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Parasha: Vayelech · Aliyah: Fourth (Netzach)

Deuteronomy 31:10–31:13

ל"א:י׳ וַיְצַ֥ו מֹשֶׁ֖ה אוֹתָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִקֵּ֣ץ ׀ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים בְּמֹעֵ֛ד שְׁנַ֥ת הַשְּׁמִטָּ֖ה בְּחַ֥ג הַסֻּכּֽוֹת׃

31:10 And Moses instructed them as follows: Every seventh year,cSee note at 15.1. the year set for remission, at the Feast of Booths,

31:10 And Moses commanded them, saying: ‘At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,

ל"א:י׳ וּפַקִּיד משֶׁה יָתְהוֹן לְמֵימָר מִסּוֹף שְׁבַע שְׁנִין בִּזְמַן שַׁתָּא דִשְׁמִטְּתָא בְּחַגָּא דִמְטַלַּיָּא:

מקץ שבע שנים. בְּשָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל שְׁמִטָּה — בַּשְּׁמִינִית, וְלָמָּה קוֹרֵא אוֹתָהּ שנת השמטה? שֶׁעֲדַיִּן שְׁבִיעִית נוֹהֶגֶת בָּהּ, בַּקָּצִיר שֶׁל שְׁבִיעִית הַיּוֹצֵא לְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית:

ל"א:י"א בְּב֣וֹא כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֵרָאוֹת֙ אֶת־פְּנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בַּמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֑ר תִּקְרָ֞א אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את נֶ֥גֶד כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּאָזְנֵיהֶֽם׃

31:11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place that He will choose, you shall read this Teaching aloud in the presence of all Israel.

31:11 when all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

ל"א:י"א בְּמֵיתֵי כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִתְחֲזָאָה קֳדָם יְיָ אֱלָהָךְ בְּאַתְרָא דִּי יִתִּרְעֵי תִּקְרֵי יָת אוֹרַיְתָא הָדָא קֳדָם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַשְׁמְעִנּוּן:

תקרא את התורה הזאת. הַמֶּלֶךְ הָיָה קוֹרֵא מִתְּחִלַּת "אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים", כִּדְאִיתָא בְמַסֶּכֶת סוֹטָה (דף מ"א) עַל בִּימָה שֶׁל עֵץ שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹשִׂין בָּעֲזָרָה:

ל"א:י"ב הַקְהֵ֣ל אֶת־הָעָ֗ם הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים וְהַנָּשִׁים֙ וְהַטַּ֔ף וְגֵרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֨עַן יִשְׁמְע֜וּ וּלְמַ֣עַן יִלְמְד֗וּ וְיָֽרְאוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְשָֽׁמְר֣וּ לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

31:12 Gather the people—men, women, children, and the strangers in your communities—that they may hear and so learn to revere the LORD your God and to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching.

31:12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law;

ל"א:י"ב כְּנוֹשׁ יָת עַמָּא גֻּבְרַיָּא וּנְשַׁיָּא וְטַפְלָא וְגִיּוֹרָךְ דִּי בְקִרְוָיךְ בְּדִיל דְּיִשְׁמְעוּן וּבְדִיל דְּיִלְּפוּן וְיִדְחֲלוּן מִקֳּדָם יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹן וְיִטְּרוּן לְמֶעְבַּד יָת כָּל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְתָא הָדָא:

האנשים. לִלְמֹד:

והנשים. לִשְׁמֹעַ:

והטף. לָמָּה בָא? לָתֵת שָׂכָר לִמְבִיאֵיהֶם (חגיגה ג'):

ל"א:י"ב אור החיים

1הַקְהֵל אֶת הָעָם וְגוֹ׳ לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ וּלְמַעַן יִלְמְדוּ וְגוֹ׳. צָרִיךְ לָדַעַת לָמָּה כָּפַל שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים תֵּיבַת לְמַעַן, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיק לוֹמַר ״לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִלְמְדוּ״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁאַחֲרֵי זֶה שֶׁאָמַר ״יִשְׁמְעוּ וְלָמְדוּ״?

הקהל את העם,..למען ישמעו ולמען ילמדו, "assemble the people…in order that they hearken and in order that they learn, etc." Why did Moses have to write the word למען, "in order that," twice? Would it not have been simpler to write למען ישמעו וילמדו?

2וְנִרְאֶה כִּי לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״הַקְהֵל אֶת הָעָם הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף״ לִקְרוֹת סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם, וּכְבָר קָדַם לָנוּ כִּי הַנָּשִׁים אֵינָם בְּנֵי תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה, דִּכְתִיב (דברים יא:יט) ״וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם״, וְדָרְשׁוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (קידושין כט:) וְלֹא בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם:

Perhaps the answer is contained in the very instructions to Moses having been to "assemble the people, the men, the women and the children" in order to read the Torah before them, something women are not obligated to hear. In Deut 11,19 the Torah's instructions to teach it had been reserved for בניכם, your male children, as opposed to your daughters (compare Kidushin 29). This may have been the reason the Torah separated the "hearing" from the "learning" in our verse and wrote the word למען twice. The males, including the male children, were to study the Torah; the women and their daughters were to listen to the Torah.

3לָזֶה חִלֵּק הַכָּתוּב שְׁתֵּי הַדְרָגוֹת בְּמִצְוָה זוֹ, וְאָמַר בִּתְחִלָּה חֲלוּקָּה שֶׁהִיא שָׁוָה בָּאֲנָשִׁים וּבַנָּשִׁים, וְהוּא ״לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ״, פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִצְווֹת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁחַיָּבִין הֵם לַעֲשׂוֹת, וְדָבָר זֶה שָׁוִים הֵם בּוֹ, שֶׁגַּם הַנָּשִׁים חַיָּבִין בְּמִצְווֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה וּבְמִצְווֹת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁאֵין הַזְּמַן גְּרָמָא.

The Torah first speaks about למען ישמעו, "in order that they hearken" as it refers to the negative commandments which apply equally to men and women.

4וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר חֲלוּקָּה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ כְּנֶגֶד הָאֲנָשִׁים לְבַד, וְהוּא ״וּלְמַעַן יִלְמְדוּ״ שֶׁהוּא תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה, וְלָזֶה לֹא אָמַר ״לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִלְמְדוּ״, שֶׁאָז הָיָה נִשְׁמָע שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם בְּעֹנֶשׁ אֶחָד.

The words למען ילמדו, "in order that they learn," refer to the positive commandments many of which women are not obligated to perform if they must be performed only at certain times. Had the Torah lumped both statements together we would have concluded that negative and positive commandments both carry the same penalties.

5שׁוּב רָאִיתִי מַאֲמַר חֲזַ״ל (חגיגה ג.) שֶׁאָמְרוּ וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנָם: ״הַנָּשִׁים לִשְׁמוֹעַ וְהָאֲנָשִׁים לִלְמוֹד״, עַד כָּאן. וְהֵם דְּבָרֵינוּ עַצְמָם, וְנִתְחַכְּמוּ לְהַקְדִּים הַנָּשִׁים לָאֲנָשִׁים כְּסֵדֶר שֶׁהִקְדִּים הַכָּתוּב, ״לְמַעַן יִשְׁמְעוּ״, וְאַחַר כָּךְ ״וּלְמַעַן יִלְמְדוּ״, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ.

I have seen a statement by our sages in Chagigah 3 "the women were to come to listen whereas the men were to attend in order to study."

ל"א:י"ג וּבְנֵיהֶ֞ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדְע֗וּ יִשְׁמְעוּ֙ וְלָ֣מְד֔וּ לְיִרְאָ֖ה אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם כָּל־הַיָּמִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֤ם חַיִּים֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֧ים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ (פ)

31:13 Their children, too, who have not had the experience, shall hear and learn to revere the LORD your God as long as they live in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.

31:13 and that their children, who have not known, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it.’

ל"א:י"ג וּבְנֵיהוֹן דִּי לָא יָדְעוּן יִשְׁמְעוּן וְיַלְּפוּן לְמִדְחַל יָת יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹן כָּל יוֹמַיָּא דִּי אַתּוּן קַיָּמִין עַל אַרְעָא דִּי אַתּוּן עָבְרִין יָת יַרְדְּנָא תַּמָּן לְמֵירְתַהּ:

ל"א:י"ג אור החיים

1וּבְנֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר וְגוֹ׳. חֲלוּקָּה זוֹ כְּנֶגֶד הַטַּף שֶׁהִזְכִּיר בְּפָסוּק ״הַקְהֵל״, אָמַר הַטַּעַם הֲגַם שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעוּ עֲדַיִן לִלְמֹד, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן יִשְׁמְעוּ וְלָמְדוּ לְיִרְאָה אֶת הַשֵּׁם, פֵּרוּשׁ לְחַנְּכָם לְיִרְאָה אֶת ה׳:

ובניהם אשר לא ידעו, "and their children, who do not know, etc." This division is in line with mention of "and the children" in verse 12 as part of the מצוה of הקהל. Moses says that although he is aware that the children are too young to understand what they would hear at that assembly, they are not too young to learn to fear G'd, i.e. one must train them in יראת השם from an early age.

2וְלָזֶה לֹא אָמַר כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאָמַר בְּפָסוּק הַקְהֵל ״יִלְמְדוּ וְיָרְאוּ״, שֶׁהֵם שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים, אֶלָּא ״וְלָמְדוּ לְיִרְאָה״, פֵּרוּשׁ שֶׁבָּזֶה יִלְמְדוּ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם. וְאָמְרוֹ ״כָּל הַיָּמִים״, כִּי כְּשֶׁהַקְּטַנִּים מִתְחַנְּכִים מִתְּחִלָּתָם לְיִרְאָה יִתְיַסֵּד בָּהֶם יִרְאַת ה׳ כָּל יְמֵיהֶם:

This is the reason why Moses changed the sequence in which he described this process. Whereas in verse 12 he had said ילמדו ויראו they would "learn and (as a result) fear," in this verse he says "they will learn to fear." Being present at such an experience as הקהל is inspirational even for young children and inspires fear of G'd. Moses adds the comment כל הימים, "all the days," to remind us that when fear of G'd is instilled in children at an early age it will last them all their lives.

3וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אָמְרוּ (חגיגה ג.) וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנָם: וְהַטַּף לָמָּה? לִתֵּן שָׂכָר לִמְבִיאֵיהֶם, עַד כָּאן. וְאוּלַי שֶׁנּוֹתְנִים טַעַם לִקְטַנֵּי קְטַנִּים שֶׁאֵינָם מְבִינִים דָּבָר, שֶׁגַּם הֵם נִכְלָלִים בִּכְלַל הַטַּף שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב, וּמַה שֶׁנָּתַן הַכָּתוּב טַעַם ״יִשְׁמְעוּ וְלָמְדוּ״, הוּא לִבְנֵיהֶן אֲשֶׁר יַתְחִילוּ הָבֵן.

Our sages (Chagigah 3) ask why the women had to drag their children along for this assembly, and they answer "in order to receive credit for complying with the instruction." Presumably they referred to those children who could not even appreciate that their elders were listening to the Torah, i.e. the babies in arms. They must have understood that Moses' reason for bringing them applied only to children who were already somewhat older.

Parasha: Vayelech · Aliyah: Fourth (Netzach)

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