Video Study for Parsha Vaetchanan : Torah's Essence Revealed by Moses

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Shalom JTF Readers,

This week we are reading the epic portion of Va'etchanan which contains many important concepts of Jewish faith. Moses is speaking and reviewing the commandments of the Torah and the stories of the exodus from Egypt. In a short while Moses will pass from this world so he wants to give the people of Israel a great inspiration.

Moses was not permitted by Hashem to enter the Holy Land and he beseeches Him to allow him to go up into the land. The sages relate that he prayed 515 (The gematria of Vaetchanan) awesome and heart-felt prayers and yet Hashem only permitted Moses to view the land from atop a mountain.

This portion contains the repetition of the Aseret HaDibroth (Ten Statements) otherwise known as the 'Ten Commandments'. Moses predicts that the Children of Israel will stray and worship idols once again, but they will return to Hashem when they realize the error of their ways.

And we have seminal verses of the Shema prayer which I posted about in the Music thread last night.

From Chabads 'Parsha in a Nutshell':

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/2260/jewish/Vaetchanan-in-a-Nutshell.htm

Moses tells the people of Israel how he implored G‑d to allow him to enter the Land of Israel, but G‑d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain and see the Promised Land.

Continuing his “review of the Torah,” Moses describes the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah, declaring them unprecedented events in human history. “Has there ever occurred this great thing, or has the likes of it ever been heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of G‑d speaking out of the midst of the fire . . . and live? . . . You were shown, to know, that the L‑rd is G‑d . . . there is none else beside Him.”

Moses predicts that in future generations the people will turn away from G‑d, worship idols, and be exiled from their land and scattered amongst the nations; but from there they will seek G‑d, and return to obey His commandments.

Our Parshah also includes a repetition of the Ten Commandments, and the verses of the Shema, which declare the fundamentals of the Jewish faith: the unity of G‑d (“Hear O Israel: the L‑rd our G‑d, the L‑rd is one”); the mitzvot to love G‑d, to study His Torah, and to bind “these words” as tefillin on our arms and heads, and inscribe them in the mezuzot affixed on the doorposts of our homes.

Let us learn the lessons of the portion from the esteemed rabbi, Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute who (Baruch Hashem) posted his latest video just eight hours ago (in time for my weekly thread)...

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Rabbi Trugman of BeThereIsrael.com gives a short 11min talk on the Chassidic insights on our portion.

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Last year Rabbi Richman gave a very interesting dvar Torah on the concept of the Shema prayer. Three weeks ago I learned with my rabbi (his Wednesday Talmud/Tanya class) about some of the inner meanings of the Shema... Let us see what our learned teacher is saying...

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Sometimes I don't know if the G-dcast videos are true Torah teachings or sometimes interject secular humanism into the lessons. But other times I find their lessons accurate according to my learning.

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Our 'cool' rabbi somewhere in the Judean hills, Rabbi Levi Chazen, gives a short talk on our portion.

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Now for a more Chassidic teaching from Rabbi Chaim Miller of Kol Menachem and TorahInTen.

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Rabbi Odze squeezes out some very deep thoughts on our portion.

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Here is the great Rabbi Mizrachis 1 1/2 hour speech on the topic of Va'etchanan... I will have to watch it tomorrow because it is getting late here. I may post some shorter shuirs though...

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Two years ago Rabbi Richman gave this talk on the portion...




Rabbi Finkelstein just posted this last week...

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http://www.torahweb.org/torah/2014/parsha/rsob_vaeschanan.html

Loving Hashem
Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky

The degree to which the mitzvah of ahavas Hashem is fundamental to a life of Torah and mitzvos is captured in its expression in krias Shema as well as its presence in our tefillin. As we enter our homes and kiss the mezuzah we once again acknowledge the centrality of ahavas Hashem in our lives. How do we practically fulfill this core mitzvah?

There are several important aspects of avodas Hashem that are vehicles for a proper fulfillment of ahavas Hashem in our daily lives. The Rambam in the end of Hilchos Teshuva equates loving Hashem with knowing Hashem. Just as the love one feels for another person increases the better one gets to know that person, so too the more we know Hashem the more intense our love for Him becomes. How do we attain this knowledge requisite knowledge of Hashem?

The Rambam explains that by delving into His wisdom we can know Hashem, and that wisdom is composed of two parts. First, by studying the intricacies of His creation we can attain a greater understanding of Hashem and thereby enable our love of Him to grow. In Sefer Hamitzvos the Rambam highlights that Hashem revealed the second aspect of His knowledge to us in His Torah. The greater understanding of Torah one achieves, the more one knows, and thereby loves, Hashem. This relationship between ahavas Hashem and talmud Torah appears in the Shema itself. The Sifrei, as quoted by Rashi, notes that immediately after the Torah commands us to love Hashem we are instructed to immerse ourselves in talmud Torah. It is only through a deep commitment to talmud Torah that one can reach the lofty goal of ahavas Hashem.

We usually associate ahavas Hashem with mitzvos bein adam lamakom. And yet, even our service bein adam lachaveiro depends upon internalizing our love for Hashem. Chazal interpret the miztvah of "v'holachta b'drachav - to walk in the path of Hashem" as the source for the mitzvah of chessed; Hashem performs countless acts of chessed and we are supposed to imitate Him. We naturally look to imitate those whom we admire. As such, by following the example of Hashem and performing acts of kindness we express our love and admiration for Him.

Ahavas Hashem also expresses itself in merging our bein adam lamakom with our bein adam lachaveiro. Chazal teach us that part of ahavas Hashem is to bring others to love Hashem. One who exemplifies ahavas Hashem and is pleasant to other human beings will encourage others to lead their lives in a similar manner. We are commanded to love Hashem with all our hearts, our souls, and our possessions. This intense love comes about from our pursuit of the knowledge of Hashem, and it is this love that results in our performance of chessed and sets the tone for our interpersonal behavior.

On a personal note, I am writing this dvar Torah as I am returning from being menachem avel two families who lost sons in Gaza. These kedoshim, as well as our other brothers who gave their lives for the entire Jewish people, have fulfilled ahavas Hashem and ahavas Yisroel in the ultimate sense, "bechol nafshecha - with your entire soul." These young men sacrificed everything so that the Jewish people can live in safety and security. As we approach Shabbos nachamu, we extend our comfort to all of the grieving families and pray that Hashem will comfort His people by rebuilding the Beis Hamikdash and thus enable us to once again know Him even more and serve Him with maximal love.

[Israel Chai]

http://www.torahanytime.com/audio/parashat-vetchanan-seeing-the-love/

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I'll check that one out after Shabbat...

Here is Rabbi Machlis discussing this weeks Haftarah, the famous Nachamu Haftarah (Haftarah of Comfort) with the vision of Isaiah...
 

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Rabbi Shafier has just posted a bunch of his videos... Here is the Shmuz on parsha Vaetchanan...

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I will post Rabbi Mizrachis lecture (which for some reason he does after the parsha is read in shul) here...