Ten Minutes of Torah

with

Rabbi Chaim Weiner

Nitzavim - Vayelech - 5766

דברים לא:ב

ב) וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם לֹא אוּכַל עוֹד לָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא וַיקֹוָק אָמַר אֵלַי לֹא תַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה:

Deuteronomy 31: 2

He said to them: I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer be active. Moreover, the LORD has said to me, "You shall not go across yonder Jordan."

Ramban

AND HE SAID UNTO THEM: ‘I AM A HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS OLD THIS DAY.’ This was to comfort them concerning his condition [i.e., about his approaching death], as if to say, “I am old and you have no more benefit from me. Moreover, G-d has commanded me that I should not go over there. Do not dread and do not be fearful, for the Eternal will go over with you; He will not remove His Presence from you on my account [i.e., because of my absence], and Joshua, he shall go over before you in my place.”

Now, although Moses our teacher retained his vigour and health, as Scripture testifies, his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated, he told them this [“I am old and you have no more benefit of me”] in order to comfort them [over the transfer of leadership to Joshua].

QUESTIONS

1. What problem in the verse is Ramban addressing?

2. How does he resolve the problem?

3. Suggest an alternative explanation.

Answers to last week’s question:

1. Compare to S’forno’s commentary to Exodus 19:6

A kingdom of Priests – to understand and to teach to all of Mankind, so that all will call out in the Name of God, and will worship Him together … as it says “for out of Zion shall come forth Torah”.

What big issue is S’forno addressing, and what does He say about it?

The question is why a universal God would choose one nation to be His treasured nation. Surely such particularism runs against the whole idea of monotheism – One God who created all.

S’forno explains that the choice of Israel was to spread the word of God, so that in the end all nations would know Him and worship Him. The choice of Israel has a universal goal.

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Ten Minutes of Torah was prepared by Rabbi Chaim Weiner, based on the methods of Prof. Nechama Leibowitz. Rabbi Weiner studied and corresponded with Prof. Leibowitz for several years.

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Join me for a weekend in

Troyes, France

19-22 October, 2006

In the Footsteps of Rashi

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