on the strength of that observation the Bechor Shor writes that this reversing has less to do with how we provoke HaShem and more to do with our selves. He writes that we often take our good times for granted, and drift away from HaShem. That means that when HaShem has blessed us with bounty, we reverse our selves from being grateful recipients to being defiant opportunists. Furthermore, when life gets harsh and difficult, we reverse ourselves from being opportunistic ingrates to dependant penitents seeking rescue. Either way, we tend to alter our mode of conduct, our orientation, without consistency I saw a young man this week in my office who has been exploring his struggles with staying religious. He talked about how he realizes that his conflict has less to do with staying or not staying religious and more to do with feeling or not feeling religious. He says that he has tried to analyze this and has formulated in his mind that the core of his struggle growing up in the religious community was trying to deal with religious peoples' hypocrisies. The contradictions, the reversals, the ta'hapuchos which mark the gap between our professed values and the values which we live by are a challenge. May our spiritual and interpersonal work this year focus on consistency and stability. May we merit being called Yeshurun - a nation of integrity and stable yashrus. Good Shabbos. Gmar Tov. D Fox

A thought on Parshas Vayelech

"...ki ata tavo es ha'am ha'zeh..." "...and you shall go with this nation..." (31:7) Moshe prepared his successor, his disciple Yehoshua, to take charge of the nation after his demise. Yehoshua would lead the nation into Israel and guide them in place of his great teacher Moshe Rabbeinu. Many of the commentaries note that Moshe advises Yehoshua to go with the people - tavo. However, in verse 23, when HaShem endorses and repeats this instruction, He says "you shall bring the people" - tavie. What is the difference in meaning between those to forms of the root word bo which means to come or to go? The Bechor Shor suggests that Moshe, known for his exemplary modest and humble style, intended that his disciple Yehoshua would also lead the nation with such humility. Namely, in instructing that he should "go with the nation", Moshe meant that Yehoshua should conduct himself with a humbled demeanor, seeking counsel and input from the nation's elders. HaShem envisioned a different role for Yehoshua, however. His role was more than leading the nation as a shepherd leads a flock. His mission was once of conquest, of preparing the young nation to inhabit its own homeland and to develop its spiritual and its material might and welfare. This demanded of Yehoshua a strong command presence, a sense of power and empowerment, and that needed a unilateral imposing rule unlike that which Moshe had developed with the people in the desert. Even though Yehoshua had mirrored the humility of his great teacher during those years, he was equal to this new task and its demands. The Bechor Shor closes with the observation that each generation needs its own leader, and the generation which entered the Promised Land needed a strong and autonomous ruler. It is said that Rav Schach zt'l was always found in a corner learning during the long years of the formation of Yeshivas Ponovezh. He kept a low profile and was exclusively involved in learning Torah. He did not seek a role other than that of immersion in studying the Word of HaShem. Yet, when the time came and he was summoned to take the helm of that great yeshiva, and as a central figure in Orthodox Torah Judaism, he made his way forth. We might consider, in this new year, whether we each plan to continue doing what we do best, and to do so as we always have, or whether there are new challenges, new opportunities, beckoning us to come forth and mold ourselves according to the demands of our situation and to the needs of our nation. Good Shabbos. Gmar Tov. D Fox

A thought on Parshas Nitzavim

"...v'shav HaShem Elokecha...v'shav v'kibetz'cha..." (30:3) "...and HaShem your Lord will return your captives...and return and gather you..." The optimism of this vision, HaShem returning to His people and in turn returning them to their homeland, is inspiring. The appearance of a redundancy above, however, might seem to mar the otherwise bright flow of this promise. What does the repeated use of 'v'shav' - and He will return - signify? The Bechor Shor offers that the first promise of HaShem returning our captives is a reference to the Babylonian exile. That was a relatively short interval in our national history when the first Bais HaMikdash had been destroyed, and much of our nation was taken eastward to Persia and surrounding areas. Those captives will be brought back, our verse proclaims, as HaShem takes us to our land again. The second promise - HaShem will return and gather you in - is a reference to the enduring present exile known as "Galus Edom." The Bechor Shor depicts this as "this massive and long exile that now has scattered us across the earth." He cites the gemara (Megila 29a) which notes that our verse does not say "v'yashiv HaShem" (HaShem will return them) but rather "v'shav HaShem" - HaShem will return. This is understood by our sages as a message that HaShem too is anguished and in a form of "exile" as long as we remain scattered and apart. Without a unified nation to revere and serve Him, it is as if world consciousness of HaShem has been taken captive, and faded. Thus, when we return to our holy land, our verse alludes to this as "HaShem too will be returned". His Divine Majesty and the world's sense of His Presence will be restored. For those of us who like to sing the Shabbos zemiros, you may recall the song (part of the long "Baruch HaShemYom Yom") which is known as Yetzaveh Tzur Chasdo - May the Mighty One command His Kindness to gather in His congregations from the four winds. My great and sainted rebbe HaGaon Rav Simcha Wasserman zt'l would lead us in this every Shabbos at Shalosh Seudas. I can still hear his strong voice, along with those who joined him. It always seemed to me that he emphasized the final phrase of that stanza - "yashiv lo ne'emar, ki im v'shav v'kibetz" "He shall bring back" is not said but rather "He shall return" Those words paraphrase the gemara and are also the thought of the Bechor Shor here. The exile has been long and hard. The redemption is very overdue. It is time for HaShem to bring us back to Him, and time for us to bring HaShem back to ourselves and to the world. Wishing you a good Shabbos on this final phase of the year 5772, and Ksiva v'Chasima Tova. D Fox