Divrei Torah Parshas V'Eschanan
Torah Table of Contents
Nachamu: Double Comfort, with Two Handsl, Yisa Bracha A Second Look, Imrei Shaul in sefer Ashei Yisrael The Double-Letters of Redemption. Ma'amarei Oraysoh
based on ma'amarim in Yisa Bracha, Parshas Va'Eschanan
"Nachamu, nachamu ami, yomar Elokeichem -Comfort, comfort my people, your G-d will say." [Yeshayahu, 40:1]
The Midrash [Eicha Rabba, 1:56] points to the double use of the word, "Nachamu," to indicate that the Jewish People will be doubly comforted. Reb Shaul asks, what does this mean? Furthermore, at the "Song of the Sea" [Shirat HaYam, Shemos 15:17], the verse says, "Mikdash Hashem koninu yadecha - Hashem's Sanctuary will be establish by Your hands." Rashi comments that the Sanctuary is especially beloved, as it will be created with two hands. When will this take place? At a time when "Hashem will reign forever" [the next verse, 15:18]. This refers to the future time [of Moshiach] when all sovereignty will be His [the entire world will recognize Hashem's Sovereignty]. Reb Shaul asks, what is the significance of building the Sanctuary with two hands [as opposed to one]?
The Zohar reveals to us that Hashem's Right hand represents Rachamim, Divine Mercy; while the Left stands for Din, strict Justice. At the time of the future Redemption [Moshiach], Hashem's attribute of strict Justice will be transformed to Divine Mercy, and the Left hand will become [another] Right one. This is indicated by yet another verse of the Shira [15:6], "Your Right hand, Hashem, is awesome in power; your Right hand, Hashem, crushes the enemy." Rashi explains that when the Jewish People act in accord with Hashem's Will, the Left [hand] becomes Right. So the building of the Sanctuary with two hands can mean this as well - that the Left hand becomes Right.
We can now understand our verse. The double comfort means that the Left hand has become Right, and Divine Mercy is therefore doubled, as the Prophet Daniel [9:18] says, "Your abundant Mercy." Reb Shaul again brings an amazing gematria: the numerical value of "Nachamu, nachamu ami, yomar Elokeichem" is exactly equal to "Mikdash Hashem koninu yadecha" [they both equal 685].
The same Midrash that tells us that the Jewish People will be doubly comforted, tells us that this is because they were doubly stricken. Reb Shaul, in another ma'amar, asks to what does this refer?
He then explains that not only were we struck down, but also our enemies were uplifted. This situation can only be rectified if the opposite occurs - if the Jewish People are uplifted, and their enemies are cast down. That, then, is the double affliction and the double comfort.
This is indicated in the verse [Tehillim, 23:4], "Your stick and support [cane], they will [both] comfort me." The "stick" refers to that which Hashem uses to strike down the goyim. The support is that which the Jewish People lean and rely on. "They will comfort me" - this, then, is the double Nechama.
Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalayim, a Modzitzer Chassid
A Second Look
based on a ma'amar by the Imrei Shaul in sefer Ashei Yisrael, Parshas Va'Eschanan
"Ascend to the top of the cliff, lift your eyes to the west, north, south and east, and see with your eyes..." [Devarim 3:27]
In this verse, Moshe Rabbeinu - even though prohibited to enter - is commanded to gaze upon the Land of Israel. Reb Shaul asks why there is a seeming redundancy in the verse - "lift your eyes" and "see with your eyes." He explains that in Eretz Yisrael, one benefits both physically and spiritually, in body and soul. This is in accord with the teaching of our Sages, "If there is no flour [i.e., livelihood], there is no Torah, and if there is no Torah, there is no flour" [Pirkei Avos, 3:17].
Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu was asked to lift his eyes - Heavenward - towards the spirituality from Above, for the needs of his soul. But he was also bidden to "see with his eyes" what was before him - the physical aspects of the Land, for the needs of the body. As the Midrash relates, "Call to the Heavens above" [Tehillim 50:4] refers to the soul; "and to the earth, to judge His people" refers to the body. Interestingly, the gematria [numerical value] of "ve'sa, ure'eh" [lift up, and see] is exactly equal to that of "guf, nefesh" [body, soul] - they both equal 519.
Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalayim, a Modzitzer Chassid
The Double-Letters of Redemption
based on a ma'amar in Ma'amarei Oraysoh, Parshas Va'Eschanan
"And I pleaded (Va'Eschanan) with Hashem at that time, saying..." (Devarim 3:23)
Rashi explains that this term is one of ten used to describe prayer. The Rebbe Shlita wonders why this particular term is used by Moshe Rabbeinu.
In several places, the Torah uses a double-Nun. "Va'Eschanan" is but one example. This week's Haftorah, "Nachamu, Nachamu Ami" ("Comfort, comfort my people," Yeshayahu 40:1) is another. In sefer Bamidbar (10:35-36), the parsha of "Vayehi binsoa haAron" ("When the Ark went forth") is set off by two Nuns, one at the beginning and one at the end. Even the ultimate Redemption involves a name with two Nuns, as the Gemara (Sanhedrin, 98b) tells us, that according to d'vei Rabbi Yanai, Moshiach's name is Yinon, as it says (Tehillim, 72:17), "May his name endure forever, as the sun, his name is Yinon." The Maharsha explains that the Divine Name (Yud-Heh-Vav and Heh) is hinted at in the name Yinon, for the letters Nun and Heh are interchangeable in a system of letter exchange (unique to Hebrew) called "Atbach". What is the significance of all these double- Nuns? the Rebbe Shlita asks.
The letter Nun alludes to the downfall of the Jewish people, as it says in the Gemara (Brachos, 4b): Rav Yochanan asks, "Why is there no Nun is Ashrei (Tehillim 145 - the verses are in alphabetical order, but skip the letter Nun)?" He answers, because the Nun refers to the downfall of Israel, as it says (Amos, 5:12), "Fallen, she shall rise no more, the virgin of Israel." However, in the "West" (Eretz Yisrael, which is west of Bavel), they read the verse as follows: "Fallen, but no more (will she fall); rise, O virgin of Israel."
The Rebbe Shlita points out that it's precisely in the midst of the fall that the Redemption shines through. This is seen in the Midrash (Shemos Rabba, 1:9) on the verse, "..and they will go up from the land" (Shemos, 1:10). The Midrash says that whenever the Jewish people are at their lowest decline, they rise up. Similarly, King David tells us (Tehillim, 44:26-27), "For our soul is bowed to the dust, our belly cleaves to the earth." Just at that time, "Rise up to help us, and redeem us for the sake of Your chessed (lovingkindness)." The Zvoliner Rebbe adds that the lower the Jewish people are in this world, the higher they are in the Heavens Above.
At the beginning of Haman's downfall in Megillas Esther (6:13), his wise men and his wife tell him that "If Mordechai before whom you have begun to fall is from Jewish seed, you will not prevail against him, but nafol tipol - you will surely fall - before him." The Gemara explains these two "falls." "This nation is compared to the dust and to the stars. When they descend, they descend to the dust; but when they rise, they rise to the stars (Megilla, 16a)." The implication is that whatever level the Jewish people are on, you (Haman) will fall before them and not prevail. Incidentally, the Rebbe Shlita points out that even when the Jewish people are on a very low spiritual level, they still exceed that of the nations of the world.
All of this is because no matter what level the Jewish people sinks to, Hashem is still with them. Our Sages tell us that "I am with him in (his) distress" (Tehillim, 91:15) means that the Shechina (Divine Presence) suffers along with Klal Yisrael. Therefore, says the Rebbe Shlita, the power of our tefillos for the deliverance of the Jewish people from the depths of galus (exile) is tremendously great, and hastens the Redemption. Therefore we say, "Nachamu, Nachamu Ami" - twice. One is (kvayachol - as it were) for Hashem, and one for the Jewish people.
The Rebbe Shlita then cites an amazing Midrash (Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, 48) which says that each of the five "double-letters" in the Hebrew alphabet (Kaf, Mem, Nun, Peh and Tzadi) allude to the Redemption. The letter Nun is used twice in the salvation of Yaakov Avinu, "Hatzileini nah" - "Save me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esav (B'reishis, 32:11)." The Rebbe notes that some of these five salvations (that of Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe and Moshiach) were initiated from below (by man), others from Above (by Hashem), and still others in both ways. But even the human initiative ultimately comes from Hashem, Who leads the man to be aroused and to initiate the action.
Therefore, the Rebbe Shlita concludes, we see that the letter Nun which denotes the fall of Israel also hints at the Redemption which comes amidst the darkness and the fall itself, like the name "Yinon" for Moshiach. That's why our verse, "Va'Eschanan", contains the two Nuns, to hint at the final Redemption. "At the time" also refers to the future final Redemption - just as Moshe led the first Redemption (from Egypt), so will he lead the last one. The double-Nun alludes to the initiation from below and Above, as Rebbe Yechezkel of Kuzmir explained that the word "Va'Eschanan" means that Moshe Rabbeinu was induced by Hashem to plead before him - an arousal from Above, leading to an arousal from below.
Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalayim, a Modzitzer Chassid
