VOLUME 122 NUMBER 9
Tishrei 7, 5787
September 18, 2026
Parshas Ha’azinu
Candlelighting Time 6:46
Moshe in his final moments addressing the nation cautions them to be attentive to the entire communication that has been delivered to them. They will soon be leaving the protective buttress of the desert. There they lived a life constantly supported by miracles. They ate the Manna every day. Their clothing did not wear out. The Clouds surrounded them, protecting them from the elements and from adversaries. The well of Miriam supplied them with water. The environment was one of Torah and serving Hashem on a daily basis without external disturbances. Hashem’s Presence was omnipresent in a very distinct manner. They lived within a bubble of extreme isolation that allowed them to grow in Torah and serving Hashem in a way unlike any other time in the history of our nation. However, as they prepared to enter into Israel, that would now change dramatically and entailed an introductory stage in order to insure their success.
However, as the Chasam Sofer points out not only was this generation required to adapt to a lifestyle not based upon miracles and a protective environment, their children needed to be able to live within a parameter of service to Hashem despite the fact that they were never exposed to the incredible atmosphere that their parents merited. They needed to infuse in them the ability to live a ‘normal’ life and still expand their spiritual boundaries uninhibited and unrestrained by the regularity of their living standards in Israel. The question that loomed in front of the first wave to enter into Israel was how were they going to accomplish this seemingly formidable task?
Perhaps the answer is contained within the language of the verse wherein Moshe commands them to undertake this mission. Moshe exhorts them that they have a responsibility to immerse themselves in Torah with a totality of spirit that will encompass their very essence of living in Isreal. There will be a need to exert themselves with such entirety that every activity that they are involved with will be infused with the direction of the Torah and mitzvos. This undertaking was not simple and certainly could be stressful but their mindset to accomplish this noble goal would imbue them with the strength of character and energy needed to fulfill their role instilling in the next generation the guidance required for their success.
Another facet was the guarantee that Moshe seemed to inculcate within their delegated obligation and that was that the future generations needed to know that Hashem will bless them with success and beneficence in many ways upon their adherence to the Torah and mitzvos with tremendous forte and vibrance. Although they could only envision that guarantee nonetheless such a statement avowed by Moshe and reinforced by their parents would resonate with them for many years to come.
And of course, the faith and trust that their parents exhibited throughout their years of pioneering in the new land would certainly buoy them and provide them with determination and willingness to overcome obstacles that might hinder them and afford them the impetus to truly adhere to the legendary heritage of the earlier generation.
A BYTE FOR SHABBOS
As we approach Yom Kippur for the vast majority of us we are considered ‘beinunim’ or people whose files reflect that they have an equal amount of mitzvos and sins. The Sages exhort us to repent. Simply doing another mitzva to tilt the scale is insufficient. Hashem is very omnipresent before and during Yom Kippur and to ignore the opportunity to rectify our sins is a grave error in our relationship with Hashem.
GOOD SHABBOS AND A GMAR CHASIMA TOVA
