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Parshat Netzvaim-Vayelech

By: SFW Students & Alumna
Dina Jackson, SFW ’04-‘05

Parshat Netzvaim-Vayelech

In this week’s Parsha, Moshe concludes his address to the people and bids farewell to them, introducing Yehoshua as his successor and presenting the Torah to the Levi’im and Zekenim. After this conclusion, the Mitzva of Hakhel suddenly appears.  Not only is it unusual in where it is placed, but it is unusual in that it is a Mitzva which requires the entire nation’s participation; it is explicitly stated that men, women and children must be present when the Torah is read at the end of the first day of Sukkot at the end of the Shemitah year. The Torah tells us that the reason for this is “lema’an yishme’u, ulema’an yilmedu veyaru et Hashem elokeichem veshamru la’asot et kol divrei hatorah hazot”. The purpose of Hakhel is to strengthen people’s Yirat Shamayim and Shmirat Hamitzvot. This allows one to understand why Hakhel has been placed here, after the people had heard all the Mitzvot.

The Rambam in Hilchot Chagigah suggests another reason for Hakhel.  “And you shall hear THIS Torah”.  The Rambam suggests that the Torah had to be read in its original Lashon Hakodesh and therefore for those who didn’t understand what was being said, it was the experience of Hakhel one which is “like the day when the Torah was given at Sinai” which is important, rather than increasing their knowledge and observance of commandments.  The experience of the nation being gathered in its entirety to hear the Torah at Hakhel is no doubt representative of a renewal of Brit Sinai, as was Brit Arvot Moav when the people were gathered and the Brit made at Chorev was renewed.  Hakhel is therefore a ceremony which brings the people back to the formation of their Brit with Hashem and the formation of Am Yisrael.

For those who were able to understand “THIS Torah” in its original language, not only did the experience of being gathered together at Hakhel strengthen the feeling of Am Yisrael as a nation, but the words of the Torah helped them do so too. Sefer Bamidbar is called Chumash Hapikudim – literally translated as the Chumash of Counting, owing to the censuses which take place (that’s where the Book of Numbers comes from!). If we look at the use of the root ‘peh, kuf, daled’ in the Sefer, we see that it is used to describe not just counting, but appointing. The Sefer is not just telling us of the counting of the people, but rather of the enrolment of every member of Klal Yisrael into their individual role and responsibility. Sefer Devarim, Mishneh Torah, and the Hakhel ceremony in particular, allow the people to raise their responsibilities to a national level, by creating an awareness among the people of being Mamlechet Kohanim VeGoy Kadosh, something that is only achieved by the people working together as a Tzibur and learning the Torah, striving to understand it and raising it to a practical level by observing the Mitzvot.

At this time of year, as we approach the Yamim Nora’im, it is important that each person recognises their role as a member of Am Yisrael, both their role as a Yachid and as a member of the Tzibur, and develops these roles to their fullest to reach their full potential.

Ketivah VeChatimah Tova.