Vol. 7   No. 51

Ha'azinu

"The Rock, whose work is perfect ... He i righteous, and straight" (32:4).

We witness sometimes, how a righteous man looks for a piece of bread to satisfy his hunger, and clothes to cover his body, and the question arises 'Is Hashem short of funds? Why does He not provide him with his bare necessities, to alleviate his suffering?'

This can be compared, answers the Chofetz Chayim, to a wealthy man whose only son fell ill. He went from one doctor to another, all of whom could find no cure for his son's ailment - until finally he took him to a great professor who did succeed in curing him. However, he explained to the boy's father, under no circumstances was his son to eat fat meat, as this would lead to a relapse.

It happened once that the father had to leave town on a business trip. Before leaving, he instructed his wife to watch their son, and to make sure that the doctor's orders were strictly adhered to. A day or two later, the mother was sitting at table eating a dinner of roast meat. The powerful smell was more than the son could bear, and before his mother could stop him, he grabbed a piece of meat, ran outside with it and ate it.

Needless to say, the son became very ill once more, and when the father returned, he found him hovering on the brink of death. He ran straight to the professor, with whom he tearfully pleaded to save his only son. He swore that this was the last time that he would leave his son to go away on business.

It was with great difficulty that the professor managed to revive the son. Again, he recovered, and again, the professor warned the father not to allow his son to eat meat. Some time later, the father organised a family dinner. Before the meal began however, he sent his son out of the salon, much to the disgust of the guests, who found the tough, heartless behaviour of the cruel father, unacceptable. They could not understand such cruelty - only the parents of the boy understood. They knew that their cruelty was born of love and kindness.

This explains exactly Hashem's methodology. Sometimes it is the tzadik whom He sends out of the dining-room, for his own good. We may not understand why. But we do know, and believe with a full heart, that it is only for his own good. Because Hashem is righteous and straight and He knows that poverty is good for Yisroel.

What we can learn from all this is that we do not always understand what is good for us. It is more than likely that sometimes we daven to Hashem in all sincerity for things that are ultimately, not only not beneficial, but positively harmful, like the roast meat to the sick boy. What we are asking may be good for others, but bad for us. This may even be the cause of many of our prayers going unanswered (or seemingly unanswered). Because Hashem alone knows what is really good for us, and in His capacity as our Father, He would prefer to see us frustrated at not seeing our prayers answered, than to allow harm to befall us because our prayers are inappropriate.

Particularly at this time of year, when tefilah plays such an important role in our lives, this should prompt us to daven with more care, not only as to how we daven, but what we daven for. Needless to say, praying for spirituality, or what we genuinely need to achieve it, can never be out of place, neither can praying for the needs of others, as Rabbi Yisroel Salanter said - 'Another Jew's material needs are my spiritual ones'. In any case, the bulk of our tefilah covers not only spiritual needs, but the spiritual needs of Klal Yisroel. It is when we begin to present G-d with our material requirements that we need to pay more attention. We need to be aware of the fact that anything more than our basic needs is potentially harmful, or at best, useless to us, and that as such, it is perhaps best omitted from our tefilos. We should concentrate instead on things that we can justifiably assume will benefit us as individuals and the world at large.

We intimated earlier that even though a prayer may appear to have gone unanswered, that is not really the case. We say in "Ashrei' that Hashem is close to anyone who calls Him in truth, and this certainly intimates that no sincere prayer goes unanswered. Prayer is our means of communicating with G-d. It brings us into direct contact with Him, and as such it forges a bond between the two of us. For that alone, it is bound to have far-reaching positive ramifications, over and above the rewards that are forthcoming for having fulfilled the mitzvah of praying. But all that is irrespective of whether the prayer itself is answered. It seems obvious that in addition to these rewards, the prayer is answered too. Perhaps not according to the format that it was presented, but translated into a format that will serve the person who prayed, or the person on whose behalf he prayed, in a positive way.

We can compare this to someone who gave in his car for servicing, together with a list of some of the parts that he wanted replaced. Before commencing the work, the chief mechanic scanned the list and noticed that one major part that the owner had specified was wrong. It was not the correct part for that model car. So what did he do? He replaced the part with the appropriate new one. In fact, the owner received, not the part that he had asked for, but the part that he needed.

And so it is with an unsuitable prayer. Hashem will grant the person, not necessarily what he asked for, but what he needs.

"My Torah will fall ("ya'rof") like rain, My words will flow like dew" (32:2).

If he is a talmid-chochom, explains the Yalkut, then "it will flow like dew", but if he is not, then "it will break his neck (the alternative meaning of "ya'arof") like rain (which can destroy, in a way that dew cannot)".

The Ma'alos ha'Torah, citing his brother the Gro, gives the reason for the comparison of Torah to rain, in the following way. Just as rain waters all plants, those that are beneficial and those that are harmful alike, so too does Torah affect whoever studies it - tzadik and rosho alike.

And just as it is the weeds and the harmful plants that tend to grow more abundantly than the good plants when they are watered, so too do the evil character-traits of those who are not decent, develop and grow with the Torah that they learn, even more effectively perhaps, than the good traits of those who are righteous.

Unklus translates "am novol ve'lo chochom" (a disgusting nation who are unwise - 32:6) as 'a people who received the Torah and who were not wise'.

What made Unklus translate "am novol" as 'a nation who received the Torah', asks the Gro? Is "novol" a befitting description for someone who accepts the Torah ?

The Torah writes that Avrohom kept the entire Torah (see Bereishis 26:5 and Rashi there). The only way to explain this, writes the Gro, is that he sanctified and purified his limbs to such a degree, that every limb and every sinew in his body attained the mitzvah that was assigned to it. Consequently, it was unnecessary for him to receive the Torah.

And that is what the Torah means here - "am novol", a 'disgusting' nation (who needed to receive the Torah and) who were not wise (like Avrohom, who was able to work it out himself).

Rebbi Chayim Volozhim had great difficulty in understanding the Tana de'Bei Eliyohu who says that one of G-d's attributes is that of being happy with His lot.

Bearing in mind that G-d owns the entire world and all that is in it, the statement at first seems meaningless.

When he asked the Gro for an explanation, the Gro referred to the posuk "Because His people (Yisroel) is the lot of Hashem" (32:9). In other words, Yisroel is the lot that G-d chose for Himself. And what the Tana de'Bei Eliyohu therefore means is that He is happy with His lot for better or for worse - even when they fail to behave the way that they should. He remains with them in their tum'ah, and will never forsake them and never exchange them for any other nation.

"How one will chase a thousand, and two will cause ten thousand to run away" (32:30).

The Gemoro in Mo'ed Kotton relates how, when Dovid went to war, he would become 'hard like wood' over the eight hundred that he had slain in one stroke; he would shoot an arrow and fell eight hundred of the enemy in one go. He would sigh however, over the missing two hundred, for does the Torah not write "How one will chase a hundred"?

A heavenly voice proclaimed that this was due to the episode with Uri'ah ha'Chitti, on account of which, Rashi explains, two hundred were taken away from him (implying that previously he would fell a thousand with one stroke and that this number was now reduced to eight hundred).

From where does Rashi know this, asks the Gro? Perhaps he never killed a thousand with one stroke?

There are a number of discrepancies between the Shiroh of Dovid in Tehillim (Chap. 18) and his Shiroh in Seifer Shmuel II (Chap. 22), which are basically very much the same. These discrepancies are listed in Maseches Sofrim (Chap. 8). It is obvious that Dovid did this deliberately, and that each change has a sound reason for it.

In Shmuel (posuk 44), Dovid wrote "Tishmereini le'rosh goyim", whereas the corresponding posuk in Tehillim (44) reads "Tesimeini le'rosh goyim".

It seems plausible, the Gro explains, that the posuk in Shmuel was said before Dovid's sin with Uri'ah ha'Chitti, and the posuk in Tehillim after it. If that is so, the word "tishmereini", (whose numerical value is a thousand) hints at the number of enemy that he would kill with one stoke before his sin (in accordance with the posuk in our parshah); whereas the "tesimeini" (whose numerical value is eight hundred - bearing in mind that the 'yud' is not a root letter but part of the vowel that precedes it) hints at the number that he killed after he sinned. A neat proof for Rashi's explanation.

Rabeinu Bachye writes that nowadays, when we are in exile and there is no Cohen Gadol to atone for our sins, and no Mizbei'ach on which to bring sacrifices and no Beis ha'Mikdosh in which to daven, all we have between us and Hashem is our prayers and the thirteen Attributes.

Here is an interpretation based on Rashi, Rabeinu Bachye, the Da'as Zekeinim mi'ba'alei Tosfos and the S'forno:

Hashem - before one has sinned (see part I in Nitzovim-va'Yeilech issue).

Hashem - after one has sinned, without having done teshuvah and without having even asked for forgiveness, like a merciful father who feels sorry for his son.

Keil - who deals mercifully with those who pray to Him, without punishing them. Alternatively, He is a true Judge who judges righteously.

Rachum - He is merciful with all His creatures, even with the animals, as we say in Ashrei "And His mercy extends to all His creatures".

Chanun -He deals favourably with people (even with resho'im). Neither of these midos preclues suffering.

Alternatively, Rachum means that He is merciful to the poor and saves them, whilst Chanun means being gracious to the rich as well as to the poor. And according to others, Rachum denotes answering those who have sinned when they call to Him, and Chanun, that He does kind deeds with those who pray to them, even if they are unworthy.

Erech Apayim - Hashem is slow to anger. He does not punish immediately. This midoh pertains to tzadikim and resho'im alike (because "there is no tzadik who only does good and does not sin"). He gives them a chance, to encourage them to do teshuvah.

Ve'Rav Chesed - Hashem is abaundantly kind to those who needs chesed, because they do not possess many merits. He tips the scales in their favour (if they are evenly balanced), even going so far as removing the odd sin here and there. And it also incorporates the Chazal, who say that Hashem's midas ha'Tov is five hundred times more than His Midas ho'Ra.

His great kindness manifested itself with the twenty-six generations between Odom and Moshe, who had not yet been given the Torah. But even if we cannot compare with them because we have been given the Torah -

Ve'Emes - (ve'rav emes, some explain) - We ask Hashem to deal with us with much truth, with the chesed shel emes that one performs with the dead, without any expectations of remuneration (such as good deeds on our part). On the other hand, Hashem is not a benevolent society. He waits, He gives chances, but does not cancel sins free of charge. Nor can even a mitzvah negate a sin. In the end, He claims His debt.

Notzer chesed lo'alofim - This refers to the merits of our forefathers. Hashem remembers heir numerous kind acts, and rewards their descendants up to two thousand generations later.

Nosei ovon - Hashem forgives iniquities, sins that are rooted in desire, and -

Vo'Fesha -rebellious sins, and -

Ve'Chato'oh - Sins that one committed inadvertently.

Ve'Nakeh, lo yenaakeh - Hashem forgives those who do teshuvah, but not those who don't.

According to some, this midoh pertains specifically to hidden sins. Others explain that Hashem does not issue blanket pardons. But if someone refuses to do teshuvah. Hashem punishes little by little, until He has claimed His full debt.

And yet others explain that "ve'Nakeh" refers to those who perform teshuvah out of love, whose sins become merits and who is therefore completely forgiven. Whilst "lo Yenakeh" refers to those people who perform teshuvah out of fear. These sins become inadvertent ones. Their forgiveness is incomplete.

R. Bachye adds that, of the last seven Midos, the first three "Rav chesed, emes" and Notzer chesed la'Alofim" pertain to tzadikim; the last four, "Nosei Ovon, va'Fesha, ve'Chato'oh, ve'Nakeh", to resho'im.

And these last four midos, he indicates, are all different in their execution, which explains why they are considered to be four Midos and not just one.

The Shloh points out that when the Medrash, quoting Hashem, teaches us the power of the 13 Attributes, it exhorts us, not to say them, but 'Do before Me like this order', and your prayers will never go unanswered.

It is certainly important to recite them (with a minyan), but guaranteed success is assured for those who take their cue from Hashem and practice them. By so doing, one also fulfils the mitzvah of going in the ways of Hashem, as the Torah writes in Devorim (28:9) "And you shall go in his ways". The Gemoro also teaches in Rosh Hashonoh (17a), that in the same way as we treat our fellow-Jew, so Hashem will treat us.

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