#vaeschanan

Vaeschanan

Last year parshas Vaeschanan was the Shabbos Aufruf (Shabbos before the chassene) of my best friend -aka my “brother”. This year’s Shabbos Vaeschanan is the Shabbos Aufruf of another friend of mine. So I thought to share with you a cute short vort that was part of my drasha at last year’s simcha.

Parshas Vaeschanan is always immediately after Tisha B’Av -the ninth of Av. After the churban, during which we can’t learn, we must begin rebuilding; we must be mekabel the Torah all over again. This we do by hearing the Aseres HaDibros by Kerias HaTorah and have Matan Torah another time. Having our big chasssene all over again after the first big chassene of Shavuos. The Koznitzer maggid says in his sefer Avodas Yisroel that from י אב (the tenth of Av) to Rosh Chodesh Tishrei is 50 days (נ). From Rosh Chodesh Tishrei to Yom Kippur is Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, 10 days (י). From Yom Kippur to Sukkos is 4 days (ד). Then we come by Sukkos that the midrash calls ראשון לחשבון עוונות. ראשון which is א -together this is ‘Adne’ (Hashem’s name). The Koznitzer Maggid explains this represents the rebuilding of malchus after churban. About the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash Hashem says: “עוד ישמע בערי יהודה ובחוצות ירושלים קול ששון וקול שמחה קול חתן וקול כלה” (And a voice will be heard in the mountains of Yehuda and in the streets of Yerushalayim. A voice of laughter and a voice of joy. A voice of a chosson and a voice of a kallah).

It says this in four different nevuos (prophecies) regarding the geula. The nevi’im saw that pure joy and true geula involves building a Bayis Ne’eman B’Yisroel. Chazal say in Brochos that building a Jewish house is "כאילו בנה אחת מחורבות ירושלים” (as having rebuild one of the ruins of Yerushalayim).

We Shall Eat Of Its Fruit

In the blessing, known as Brachah Me’ein Shalosh – i.e. the condensed birkas hamazon blessing, which we say after eating any of the Shivaas Haminim - the seven fruits which the Torah ascribes to the Land of Israel, we pray for the rebuilding of Yerushalayim and our reentry into the land of Israel. The prayer continues: “Venoichal MiPiryah VeNisboa MiTuvah” – “and we shall eat from its fruit and be satisfied from its goodness”, “Unvorechecha Oleha BiKdusha UvTaharah” – “and we will bless on it in holiness and purity”.

 According to the Tur (a compendium of halacha written by Rabbeinu Yaakov (1270 – 1340), known since then as baal haturim [i.e. the author of the Turim], one of five sons of the famous R”osh - Rabbeinu Asher), these words should not be part of the text. “It is not proper,” the Tur writes, “to desire the land (of Israel) for its fruit and its goodness.” Others, like the Rambam, include this phrase in the nusach (the standard text) and the common practice today is to say it.

The Beis Yosef and the Bais Chodosh offer the following reasons for our inclusion of these words:

Beis Yosef says that the stress is on the second part of the statement, i.e Unvorechecha Oleha BiKdusha UvTaharah - and we will bless on it in holiness and purity. Meaning that we pray for the entry into Eretz Yisrael to partake of its fruit and to offer a blessing and this blessing will be “Bikdusha” and “Tahara” – which hints to the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash where we will be able to purify ourselves from our current state of Tumaah.

Bais Chodosh (Bach) says that produce of the land of Israel is more endowed spiritually than produce from other lands. Since the physical Eretz Yisrael corresponds to its spiritual counterpart known as “Haaretz HaElyona” – the Upper Land, and since we find that the Torah writes that G-d’s Presence is in it, i.e. inside the very fabric of the Land, the produce that it gives has its source in this spirituality. As such, we ask to return to Israel so that we may partake from its more elevated produce.

Neither the Tur nor his meforshim (commentators) mention the following passage from the Talmud from which the question about the propriety of this phrase arises:

Sotah (14a): R. Simlai expounded: Why did Moshe Rabeinu yearn to enter the land of Israel? Did he want to eat of its fruits (LeEchol MiPiryah) or satisfy himself from its bounty (Lisboa MiTuva)? Of course not! Rather, Moshe said:  “Many mitzvos were commanded to Israel which can only be fulfilled in the land of Israel. I wish to enter the land so that they may all be fulfilled by me”. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “Is it only to receive the reward that you want? I ascribe it to you as if you performed them.”

Thus we see according to this gemorah, it would be inappropriate to desire Eretz Yisroel for its produce.

{It is possible that the reason why the passage was not quoted by the commentators is that it is what we call an agaddic type of a passage as is evident from the words: R Simlai expounded (darash). We do not generally use agada parts of the Talmud in a halachic discussion. The idea, however, that is expressed is based on what R. Simlai considered to be very basic logic.}