Parashat Va'etchana

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

I feel a kind of guilty because I haven't even found the time writing about the ARI (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria) who had his Yahrzeit exactly a week ago. However, I am just a "one - man - show" with my blogs and don't have too many guest articles. Unfortunately I am not a full - time blogger but need to work besides the blogging.

Moreover, I am going to publish a famous Talmudic story on Tisha be'Av on Sunday.

This week's Torah Parasha is called "Va'etchanan". Moshe is asking G - d if he (Moshe) could not at least see and enter the Land (of Israel). G - d doesn't want to change His mind but allows Moshe to see the land.

"Look at it with YOUR EYES", G - d says.

Rashi is asking the question why G - d tells Moshe to look with HIS eyes. What other eyes could he have used but his ?

Rashi answers that this way, G - d granted Moshe at least one of his two requests: Seeing the land.

The Or HaChaim and also kabbalistic sources ask what effects it would have caused, if Moshed had entered the land. Some say that Meshiach would have come right away. The Or HaChaim states that G - d may have not destroyed the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) in case Moshe had been around. However, G - d had other plans and wants every individual Jew to fulfill his own Tikun (soul rectification). If Moshe had entered the land, he may have rectified all Jewish souls and this is exactly what G - d doesn't seem to want. He wants each of us getting involved and acting and not only one individual for all of us. Everyone has his own task in life and this is why he was created.

Going to Jerusalem in a few hours, I wish you a great Shabbat with lots of rest.

"Shabbat Shalom - Gut Schabbes" to all of you !