Pareshat Vayelekh

This week's paresha continues the coming of age narrative for the nation, but this time from the parent's perspective. Moshe Rabbeinu knows, from the revealed word of God, that the time has certainly come for him to relinquish his role as leader of the people, yet he seems stricken by concern for what will befall his community when he is not there to guide them. The week's tractate of mishnayot, Demai, reinforce this message of uncertainty. Contained therein are the laws regarding buying and selling produce with 'amei ha-aretz, those who are not completely reliable in their observance of the laws, in this case particularly the laws of tithing. What precautions can be taken by those who are meticulous to ensure that both they and their brethren keep the laws as closely as possible, despite the fact that they cannot know or control what the unlearned Jews will do the moment they are out of sight? 

Again and again, Moshe exhorts ḥazak ve-ematz, be strong and steadfast, first to the people and then repeatedly to Yehoshua'. Ḥazal (the sages of the Talmud) teach in a baraita (statements contemporary with the mishna, but not included therein) that four things require ḥizuk: Torah, ma'asim tovim (good deeds), tefila (prayer), and derekh eretz ("the way of the world", some combination of making a living, courtesy, and common decency). They go on connect the first two to our paresha, ḥazak baTorah ve-ematz bema'asim tovim. Rav Diskin questions, what is the difference between ḥizuk and amatz, that Torah should be attached to the former and ma'asim tovim to the latter, and further in that vein, how can the sages connect the amatz in the pasuk to ḥizuk in the baraita? He explains that ḥizuk is to be strengthened by something beyond yourself, and that it carries an implication of continual growth, whereas amatz is the quality of endurance without faltering. Torah is something for which maintenance is not so applicable; if you are involved with Torah, it continually strengthens you, and if you are not, then whatever knowledge you have will grow stale in your memory. Ma'asim tovim, on the other hand, even when you are deeply involved, there is continual temptation to let things slide, and so amatz becomes primary. However, the baraita comes to say that even there, ḥizuk is also needed; we should not be content with our good deeds, but always seek to do better and thereby be strengthened.

But exhortation is not enough. It fades with time. This paresha also contains the last two mitzvot of the Torah, that the people should be assembled every seven years for a public reading of the covenant, and that every individual should write for themselves a sefer Torah. At every stage of life, we must renew and re-enter the covenant, from early childhood where little is retained but the sense of awe and solemnity to the greatest scholar who knows every word being read by heart yet must still pay close attention. The covenant remains eternally the same every time, but we change and we see it in new ways. Similarly, with the mitzvah to write a sefer Torah, we must involve ourselves personally in our study and make it our own, yet do so without changing a letter.

Are these precautions enough? Clearly not. God tells Moshe explicitly that the people will, in due time, fall into sin, and our history well bears out that prediction. No matter how carefully you tithe, someone, somewhere is probably going to eat tevel (produce that is liable to be tithed, very strictly unkosher). Even the best parenting will not prevent your children from making choices that you disapprove of. I think that part of the message of this paresha is that that is unavoidable. Even Moshe, acting with close instruction from divine wisdom, and operating within a framework of kol Yisrael areivim ze ba ze (every Jew is a guarantor for every other), was unable to stop everyone else from making mistakes. We do what we can. What more can we do?

Shabbat Shalom uMevorakh!