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Rabbi Natan Halevy
Parashat Ki Tavo 5784, BSD
Shalom Uvracha.
The Midrash on this week’s Torah portion has some beautiful teachings I wanted to share with you.
On the power of answering Amen.
“Anyone who answers amen in this world, will be privileged to answer amen in the future. Anyone who enters synagogues and study halls in this world will be privileged to enter synagogues and study halls in the World to Come. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Happy are the dwellers in Your House; they will continue to praise You, Selah”.
On the effect of learning Torah.
Anyone who hears the sound of Torah in this world will be privileged to hear the sound in whose regard it is written: “The sound of gladness and the sound of joy, the sound of a bridegroom and the sound of a bride…”.
Moses said to Israel: ‘Since everyone who hears matters of Torah is exalted in two worlds, be vigilant to hear matters of Torah.’ From where is it derived? It is from what is written regarding the matter: “It will be if you will heed the voice of Hashem your
G-d.”
The Torah was analogized to five matters: To water, to wine, to honey, to milk, and to oil. To water, “Ho, everyone thirsty, go to water”. To wine, It is as it is stated: “Drink of the wine that I have mixed”. To honey and milk,“Honey and milk under your tongue”. Oil, It is as it is stated: “Your name is like poured oil”.
Just as this oil, its beginning is bitter and its end is sweet, so are matters of Torah: A person suffers from them at the beginning, but makes from them a good ending, as it is stated: “Though your beginning is small, your end will grow very great”.
Another matter: Just as this oil is life for the world, so, matters of Torah are life for the world. Just as this oil is light for the world, so, matters of Torah are light for the world.
Another matter: Just as this oil cannot mix with other liquids, so, Israel cannot mix with idol worshippers. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “And have distinguished you from the peoples to be Mine”.
Another matter: Just as this oil, even if you place it into several liquids, it becomes topmost of them all, so, Israel is uppermost over all idol worshippers, just as it is written: “Hashem your G-d will place you uppermost over all the nations of the earth.”
“Blessed are you upon your arrival” – upon your arrival into the world; “and blessed are you upon your departure” – upon your departure from the world. It is written: “A time to be born and a time to die” – do we not know that there is a time that a person is born and there is a time that a person dies? Rather, happy is the person for whom the time of his death is like the time of his birth; just as at the time of his birth he is pure, so, at the time of his death he is pure. That is, “blessed are you upon your arrival, and blessed are you upon your departure.”
“Hashem will open for you”: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘My children, all the goodness that comes to the world comes due to your merit. How so? Dew falls only due to your merit.’ From where is it derived? “May God give you from the dew of the heavens”.
‘Rain falls only due to your merit.’ From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Hashem will open for you His good storehouse.” ‘Peace, too, comes only due to your merit.’ From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “And grant you peace” – due to your merit.
“If you take my sayings”–The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘When are you called My children? It is when you take My sayings.’ To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king whose son said to him: ‘Distinguish me within the province, that I am your son.’ His father said to him: ‘Do you seek that everyone should know that you are my son? Don my purple garment and place my crown on your head, and everyone will know that you are my son.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Do you seek to be distinguished that you are My children? Engage in Torah study and mitzvot, and everyone will see that you are My children.’ That is, when are you My children? It is when you take “My sayings.”
May we merit internalizing these matters.
Shabbat shalom Umevorach.