And Moses went and spoke these words. All the commentators were perplexed by this “going” since it is not specified where he went. It seems to me that this can be interpreted in two ways. The first is that Moses wanted to say I am no longer able to go out and come in. The phrase I am not able [lo uchal] can have two meanings: either “I am literally not capable” due to inability, or “I am not permitted” as in you shall not be able [lo tuchal] to eat within your gates (Deuteronomy 12:17). In truth, here it means “I am no longer permitted to go out and come in” because authority had already been given to Joshua. Moses feared that Israel might interpret I am not able in its literal sense, meaning he lacked the physical ability to walk, come, and go out before them as before. What did Moses do? He walked before all of Israel with vigor, throughout its length and breadth, thereby demonstrating to them that his strength was now as it had been before, to walk and go out and come in before them. Then they would understand on their own that when he said I am not able, he meant “I am not permitted.” This is why it says And Moses went — he walked before all Israel with vigor to show them that he was capable of walking but not permitted. For this reason, he told them, I am one hundred and twenty years old today, and nevertheless, “as my strength was then, so it is now,” for throughout all these days my strength has not diminished, which proves that I am able but not permitted. In this way, we can also explain And Moses went in relation to another matter that Rashi explained: “I am not able to go out and come in regarding matters of law.” Therefore, Moses went — he went before them in matters of law and Torah, thereby showing them that his strength in matters of law was now as it had been before. He was capable but not permitted, since permission had been given to Joshua, and consequently the wellsprings of wisdom were closed to him — this closure being because he was not permitted, as mentioned.

The second [interpretation] is that Moses wanted to encourage them to repentance, which primarily involves words, as it is written Take with you words and return to the Lord (Hosea 14:3). Therefore it says, And Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. And since it says afterward, And he said to them, “I am one hundred and twenty years old today” then where did the first speech go? Rather, it was a difficult speech of moral instruction, and therefore he spoke to all Israel, meaning that anyone who has what to respond should come and respond, as Rashi explained on the verse These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel (Deuteronomy 1:1). Similarly here, he told everyone about repentance, which depends on words. And since a person never sees their own faults, and every sinner and rebel will never go on their own to the wise healer to seek a remedy for their spiritual sickness — and it would be fortunate if they would just listen when the sage calls to them, goes to them, and speaks to their heart to persuade them about repentance — therefore it says And Moses went, meaning that he went from tent to tent to each individual Israelite and spoke to their hearts these words, namely, matters of repentance which depend on words. This connects to what was stated above, For the matter is very close to you, in your mouth (Deuteronomy 30:14), which refers to the concept of “take with you words” [for repentance].

And perhaps it is a matter of peace, as they expounded on the verse seek peace and pursue it (Psalms 34:15), for peace is not like other commandments because for all other commandments such as tzitzit, mezuzah, and challah, if they come before you, you are obligated to perform them, but you are not obligated to pursue them. However, with peace, you are obligated to pursue it (Vayikra Rabbah 9:9). We should provide a reason for this matter: Why is peace different from all other commandments in the Torah? It will be properly explained if we say that this peace refers to making peace between Israel and their Father in Heaven through repentance. Therefore, you need to pursue it from two perspectives: First, because the sinner will never acknowledge guilt in his soul and will never see his own fault as you see it, therefore you must pursue him, for he will not pursue you. Second, because you need this peace since all of Israel are guarantors for one another. Our Sages said (Yoma 86b): Great is repentance, for even when an individual repents, he is forgiven and so is the entire world, as it is said (Hosea 14:5): I will heal their backsliding, for My anger has turned away from him. If so, this peace is for your benefit, and it is only right that you should pursue it.

And even if peace is in its simple sense between a person and their fellow, nevertheless, they have a great need for it in repentance, so that those who repent will be many. For throughout the year, the Holy One, blessed be He, only accepts the repentance of many people, and when does He accept an individual’s repentance? Only during the Ten Days of Repentance. Therefore it is said Peace, peace, to the far and to the near (Isaiah 57:19). For one who is far and has drawn near needs these two types of peace: peace between themselves and their God, and peace between themselves and their fellow. Then, says God, I will heal him. And just as this peace, which leads to repentance, every person is obligated to pursue, so did Moses do, as it says, And Moses went — for he went after them and urged them to repent and to follow the paths that lead to repentance, namely the two types of peace that we mentioned. Both are included in the phrase and he spoke these words — both words of confession between man and God, and words of appeasement between man and their fellow. For regarding both it is said, Take words with you and return to the Lord.

For the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you. We find the language of “going” in this portion in three aspects. For regarding Israel it is written, For the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you, which implies that He holds your hand and guides you in the way you should go. But regarding Joshua it is written, The Lord, He is the one who goes before you, and regarding Moses it simply states, And Moses went without any support at all. This is similar to what was said about Noah, who was of little faith, Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9), meaning he needed support to sustain him. Similarly, regarding Israel it is written, For the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you, because they needed support to sustain them in the fear of God. But regarding Joshua it says, The Lord, He is the one who goes before you, and he follows after Him, because he did not need as much support as Israel did. Nevertheless, he did not reach the level of the Patriarchs, about whom it says, God before whom my fathers walked, implying that the Divine Presence was behind them. Moses reached this level, as it says, And Moses went, implying that he walked alone without any support at all. For one who walks after God has some support, but not like one who walks with God. For this reason, they said (Bava Batra 75a), “Moses’ face was like the face of the sun.” Just as the sun does not receive light from another celestial body, so too Moses shone with his own righteousness, while Joshua was like the moon that needs support from the sun’s light. But Israel was compared to the stars, whose light is minimal here and there, requiring much more support. Astronomers have said that what the stars orbit in 70 years, the sun and moon orbit in one day. Similarly, the perfect ones like Moses and Joshua acquire their world in one day, gaining in one day the perfection that an average person cannot acquire except in 70 years — the average time that God has allotted for every person to acquire his perfection. And sometimes “gray hair has sprinkled on him, and he knows it not.”

And Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, etc. But did all the people see the voices [a reference to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, where the people saw the voices]? What does it mean in the sight of all Israel? And what is meant by be strong and courageous? Does it depend on him? If God does not strengthen his hand, then what is Joshua that Moses would say to him be strong and courageous? Also, any thoughtful person should consider the differences between Moses’ words to Joshua and God’s words to Joshua. For Moses said, for you will go with the people, but God said, for you will bring them. And regarding what Rashi explained, that Moses meant “the elders of the generation will be with you, everything according to their opinion and counsel,” and therefore said for you will go with the people, but God said “for you will bring them against their will — take a stick and strike them on their heads” — one could question this: How did God contradict Moses’ words, since all of Moses’ statements were said prophetically and by God’s command? Moses said the people, while God said you will bring the children of Israel; Moses said to the land which the Lord swore to their fathers, attributing the inheritance of the land to their forefathers, while God said for you will bring the children of Israel to the land which I swore to them, not attributing it to their forefathers; Moses said and you shall cause them to inherit it, but God did not say this, rather He said and I will be with you. All these differences surely mean something.

And I say that this matter appears truly in my eyes, similar to what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (Numbers 20:12): Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land. He began with children of Israel and concluded with assembly. We have already explained above in Parashat Chukat (20:12) that there were always two groups among Israel: the children of Israel, who are the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, believers the children of believers; but the mixed multitude, as well as the lesser ones among Israel, were called by the name assembly or people. Now, Moses’ sin in striking the rock was that he did not cause the observers to come to faith in God by learning a fortiori from the rock, as Rashi explained there, and as it says, Because you did not believe in Me — meaning, you did not cause them to believe in Me. If only believers had been present, there would have been no need to perform something before their eyes that would strengthen their faith. But because there was an assembly of converts who needed strengthening in faith, therefore God was strict and said, Because you did not believe in Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land. For if they had all been children of Israel, I would not have been concerned, but since there is also among them an assembly, children who are not steadfast in their faith and who always need actions that will strengthen faltering knees in faith, therefore you shall not bring the assembly into the land. For that assembly needs a man who has spirit within him, who will constantly perform miracles before their eyes that strengthen weak hands in faith.

And similarly to this, Moses said to Joshua, Before the eyes of all Israel be strong and courageous for you will bring this people in. The phrase before the eyes of all Israel relates to what follows, meaning before the eyes of all Israel — where all includes the converts and the outcasts among the people — before all of them be strong and courageous. That is to say, do before their eyes things that strengthen faith, since you will bring this people in — for among the children of Israel there are also outcasts who are called people, and they are not strong in faith because they are always in evil. Therefore, you need to perform before their eyes acts of strengthening and reinforcement in faith, so that what happened to me will not happen to you. For because of them it was said to me, Therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land, since you did not sanctify the Lord before the eyes of the children of Israel. Therefore, I am warning you that before the eyes of all Israel you should be strong and courageous in matters that promote faith, and then you will bring this people into the land and what happened to me will not happen to you.

And with this approach, all the mentioned changes are settled, because in Moses’s words to Joshua it says, For you shall come with this people, and this speaks of the most resistant ones among the people, for the reason we mentioned, because on their account he needed to warn him in the sight of all Israel: be strong and courageous. Therefore he said, For you shall come with this people, meaning that the elders of the generation are with you, all according to their knowledge and advice, because truly, a rebuke enters deeper into a wise man than a hundred blows into a fool (Proverbs 17:10). And the most resistant among the people do not accept authority at all, and it is not their way to bear the yoke and accept the words of their leaders. Therefore Moses said, For you shall come with this people, all according to their knowledge and advice, and he said, to the land which the Lord swore to their fathers, etc. Because on their own merit, they do not deserve to come to the land, but only because the Lord swore to their fathers, for the merit of their fathers and your merit will stand for them. Therefore it says, which the Lord swore to their fathers to give to them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. For your merit will also stand for them to inherit the land, but they themselves have no merit of their own.

But the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Joshua simply “be strong and courageous” in Torah and commandments, and did not say before the eyes of the children of Israel because He was speaking about the righteous ones among Israel who do not need strengthening in faith, and the good ones accept the discipline of their leaders. Therefore He said for you will bring the children of Israel, because the righteous among them who are called children of Israel listen to the voice of their leaders even in matters that go against their own will, as something they are compelled to do. That is why it says you will bring [implying] against their will, because the good ones accept discipline and authority as mentioned. And He said to the land which I swore to them — He did not mention “to their fathers” because the righteous of Israel merit the land on their own merit and do not need the merit of their forefathers. And He said and I will be with you because the merit of Israel caused that I will be with you, for all the leaders of Israel only rise to greatness through the merit of Israel, as it is written And you, bring near to yourself Aaron your brother from among the children of Israel (Exodus 28:1).

And some say that Moses taught him the way of political leadership, which needs to be according to their understanding and advice, for the reason explained in Parashat Pinchas (27:18) in the verse And you shall lay your hand upon him. And the proof for this is the end of the verse that says and you shall cause them to inherit it. But the Holy One, blessed be He, taught him the way of leadership in Torah and commandments, as it is said at the end of the verse and I will be with you. And in this matter, it is certainly not appropriate to say that everything should be according to their understanding, but rather “take a staff, etc.” to compel them to observe the Torah.

Another explanation for “before the eyes of all Israel, be strong and courageous.” Since the eyes of all Israel are upon him [Joshua], and from him they will see and so they will do, therefore he especially needs to strengthen himself in Torah and fear of God before their eyes, following the principle of adorn yourself first (Bava Metzia 107b). For he is like a peg that everyone hangs upon. And this is the meaning of for you will come with the people — that is to say, the good people among Israel do not suspect the righteous as much as the lesser ones do, and for their sake you need to be especially careful before their eyes.

“You shall read this Torah opposite [neged] all of Israel in their ears.” Behold, anyone who reads to their fellow in their ears does not stand opposite them, but rather at their side. Perhaps from here our Rabbis learned (Sotah 41) that at the conclusion of the first holiday of the festival [Sukkot], they would make a wooden platform for the king in the Temple courtyard, etc., and he would read from the beginning of These are the words [of Deuteronomy], etc. And from where did they learn to say that he begins from These are the words, for it would have been more appropriate to say that he begins from Moses began to explain this Torah (Deuteronomy 1:5). Rather, they learned this from what is written opposite [neged, which also means opposing] all of Israel, because the entire verse of These are the words was challenging for all of Israel, as it hinted at all the places where they angered the Holy One, blessed be He, [but was said in hints] out of respect for Israel. And something said in a hint is like whispering in someone’s ear, where the listeners do not understand anything except for the one who feels in themselves that they sinned in that matter, who understands that hint. And regarding this it says that he should read this Torah which is opposite all of Israel in their ears, meaning the Torah that challenges Israel and is said in their ears as a hint. And there it says, These are the words which Moses spoke to all of Israel. Therefore it says here opposite all of Israel. For at this assembly, it is impossible that all of Israel from across the land would be there, but rather it speaks of Moses’s speech which was in the presence of all of Israel.

From here we learn about all words of rebuke concerning sin, that the rebuker needs to speak with a hint about the sin that some particular person has committed, in a way that the matter enters only into his ears, and others will not understand it, out of respect for his honor, as Moses did.

Gather the people, the men, and the women, and the children. The Sages said (Chagigah 3): Men came to learn, women to hear, but why did the children come? To give reward to those who brought them. This implies that it is referring to children who have not yet reached the age of education, otherwise they would not need the reason “to give reward, etc.” This is a great difficulty, for it is similar to commanding people to carry a burden of wood and stones to the house of God in order to give reward to those who carry them.

It appears that the main purpose of this gathering [Hakhel] was for repentance. As our Sages said (Vayikra Rabbah 37) that the first day of the festival is called “the first for the accounting of sins.” Therefore, they need to immediately prepare for repentance, and this preparation is the Hakhel, where the king gathers the people and reads to them from “These are the words” [Deuteronomy], for most of this book contains words of rebuke concerning sin and matters of admonition. It is already known that the gathering [Hakhel] has great importance for repentance, because by being gathered together, they become one unit and join together as one to return to God, so that there will be many who repent. This is because specifically during the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts the repentance of an individual, but during the rest of the year, the Holy One, blessed be He, only accepts the repentance of the many (Rosh Hashanah 18a). This is what our Sages interpreted regarding And you shall take for yourselves on the first day — Is it really the first? Isn’t it the 15th? Rather, it is the first for the accounting of sins, etc. And why did Scripture mention this matter specifically in the verse speaking about taking the four species, and not in the verse speaking about dwelling in the sukkah? It is because in the taking of the four species, all four groups of Israel are alluded to, that they should be one unit, as explained above in Parashat Emor (23:40). And the verse needed to give a good reason and understanding as to why specifically on this day they were commanded to perform this mitzvah, which indicates that all of Israel should be one unit so that they may atone for one another. The reason is that from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts even the repentance of an individual, so they do not yet need to be one unit in order for there to be many who repent. And from Yom Kippur until Sukkot, they do not commit sins because each one is occupied with the mitzvot of sukkah and lulav, and “one mitzvah leads to another mitzvah.” Therefore, presumably, no iniquity will befall the righteous until the first day of Sukkot, which is the first for the accounting of sins. Thus, they need to prepare for repentance, and this preparation is that they should all be one unit, like these four species. Therefore it says, And you shall take for yourselves on the first day, giving a reason why I commanded you to take these four species as a bundle specifically on this day — because it is the first day for the accounting of sins. Therefore, you need to prepare for the repentance of the entire year, and this preparation is when you will be one unit like these four species. Then God will accept your repentance, for Behold, God is mighty and does not despise.

This is also the reason for this gathering [Hakhel]: In addition to taking the four species on the first day of the festival, God commanded to make another similar impression at the end of seven years, because the Sabbatical year also causes gathering and peace through not sowing or growing crops, and the poor of your people shall eat because one is not permitted to retain the produce of the seventh year as an owner. This is undoubtedly a cause of peace, for all disputes stem from the attitude of “what’s mine is mine” — one says “it’s all mine” — but this is not so prevalent in the seventh year. For in active matters [doing positive actions] not everyone is equal, but in passive matters [refraining from action] all are equal, and this is truly the essence of peace. Similarly, during the Festival of Sukkot, when each person leaves their permanent dwelling for a temporary one and sits under the sukkah of their peace, on the first day of the intermediate days [Chol HaMoed], the king was commanded to make an impression of peace. This is the purpose of the Hakhel gathering, as all this is preparation for repentance, and he reads to them from These are the words with words of rebuke and admonishment. This is the meaning of “men come to learn, etc., but why do infants come? To give reward to those who bring them.” For when Israel repents, they seek mercy from Him, blessed be He, for forgiveness of sin, and they say, “If not for our sake, then do it for the sake of the weaned infants who have not transgressed,” as is found in the formula of “Our Father, our King, have compassion on us and on our children and infants.” Similarly, we say, “Act for the sake of those weaned from milk, etc.” This is the reward given to those who bring the infants — that they can say before Him, blessed be He, “Act for the sake of these infants who are brought to the house of the Lord,” as it is stated in Joel, Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing infants, etc. (Joel 2:16).

According to its simple meaning, it speaks about children who have already reached the age of education, as it says so that they will hear — this refers to the women, and so that they will learn — this refers to the men, and their children who do not know will hear and learn — this refers to children who have reached the age of education.

And their children who did not know, etc. If this verse is speaking about young children who have reached the age of education, then it makes sense when it says “they will hear and learn to fear the Lord,” because they still do not know anything about the fear of the Lord. But regarding adults, it says “so that they may hear and so that they may learn and fear the Lord,” because they only need to hear and learn the commandments, but regarding fear, they will naturally fear the Lord on their own, as they are already accustomed to fearing the Lord all day long. However, if this verse is speaking about future generations, it seems appropriate to interpret this in the way it is stated in Parashat Ekev And now, Israel, what does the Lord ask of you but to fear, etc. (Deuteronomy 10:12). Because it is written afterward, not with your children who did not know and who did not see the discipline of the Lord your God, etc. continuing until for your eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord. For he wanted to explain with this what was written above, And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear. Is fear such a small matter? To this he said: If I were speaking with your children who did not see the discipline of the Lord and were not rooted in the fear of the Lord, certainly I would be asking of them something very great. However, I am speaking with you, for your eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord which God performed so that people would fear Him, as it says so that His fear may be before you, etc. (Exodus 20:17). And for you, I am certainly asking for something small, because even though fear is something of great value, nevertheless for you it is easy to fulfill, because you are already rooted in fear. This is what is meant by And now, Israel. With the word now, he concluded all his words, saying that now, in this generation, it is a small matter, and what does the Lord ask of you now but to fear. And this is what it says here about that generation: so that they may hear and so that they may learn and fear the Lord, because regarding fear, they do not need so much encouragement, and they will fear the Lord on their own. And their children who did not know is exactly similar to the statement not with your children who did not know, etc. And with this, he meant that your children who did not know the discipline of the Lord and did not see His greatness need encouragement and instruction about fear. And this is what it says: they will hear and learn to fear the Lord, because for them, fear is a very great matter.

Behold, your days approach to die. In Rabbati (15) it concludes: Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “With Behold [hen] I praised You, as it says (Deuteronomy 10:14), Behold [hen], to the Lord your God belong the heavens, etc. And with Behold [hen] You are imposing death upon me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Remember what you said, And behold [hen], they will not believe me (Exodus 4:1).” This midrash requires explanation, for was death imposed upon him because he said, And behold, they will not believe me?

It seems to me that indeed it is true that his statement they will not believe me caused a death penalty to be decreed upon him. Since Moses testified about Israel that they are children in whom there is no faithfulness, he should have spoken to the rock in order to strengthen weak hands in faith. For if Moses had not said they will not believe me, I would say that in Moses’ eyes they were presumed to be believers, and since they were strong in faith, it makes no difference whether he speaks to the rock or strikes it. The main reason for and you shall speak to the rock was so that they would learn a fortiori from the rock, etc., as it is said because you did not believe/cause belief in Me (Numbers 20:12). It does not say “you did not believe” but rather “you did not cause belief,” in the causative form that extends to others — that you did not cause Israel to believe in Me through the rock, so that they would learn an a fortiori argument from it. If Moses had presumed them to be believers, his guilt would not have been so great as to deserve the penalty of death. But since he said they will not believe me, he presumed them to be unbelievers who needed strengthening in faith. Because of this, his guilt was greatly magnified for not speaking to the rock to strengthen faltering knees in faith. Therefore, it says behold, your days approach to die. That same behold [hen] that you said, behold [hen], they will not believe me, caused your days to approach death.

Another explanation: According to what our Sages said (Shabbat 97a), “One who suspects the innocent is punished bodily [begufo].” From where do we learn this? From Moses, who said, But they will not believe me, etc. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses, “You yourself will ultimately not believe, as it is said, Because you did not believe in Me.” Although the simple interpretation is that he was punished with leprosy, nevertheless, it seems more correct to me to explain that “one who suspects the innocent is punished begufo” means that he will be afflicted in the body [of the matter], with the same suspicion that he cast upon others. He himself will be suspected of the same thing, for “one who invalidates others does so with his own flaw” (Kiddushin 70a). This is precisely what it means to be “punished begufo.” The proof is from Moses, who said, But they will not believe me, and in the end he was punished with the same suspicion, as it is said, Because you did not believe in Me. According to this interpretation, you did not believe refers to Moses. Thus, behold, your time [to die] has drawn near, because since he said, But they will not believe me, he brought harm upon himself by stumbling, as it is said, Because you did not believe in Me. Because of this, death was decreed upon him, and this is what is meant by Behold, your days to die have drawn near.

“Behold, you shall lie with your fathers, and this people will rise up…” The Rabbis of Blessed Memory (Sanhedrin 90b) learned from here a reference to the resurrection of the dead from the Torah, as it is said, Behold, you shall lie with your fathers and rise up. This interpretation is very puzzling, for who does not know that the phrase and rise up is connected to the people [who will then go astray]. It seems to me that they derived this from the redundancy of the word and rise up because it should have simply said “and the people will go astray” — what is the purpose of and rise up? Rather, its interpretation is that the language of and rise up is similar to when a man rises up against his neighbor and kills him (Deuteronomy 19:11). Just as when a student recites a teaching in the name of his teacher, the teacher’s lips move in the grave (see Yevamot 97a), similarly, when a student “burns his food in public” [i.e., acts incorrectly], his teacher has no rest in the grave. For the teacher should have warned his student repeatedly not to come to sin, and if he did not teach him properly, people will say “Woe to this one’s teacher who taught him this way.” In this case, it appears as if the sinning student rises up against his teacher like an enemy and ambusher, disturbing his rest in the grave. This is what is meant by Behold, you shall lie with your fathers — peacefully and securely in the grave, without Satan or any evil occurrence — and suddenly ambushers will rise up against you, a congregation of evildoers, because through their corrupt actions they are rising up against you. Therefore it says, and this people will rise up and go astray, because through their straying after idolatry, they are rising up against you. If so, from here there is proof for the resurrection of the dead from the Torah, because if the dead do not live again, then the body in the grave would be like a silent stone, neither feeling sick nor sensing anything, and whatever happens after death would make no difference. So how could it say that through their straying after idolatry they will rise up against him? Rather, certainly there is resurrection of the dead, and the body of the perfect ones is still in its prime, not completely cut off, and knows and feels everything that happens. Therefore, one should be concerned lest they rise up against him after they stray after idolatry. Therefore, you need to repeatedly warn them, warning after warning. This interpretation is necessary both because of the redundant language of and rise up and because of the phrase Behold, you shall lie with your fathers, for it should have said Behold, you shall die. Rather, it wanted to warn him that he should lie with his fathers peacefully by warning them further about idolatry.

And many evils and troubles shall befall him. In the Tractate Chagigah, Rabbi Yochanan, when he reached this verse (31:21), And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have befallen them, wept and said: “A servant whose master brings upon him many evils — is there any remedy for him?” What is meant by “and troubles” [ve-tzarot]? Rav said: “They become troubles [tzarot] to one another, like a hornet and a scorpion [whose stings compound each other’s harm].” And Samuel said: “This refers to one who provides money to a poor person in his time of distress,” meaning not before [the distress]. Rava said: “This is what people say: ‘Money for produce [in advance] is not readily available, but for a third [of its value, when the poor person is desperate] it is readily available.’” Rashi explained that Samuel was commenting on the verse which was interpreted above, Whether it be good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14). But Rabbenu Tam objected to his words: “Why would he interrupt Rabbi Yochanan’s words?” Rather, certainly Samuel was commenting on Rabbi Yochanan’s words, and so it also implies in the Yalkut (31:941), which cites Samuel’s words regarding the verse And it shall come to pass, when many evils befall them.

There is reason to question Rabbi Yochanan’s words, who said, “A servant whose master brings many evils upon him” — but does the Holy One, Blessed be He, bring about evils? Does not scripture say, From the mouth of the Most High comes not evil (Lamentations 3:38)? Rather, evil comes by itself through the hiding of His face, as it is written: And I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. This means that automatically they will be devoured, and this cannot be called “bringing about.” There is also reason to question: isn’t it already written and many evils and troubles shall befall them? Why didn’t Rabbi Yochanan weep when reading this verse that was written before the verse And it shall be when these things come upon him? For when it says “when he reached this verse,” it implies that he was reading the passage from the beginning. It is true that we could say he was precise about the language of and it shall be [v’haya] which indicates certainty, as it is written And it shall be if you do not desire her (Deuteronomy 21:14), which Rashi explains as “the verse tells us that you will eventually hate her.” And Rabbi Nathan explained that Rashi was precise about the language of “v’haya” [and it shall be], which implies that this will definitely happen. Similarly, And it shall be when these things come upon him indicates that they will certainly find him. But above it only says and they shall be devoured. However, in and many evils and troubles shall befall them, the phrase “and it shall be” is not mentioned, as if it is uncertain whether they will befall them or not.

Samuel’s words are very puzzling, to interpret this verse about one who lends to a poor person in his time of distress, as if all the rebukes will not return him to righteousness except for this trouble that he lends to him in his time of need and not before then. And as if this obligates him to say on that day, Is it not because my God is not within me that these evils have befallen me? May it be God’s will that there not be a greater trouble upon Israel than this. And how can the passage include, among great and terrible punishments, the matter of lending to a poor person in his time of distress? This is something that reason refuses to accept at all. Furthermore, the matter that commentators have found difficult needs resolution: What is meant by the verse saying, And he will say on that day, “Is it not because my God is not within me that these evils have befallen me?” And I will surely hide My face on that day. Isn’t the main aspect of idolatry in the heart? For every matter that depends on faith has its root and source in the heart, which is why it is said regarding idolatry In order to seize the house of Israel by their heart (Ezekiel 14:5). And this is what is meant by Is it not because my God is not within me — he admits openly that all the gods of the nations are worthless and he denies idolatry. So what further justification does he have to cry out before the King, the Lord (see Second Samuel 19:29)? And how is his punishment doubled after his confession when it says, And I will surely hide My face? Some say that this “hiding” means that He will hide His face from the evil that was done, and that “pana” [turned] is language meaning “even though,” to say that even from this great evil, the Lord will hide His face, as it is written Had I seen iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened (Psalms 66:18).

And I say to explain the words of Rabbi Yochanan regarding the mutual responsibility, that all Israel became guarantors for one another, to the extent that every individual bears [the responsibility] for the sin of the many, and this is something that the public cannot endure. Therefore, Rabbi Yochanan cried when he reached this verse, And it will be when many evils find him (Deuteronomy 31:17), because the word him [oto] seems superfluous, as it could have said, “And it will be when many evils find-him,” as stated above, and many evils will find-him. Rather, with the word him, it points specifically to the individual who will bear the evils, namely the sins of many groups, as it is written And he bore the sin of many (Isaiah 53:12). And the reason it uses the feminine term rabot [many] is because every sinner becomes weak like a woman, as Moses said, “You have weakened my strength like a woman,” as Rashi explains in Parshat Va’etchanan (5:24) on the verse And you [in the feminine form] shall speak to us.

And he said, ‘and troubles [tzarot, which also means adversaries],’ because when there is peace and friendship among Israel, then the mutual responsibility does not harm them so much. On the contrary, it is beneficial, because when one sees his fellow straying from the path of reason, he guides him on the way to go, to return him to the right path out of fear of mutual responsibility. For rebuke is only found from one who loves to the beloved, as it is written: For whom the Lord loves, He reproves (Proverbs 3:12). And similarly, the commandment You shall surely rebuke your fellow (Leviticus 19:17) is placed next to the commandment Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). For rebuke is only found when people love one another, but when there is no peace in their circles, then not only does one not rebuke the other, but on the contrary, he rejoices in his downfall in order to deflect the evil onto him and that he should be consumed in his sin. And if you say that there might be found some complete person who would rebuke even his enemy, behold, the enemy will not accept rebuke from him because he is suspicious in his eyes that he does not intend for his good. Thus, mutual responsibility inflicts a great blow upon Israel when there is no peace among them and they are like adversaries to one another, like a wasp and a scorpion. For what seems good and right in the eyes of one appears evil in the eyes of his fellow, and vice versa, until they are never in one agreement — what one forbids, the other permits.

Therefore, Rabbi Yochanan, when he reached this verse, “And it shall be, when many evils and troubles have befallen him.” He derived from the word him [אותו], that it is speaking about the individual who will bear many evils — the evils done by wicked people which are likened to many females. And the cause of all this is troubles [וצרות] — that each person in Israel becomes like an adversary to his fellow, like a wasp and a scorpion, and they are never in one accord. For if they were in one accord, no harm would come from the mutual responsibility. Therefore, Rabbi Yochanan wept and said: “A servant whose master brings upon him many evils and imposes on him to bear the sin of many at a time when they are all like adversaries to each other — is there any remedy for him?” Certainly, there is no remedy at all in this situation, as it is written, And the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them. As we explained in the section of Bechukotai (26:36) which speaks of this matter — that each person in Israel is pursued by his fellow Israelite. Therefore, it immediately says, And they shall stumble one over another (26:37), and our Sages said (Sanhedrin 27a) “because of the sin of his brother.” This is what is meant by And many evils and troubles will befall him, and it says, And he will say on that day, “Is it not because my God is not within me that these evils have befallen me?” For if my God were within me, in my heart and in my thoughts, and each person expressed his opinion for the sake of Heaven when the leaders of the people gather together, then they would not be divided, because the true purpose would unite them. However, since one’s intention was not for the sake of Heaven, but rather outwardly each person would present himself as if his opinion was for the sake of God’s name — like hypocrites and flatterers — but within me, God was not present. Instead, each person was seeking his own benefit or to antagonize his enemy. Therefore, justice came out distorted, for the truth will never be clarified through discussion that is not for the sake of Heaven.

According to this, this confession is not a confession of the sin of idolatry, because the sin would still remain in any case, but rather he admits that his inner intention is no longer directed toward Heaven, because he didn’t say “because God was not within me,” which would imply that he wants to repent from that crooked path, but rather because God is not within me today. At this point, he is worse than he was before because he knows his Master and deliberately rebels against Him. Therefore, there is a double concealment, and it says for all the evil he has done because he turned to other gods. “Turning” refers only to the heart, as it is written, and if your heart turns away (Deuteronomy 30:17). This means that outwardly he presented himself as virtuous, as if his intention was for Heaven, but inwardly he turned to other gods and foreign intentions. Consequently, they were never in one accord, and the truth was never clarified among them.

But since it says “And I will surely hide My face on that day.” It seems to me, according to the way we explained in our work Olalot Ephraim (Part 1, Chapter 83) regarding the statement of our Sages (Genesis Rabbah 38:6): “Even when Israel worships idols, if there is peace among them, leave them alone, as it is said (Hosea 4:17), Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. However, when their heart is divided, now they shall be found guilty (Hosea 10:2).” This is because when there is peace among them, they will certainly debate among themselves about that idol worship, and through that debate, it will become clear that its worshippers inherited falsehood. Therefore, let him alone — the Holy One, blessed be He, extends His patience to them so that they will understand on their own that all their deeds are futile. But when the hearts of the worshippers are divided and there is no peace in their paths, even if they discuss the matter, the truth will never be clarified among people who debate with divided hearts, because each one’s intention is to refute the words of his fellow. Therefore it says, now they shall be found guilty — immediately, without delay, for why should He grant them an extension in vain? Thus it also says here, And My anger shall be kindled against them on that day — immediately on that same day when they begin to worship it, because this portion speaks of a time when the Israelites are adversaries to one another and are not in agreement. Therefore, now they shall be found guilty without an extension of time. And this is also indicated in the confession, because my God is not in my midst, in the way explained above — that one admits that he never expressed his opinion for the sake of Heaven with a unified mouth and heart, but rather with his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets his ambush (Jeremiah 9:7). Therefore it says, And I will surely hide My face on that day — immediately, as it says, now they shall be found guilty, and this is a very appropriate allusion.

And Samuel said that this portion accuses Israel, saying, that it is their foolish way that they never repent except after necessity, for at the time when afflictions are mounted on his shoulders, then he vows vows to give his money to charity or to return to God, as explained in Parashat Bechukotai (27:2) in the connection between if he makes a special vow and the portion of rebuke. For even our Sages distinguished between those who repent out of love and those who repent out of fear, as stated in Tractate Yoma (86b): Reish Lakish said: Great is repentance, for intentional sins become like unintentional ones, as it is said Return, O Israel, unto the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity (Hosea 14:2). Iniquity is intentional, yet he calls it a stumbling. But is that so? For Reish Lakish said: Great is repentance, for intentional sins become like merits, as it is said And when the wicked turns from his wickedness, etc., he shall live because of them (Ezekiel 33:19). Rashi explained: On account of all that he did, even the transgressions. This is not difficult: this [refers to repentance] out of love, and that [refers to repentance] out of fear. And still the matter needs explanation to interpret the meaning of the verses, for although Rashi explained unto the Lord your God [to mean] until [God’s] defense does not become accusation — that is, out of fear of the attribute of judgment, so that the Lord [the attribute of mercy] does not become your God [the attribute of judgment] — nevertheless, for you have stumbled in the past tense does not fit well, for it is [only] now through repentance that iniquity becomes a stumbling.

And it seems to me that the intention of the Scripture is to warn him to return out of love, for every fearful person distances himself from that which he fears, while every lover draws near to his beloved. Therefore it says, Return, O Israel, unto the Lord (Hosea 14:2) — literally to Him, in the manner of a lover who connects himself to his beloved. And concerning this, our Sages of blessed memory said (Pesachim 50b, see there), it is written (Psalms 57:11), For Your kindness is great unto the heavens, and it is written (Psalms 108:5), For Your kindness is great above the heavens. The former refers to those who act out of love, etc. This means that one who acts out of fear does not truly connect with the Blessed One, and his connection is only unto the heavens but not including the heavens. Therefore, the kindness is also unto the heavens. But one who acts out of love cleaves above the heavens to the Blessed One, therefore the kindness is also “above the heavens.” And He says, because until now you have only repented out of fear, this is what is meant by for you have stumbled in your iniquity (Hosea 14:2). This means that previously, when you repented out of fear, you were not completely cleansed, but only halfway, because you had already stumbled in your iniquities — the intentional sin became an unintentional stumbling. Thus, the impression of the stumbling remains within you, and you were not completely cleansed of the sin, as it has become an unintentional error, and you still require a sacrifice for the unintentional sin. But when you return to the Lord out of love, that is, above the heavens, then you will be completely cleansed, and you will not need even a sacrifice, but only a verbal confession. This is what is meant by (Hosea 14:3), Take words with you and return to the Lord. Literally to Him. Say to Him, Forgive all iniquity. That He will completely forgive iniquity, not partially as one who returns out of fear, whose sin is not completely forgiven but only partially, transforming intentional sin to unintentional. However, by returning out of love, then forgive all iniquity — the sin will be completely forgiven, becoming like a commandment that is elevated and raised very high, not as it is said (Micah 7:19), And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Rather, the iniquity will be elevated. And accept good (Hosea 14:3) — that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will accept it as something good, as if the sin were a merit, a good thing. Then you will not need even a sacrifice. This is what is meant by and we will offer the words of our lips instead of bulls (Hosea 14:3). However, in Ezekiel (33:14-15) it is written, And when I say to the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and he turns from his sin… he shall surely live. Is not [just] the phrase shall surely live said about them because this speaks of one who returns out of fear, due to the threat of you shall surely die — that is, out of fear?

However, later it says, “And when the wicked man turns from his wickedness,” meaning not out of fear of death, but from his wickedness on his own, because he recognizes that the path he is walking on is not good. Then he shall live because of them, for this person has returned out of love, solely from recognizing his wickedness.

And concerning what is said And when the wicked turns from his wickedness, etc. (Ezekiel 18:27), and it does not say there about them “he shall surely live because of them,” is because it is speaking of one who repents out of fear, as it is stated there And he sees and turns, etc. (Ezekiel 18:28). The word sees is in the sense of sight, meaning that he observes the sufferings that have come upon him. Therefore, it immediately states there Return and cause others to return, etc., and iniquity shall not be a stumbling block to you (Ezekiel 18:30). For it is known that one who repents out of fear seeks only to save himself and does not seek to bring others to repentance, but one who repents out of love also brings others to repentance, because one who loves the king wants everyone to love him. Therefore, it says, Return and cause others to return, and then iniquity shall not be a stumbling block to you, but rather you will be completely cleansed and no trace of the stumbling block will remain. It appears from this that one who repents out of fear is inferior to one who repents out of love, but one who repents after being compelled, when sufferings have already come upon him, is even more inferior, because when the compelling force is removed, he will return to his evil ways. As it says about Pharaoh and he saw that there was relief, and he hardened his heart (Exodus 8:11). And as it says How long will you refuse to be humbled before Me? (Exodus 10:3) That is to say, not because of the sufferings, but before Me; the submission that comes through sufferings is nothing, because after the sufferings pass, you return to your evil ways. Similarly, any repentance that is done under the compulsion of suffering is worthless, because when the storm and tempest pass, he will return to his former state, as it is said Does the plowman plow all day to sow? (Isaiah 28:24) and that entire parable speaks of this matter.

And this is what is meant by and many evils and troubles shall befall them, and he [Israel] will say on that day, “Is it not because my God is not within me that these evils have befallen me?” Here, with these two words, on that day, the entire matter is sealed, for they exclude both the preceding days and the days that follow. For before many evils and troubles befell them, it is obvious that they would not take it upon themselves to return to God. But even after those evils befell them, nevertheless, they only confess “on that day” when troubles are bound upon their shoulders, but not on the following day. For immediately afterward, as soon as God’s storm and fury passes, they immediately return to their wayward behavior. Therefore, I will surely hide My face on that day — even on the day they confess, I will hide My face, and even more than I hid My face previously, but doubly so — I will surely hide My face, because they see the troubles bound in their sack, and nevertheless, their heart is not complete with God, for God knows that today they will speak with submission, as if deceiving the Divine, but tomorrow they will return to their wayward ways. And this is what Samuel meant by “one who lends to a poor person in his time of distress.” The phrase “in his time of distress” does not refer to the distress of the poor person, but to the distress of the lender. For this is the lender who does not lend anything to the poor except during his own distress, when troubles compel him to give charity from his wealth, and when that distress passes, his heart becomes hard and resolute as before. He chose one specific commandment, namely charity, because it is common practice in the world that people make vows in their time of trouble, and after the trouble passes, they regret and give nothing. The same applies to other commandments that are only performed when necessity is mounted upon one’s shoulders. And as a hint, this alludes to all the commandments of the Torah, which are like a loan and charity to the “poor child,” namely the good inclination, as Hillel said when he went to bestow kindness upon “this guest,” etc. (Vayikra Rabbah 34:3).

And Rava said, this is what people say: Money is not readily available for abundance, but it is available for the third part. “For abundance” [le’alala] refers to a time of plenty, when there is abundance in the world, which is precisely a time of tranquility, because when there is abundance in the world, there is tranquility in the world, as one depends on the other, as it is written: He makes your borders peaceful; He satisfies you with the finest wheat (Psalms 147:14). And at that time when “alala,” meaning produce, is abundant in the world, at that time it is not at all common for one to give from their money to charity, as “Jeshurun grew fat and kicked” [became rebellious]. But “for the third part” [letalita] it is available — whether according to Rashi’s interpretation that “letalita” means loss and destruction, or according to Rabbeinu Tam who interprets “letalita” as the fear of the ruler who frightens them — in either case, it refers to a time when troubles are prevalent in the world, meaning loss and destruction or the fear of the rulers of nations who rule over Israel. It all speaks of a time of necessity, and this is not complete repentance. It also alludes to one who is compelled by the earthly court regarding charity, as they force them in court to give charity. All these forms of repentance are not complete, because they only occur when compulsion is present, and when the compulsion is removed, they will return to their old ways. Therefore it is said, And now, write this song for yourselves. With the word and now, the entire matter is sealed, saying now, immediately, while you are still in your tranquility, before the days of evil come, write this song for yourselves so that it will be engraved upon your hearts, so that you will return to God with complete repentance, not out of compulsion.

In my small composition Orach L’Chaim, we interpreted this entire section in a different way, that face mentioned here refers to a face of wrath, as in And I will set My face against that man (Leviticus 25). And it says that after this complete confession, God will hide His face of wrath, therefore the expression of hiding is doubled because the measure of goodness is doubled, for all the evil, etc. This emphasizes something significant: even though they committed one evil that encompasses all evils — for one who acknowledges idolatry is as if they deny the entire Torah (Sifri, Shelach 15:22) — therefore it says for all the evil, even for all the great evil they committed by turning to other gods, nevertheless I will surely hide the face of anger from him, and everything is pardoned and forgiven after the complete confession. And regarding the statement And he will say on that day, etc., we explained there that this verse includes all the foundations of repentance. Seek it where it dwells [referring to his other work], and there you will find the entire matter explained.