YOU ARE CONNECTED! JUST HOLD ON
Verses of 26: 17-18 of our Parsha are difficult to translate because of the strange usage of the causative verb. Rav Hirsch translates them as follows. “Regarding HaShem, you have brought about the fact that people say HaShem is your G.D. He is the G.D of the Jewish people. And regarding you, HaShem has brought about the fact that people say the Jewish people are the people belonging to Him.”
In these verses Moshe is telling us that from us, the world will recognize that HaShem is the G.D of the Jews. This occurs when we live our lives based on the Torah’s ways. And from HaShem, the world recognizes that we are His people. This occurs through the direct hashgacha that has with us.
Behold! A most exquisite expression of our belonging to Him and His belonging to us. What a romantic relationship! Later in the Parsha Moshe spends 54 verses describing the destruction we will suffer if we do not live up to HaShem’s expectations of us. How do we explain the dichotomy? On one side Moshe tells us that we are the chosen people of HaShem and He is the chosen One by us. Yet on the other side we are warned of the absolute destruction that awaits us if we do not live up to HaShem’s expectations for us. If we are truly chosen and special to HaShem why are we subjected to such unspeakable punishment?
The Gemara in Kesubos tells how Reb Yochanon ben Zachei, following the destruction of the Yerushalyim, discovered the daughter of the wealthiest man of Yerushalayim searching for kernels of barley under the dung of donkeys. This incident underscored the steep fall our people suffered at the hands of the Romans. The very greatest families of wealth were reduced to be lower than the animals. With deep pain he cried out “How fortunate Israel is! When we follow in the Torah’s ways we ascend above all powers. And when we do not follow in the Torah’s ways, we must stoop below that lowest of nations and even below their animals.” How does Reb Yochanon introduce his cry with “How fortunate Israel is!” On the second part of his statement, what good fortune is there?
The Maharsha explains this passage as follows. Every nation receives their energy from a spiritual being called a ‘sar’. It is like an angel through which HaShem provides their needs and their destiny. It is the delivery system for all their needs. We, on the other hand, have no ‘sar’. We, the chosen people of HaShem are provided with our needs directly from HaShem – no delivery system necessary. We have a hashgacha pratis because HaShem is directly involved. He does not use the ordinary delivery systems. This is so abundantly evident if you look at the history of Israel’s wars. In every single war the civilian casualties are significantly lower than other nations who suffer from similar conflicts.
During the Gulf War of 1990 when Iraq successfully sent 39 Scud missiles there was only one single casualty. (It has been debated if that was a direct casualty or a heart attack triggered by a missile.)
Therefore, says the Maharsha, when our people follow in the Torah’s ways and we are connected to Him we are higher than all powers because we are connected directly to HaShem. We are even higher than the ‘Sar’ of the nations. And for the very same reason when we do not follow in the Torah’s ways we lose our connection to HaShem and we go into free fall. We have no delivery system. We must stoop below the lowest of nations and even below their animals. So, yes! We are fortunate to have that unique close relationship with HaShem like no other people. It is more painful when we do not follow in His ways but we can always change that.
The very cause of the unspeakable destruction we suffer when we do not follow in the Torah’s ways is, in fact, because of our tremendous closeness that we have with HaShem.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind