Parshas Vezos HaBracha - a thought on the last Rashi in the Torah

“And there has never arisen a prophet in Israel like Moshe, whom God knew face to face. For all the signs and wonders that God sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, to Pharoah and to all his servants and to his entire land. And for all the strong hand and for the entire great display that Moshe performed in view of all of Israel.”

~ Devarim 34:10-12

In view of all of Israel. When he [Moshe] took the liberty of shattering the tablets before their eyes, as it is said “I shattered them before their eyes.” [Sifre, referencing Shemos 34:1]. The Holy One, Blessed is He, consented to his opinion as it is said “which you shattered” – [as if to say] “More power to you for shattering them!”

~ Rashi on Devarim 34:12

What are we to make of Rashi’s last note, on the last clause of the Torah, which appears to commend Moshe for shattering the two tablets God gave when he saw the golden calf? What is Rashi’s parting thought teaching us?

Perhaps it is this. There are times when each of us sets out to do a ‘great thing.’ We have only noble intentions, invest a lot of time in the effort, and the initial signs are very favorable. We continue on our mission and after many days and much investment, we turn around to discover that the conditions are not at all right for our project. If we try to advance our project, it may do more harm than good.

What do we do? Do we ignore reality and forge ahead anyway? We learn from Moshe, our greatest teacher, in the midst of one of his greatest projects, that as frustrating as it may be, sometimes you have to be prepared to shatter the tablets and start again.

Parshas Ha’azinu – A thought on the first Rashi

“Hearken, O heaven, as I declare and let the Earth hear the sayings of my mouth.”

~ Devarim 32:1

Hearken, O heaven. That I [Moshe] admonish the Israelites, so that you may serve as witnesses to the matter. For so I informed them, that you would be witnesses [see Devarim 30:19]. Similarly, “let the Earth hear.” Why did he designate the Heaven and the Earth to testify against them? Moshe said [to himself]: I am only mortal and tomorrow I may die. In case the Israelites declare ‘We never agreed to fulfill the covenant,’ who will refute them? He therefore designated, to testify against them, Heaven and Earth, witnesses who endure forever…

~ Rashi on Devarim 32:1

Can inanimate objects serve as witnesses? It seems from Rashi’s comment that they can. And this is not the only time in the Torah that an element of nature is designated as a ‘witness’ to the affairs of humanity. Another instance is in Bereshis, where Lavan states (after a heated argument with Jacob) about a monument and a mound of stones raised by Jacob and his sons: “This mound shall be a witness and the monument shall be a witness that I may not cross over to you past this mound, nor may you cross over to me past this mound and this monument for evil.” (31:52).

How do we understand these instances? I find it unlikely that these elements are being designated as actual witnesses, if for no other reason than the fact that it’d be rather difficult to obtain their testimony if it was ever needed. Rather, the speakers in both verses (Moshe in Devarim and Lavan in Bereshis) are using the term ‘witness’ in an effort to invest the elements with added symbolism that will trigger associations, in the future, in the minds of the listeners.

We do the same thing, for ourselves, in many ways. For example, we return from an enjoyable vacation with a memento (could be a stone from the beach or a pinecone from a forest) that, when we view it, reminds us of the ease and calm we felt during our getaway. People may look at their engagement rings (glorified rocks!) or wedding bands (molded metals!) and be reminded of the hope, love, and commitment they undertook at the start of their marriage.

On the first Shabbat of the New Year, it might be worthwhile to look around our homes and consider what (and how many) objects we have consciously set in our own paths, to serve as conscious reminders of our dedication to serve God’s will. Is there a leftover esrog from a prior year, a prized Tzedaka box, a spice box from the Olive Wood factory in Jerusalem, or something else? Do they still speak to you?  Perhaps, as we age, it is worthwhile to take stock of our witnesses, assess how well they are testifying, and see if some new witnesses are needed.