Torah Weekly
V'zos Habracha
For the week ending 20 Tishrei 5756; 13 & 14 October 1995
Summary
ContentsThe Torah draws to its close with V'zos Habracha, which is the only Parsha in the Torah not read on a Shabbos. Rather, V'zos Habracha is read on Shmini Atzeres/Simchas Torah, when everyone in the synagogue gets called up to the Torah for an aliyah - even boys who are not yet Bar Mitzvah. The Parsha is repeated until everyone has received an aliyah.
Moshe continues the tradition of Yaakov by blessing the Tribes
of Yisrael before his death. Similar to the blessings bestowed
by Yaakov, these blessings are also a combination of the description
of the Tribe's essence, together with a definition of its role
within the nation of Israel. The only Tribe that does not receive
a blessing is Shimon, because they were central to the mass immorality
of worshipping the idol ba'al pe'or. Another explanation
is that this Tribe's population was small and scattered throughout
the south of the Land of Israel, and would therefore receive blessings
together with the host Tribe amongst whom they would live; i.e.,
Yehuda. Moshe's last words to his beloved people are of reassurance,
that Hashem will more than recompense His people for all of the
suffering they will endure. Moshe ascends the mountain and Hashem
shows him prophetically all that will happen to Eretz Yisrael
in the future, both in tranquillity and in times of oppression.
Hashem also shows him all that will happen to the Jewish People
until the time of the Resurrection. Moshe dies there by means
of the "Divine Kiss." To this day, no one knows the
place of his burial, in order that his grave should not become
a shrine for those who wish to make a prophet into a god. Of
all the prophets, Moshe was unique in his being able to speak
to Hashem whenever he wanted. His centrality and stature are
not a product of the Jewish People's "blind faith,"
but on events that were witnessed by an entire nation - at the
Red Sea, at Mount Sinai, and constantly during forty years of
journeying through the desert..
Commentaries
Contents
(Tsror Hamor in Mayana Shel Torah)
(Ohr Tzadikim)
(Heard from Rabbi Nachman Bulman)
(Based on the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh)
Haftorah for Simchas Torah
Yehoshua 1:1-18
Contents
Immediately upon finishing reading the Torah, we start again "In
the beginning of Gd's creating the heavens and the earth...."
In this way we remind ourselves that immersing ourselves in the
Truths of the Torah is an eternal task, without beginning or end.
The Haftorah says: "And Hashem spoke to Yehoshua bin
Nun, Moshe's lieutenant, saying: 'Moshe my servant is dead. You
arise and cross over the Jordan....'" This reminds us
that the Torah is not the possession of any single human being,
not even the greatest, but it is Hashem's teachings that began
with the revelation at Sinai, and its accomplishment is not dependent
on the personality and life of any individual man, however great
and sublime he may be.
(Rabbi Mendel Hirsch, based on Rabbi S.R. Hirsch)
Sukkos Torah Readings
ContentsDue to the Holiday of Sukkos and the completion of the cycle of reading the Torah, the order of the Torah readings is slightly more complicated than normal. The chart below should help make all of this a little clearer.
- On the Shabbos during Sukkos Chol Hamoed (14 Oct. 1995), we read Shemos 33:12-34:26. This is part of Parshas Ki Sisa.
- In Israel, we read V'zos Habracha and the first few verses of Bereishis (1:1-2:3) on Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah on both the evening of the 15th and the morning of the 16th of October 1995.
- Outside of Israel, we read Devarim 14:22-16:17 on Shemini Atzeres (16 October 1995). This is part of Parshas Re'eh. On Simchas Torah we read V'zos Habracha and the first few verses of Bereishis (1:1-2:3) on both the evening of the 16th and the morning of the 17th of October 1995.
- On Shabbos, 21 October 1995, we read the entire Parshas Bereishis.
Most Chumashim and Siddurim list these special readings,
and the special accompanying Maftir and Haftorah
portions.
Written and Compiled by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
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