Parshas Devarim (Chazon) 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה אל כל ישראל בעבר הירדן ... (א-א)
Parshas Chazon always falls out on Parshas Devarim, and the preceding weeks of בין המצרים fall out on Parshas Pinchas and Matos/Masei. What is the significance of these parshiyos vis-a-vis the Three Weeks? The Nesivos Shalom explains that Parshas Pinchas is due to the Parshas HaMusafin at the end of the parsha, as we yearn for the rebuilding of the Bais HaMikdash and the reinstatement of the korbanos. But what connection do Matos/Masei have to the mourning of Yerushalayim?
The opening theme of Parshas Matos is the subject of Nedarim, vows. Tosafos in Avodah Zarah (5b) states that even a non-Jew is obligated to keep his word. The Rosh Yeshivah of Passaic, Hagaon R’ Meir Stern shlita explains that although a non-Jew is not bound by the mitzvah of "לא יחל דברו", the Rambam (beginning of Hilchos Nedarim) and Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 30) both imply that a neder comes into force regardless of the lav of "לא יחל"; rather, the actual דיבור of the person making the vow is what makes it work - that is the כח of a person’s speech. Now, this same כח of speech is what destroyed the Bais HaMikdash, as the Chofetz Chaim zt”l writes in the introduction to his sefer, that the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed because of lashon hara, a misuse of speech. And it is the tikkun of that faculty that will rebuild the Bais HaMikdash, as the Maalos HaTorah brings down from the Zohar HaKadosh, that the Final Redemption will be in the merit of the Torah.
This is also the lesson of Parshas Masei. No less than 42 מסעות (journeys) the Yidden traveled through the desert until they reached Eretz Yisroel, all because of one sin - the lashon hara of the meraglim. And in making them travel 42 masaos the Aibishter hinted to their tikkun - "ודברת ב"ם" (42), to speak in Torah and not lashon hara (see Yoma 19b).
And this is hinted to in the name of our Parsha, Devarim, as well. The geulah will come in the zechus of fixing and refining our דברים, our power of speech, by using it for Torah and not for other things. Let us be mischazek in our limud haTorah, and we will then be zoche, bezras Hashem to מלאה הארץ דעה כמים לים מכסים, בב"א.