Ramban on the Torah | 61 | Nitzavim-Vayelekh, by Rav Eli Weber
"You stand this day, all of you, before your God." Don't we always live our lives in God's presence? And more...
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Ramban on the Torah | 61 | Nitzavim-Vayelekh
(upbeat music) - Welcome back everyone to another week of Rambanalah Parshah. This week we have this khutari two Parshio Nitzavim and Vayelach. Although we'll mostly be focused on Nitzavim, we'll hopefully do Rambanal Vayelah also. And maybe a special emphasis today on Chuvah, on not just because we're less than a week from Rosh Hashanah, but also because there's the week in which the Ramban discusses it in the Parshah and there are many, many fascinating ideas relating to that. But let's start with a simple point. The first Parshah in the Parshah says it to her, "Atem nitzavim hayom kul leham leef nayadunayalu echam, "Rosh echam shif techam zik nay hem vishot recham, "koli shisra'el." Right, you're standing literally nitzavim, you're staying in front of Akkarish Bakhal. And the Ramban, not surprisingly, is bothered. It's the unstated question, but he wants to know. What is that? We're standing in front of God all the time. What does it mean to stand in front of God when we live our lives in front of God and we live our lives in God's presence? So says the Ramban. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) Says the Ramban, this isn't Stamm. You happen to be standing in front of God. Yes, it's true. You stand in front of God your entire lives. But here we're doing it for a purpose and the Ramban is reminding us at the end of Safer Dvarim is the Brit Arvot Malab. We're entering into a new cabinet with Akkarish Bakhal. So we're not just standing in God's presence. We're about to enter into a cabinet with God. (speaking in foreign language) Right? We're gonna enter into a brick with Akkarish Bakhal. Now, the Ramban also recognizes what the Ibn Ezra says. (speaking in foreign language) It could be that literally, if you see the Aron as a representative of God's Gileus Srinah in the world. Okay, so we're standing in front of the Aron. But I think the bigger idea in the Ramban is that they're not standing there, just standing there, they're standing there for the purpose. And the purpose for which they're standing there is to enter into a new cabinet with Akkarish Bakhal. And to emphasize the point, says the Ramban. (speaking in foreign language) Now, how did the Jewish people enter into the Brit at Harsinai? (speaking in foreign language) Okay, so why is it not in the Torah here? It says the Ramban. (speaking in foreign language) It could be that we got the idea already from Safer Shmoat, that this is how you enter into a cabinet with Akkarish Bakhal, with Hadzra, with Hadzra and Zrikas Damim, and therefore the Torah didn't have to tell us this here, but the Ramban is emphasizing that Binesh Raul are about to enter into a Na-7 Ishma moment. Binesh Raul are about to do something significant. And here I think the deeper point in the Ramban and something we all recognize is that, yes, we live our lives in front of Akkarish Bakhal and we try to live our lives in his presence and we try to be aware of his presence. But there's a difference, you know, if you're on the Makkama mikdash, so the Torah doesn't have to tell you not to eat trave, not to speak Lush and Hara. You're standing literally in God's home, right? If you're in Ushalayim, I think people who have this close to living Ushalayim, it's hard to sin, it should be harder to sin. There's a difference, yes, wherever we live, we stand in front of God. But there's a difference between Hutslah and Arati-Srahal, and the difference between Arati-Srahal and Ushalayim, as difference between Ushalayim and the Makkama mikdash, right? There are levels of Kidushan, there are levels of Nitzavim, Lifneh Hashem, Al-Aqesham. And says the Ramban, yes, normally the Jewish people are standing in front of Akkarish Bakhal and you're doing it for the purpose of entering into a new covenant. That's a much more pronounced Nitzavim, Lifneh Hashem. That's a much more aware of the fact that we're standing in front of Akkarish Bakhal, and if I could add, you know, the Chuvap process, which is all around us now, now has to do with Nitzavim, Lifneh Hashem. When we're aware that we're operating and that in God's presence, we're much better people, we're much better Jews. And the key is to know that your Nitzavim, Lifneh Hashem at all times. And the more that we know that, the better will be. Okay, that's the first Ramban on the Pascha. Now, in Pasuk Chavhay, the Torah continues and there's a lot of warnings about Avodazara and there's a lot of predictions for the future and there's the said prediction, right? It's gonna be bad. We're gonna sin, vayel, hoo, vayel abdu, Elohim, Aqairim, vayish tachabu, loham. Elohim Asha'lo yidahum, vallocha laham. What does it mean, Elohim Asha'lo yidahum? Of course, we didn't know them, they're fake gods. So here, I think, Ramban is conveying for us what Aqarish Barghu is really bothered by. Says Ramban, vallocha laham, vallocha laham, vallocha laham, vallocha laham laham. God didn't, you know, the Ramban thinks that Aqarish Barghu gave certain powers to Malachim, to Masalot, to other entities, to the sun and the moon, they answer taqarish Barghu. But with respect to the Jewish people, no. Aqarish Barghu never assigned these responsibilities to other powers. Okay, vallocha is tear gummo, vallocho tivlahon, lo heitivlahim shum tovah, these gods, so to speak, never did any good thing for us. vallocha laham, khalakotou, Elohkah, shibhihahro laham, lohalaklam, shumnachalavahhele. Okay, both of those according to Rashi, now it says the Ramban, it's similar, but slightly different, vahannachon. Elohim, a shilohidahum, khalahim. There are other things, but we don't know them as gods, khalomah, shilohidah, duotam, bikkhah, Elohkut, shayim, saa laham, may, asmam, we never saw them, they never did any god-like things for us. There's no reason to assume that they have god-like qualities. vallocha laham, a shimnachal, khalakah, vallocha laham, yes, says the Ramban, God did put a malach in charge of Spain, and in charge of Italy, and in charge of Rome, but not in charge of the Jews, shilohna, tannotam, sairim al-Yisrael, ka'ashir, saa mamalah, shilohumahot. Yes, God put malachim and other powers in charge of the Gentiles, but not in front of us, not in charge of us, and here you get the sense in the Ramban that a cultural is pained by this. Okay, if there was such a thing as some other god who did good things for you, maybe I could understand it, but there's no reason. Why would anybody worship, why would a Jew worship a vodizara? They're not god-like, they never did anything for you, they never promised you anything. There's no reason to do it, and the sense you get in the Ramban is that like, a cultural work was like pained by the fact, not just the terrible sin of a vodizara, but the terrible sin of a vodizara for no reason, right? There's simply no justification for it, and that seems to hurt Hakarish Bahu even more. Okay, now we come to a very significant Ramban. The Torah's describing the process, not just of Chuvah, but of the future, where things are gonna happen for a certain reason, and says the Torah, right? (speaking in foreign language) When these bad things happen to you, says the Torah, you can do chuvah. (speaking in foreign language) And then God will return to you. (speaking in foreign language) And literally God will circumcise your heart. So it can't be that that's what it means. But shockingly, the Ramban thinks that it means something close to that, if not actually physically, metaphysically, and says the Ramban, (speaking in foreign language) and literally God will circumcise your heart. So it can't be that that's what it means. But shockingly, the Ramban thinks that it means something close to that, if not actually physically, metaphysically, and says the Ramban, and says the Ramban, (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) It's not just a promise that in the future, you're gonna do chuvah. It's a promise in the future when you do chuvah, because chuvah is gonna help us, because chuvah is gonna help you. (speaking in foreign language) Now, a little background. The Ramban, like other we've shown him, believes in sahiva onesh, right? If we do good, we'll be rewarded. If we make the wrong choices, we'll be punished. But that's just so that you can have bechirah hafshis. Those are the two principles upon which the world is built. Without free will, God can never reward us, and God can never punish us, right? And if God didn't reward us or punish us, then there would be no free will. So says the Ramban, (speaking in foreign language) We were given free choice. We were given free will when God created the world. (speaking in foreign language) And the entirety of this world that we live in, that's the case. Why? (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) So that God could reward us when we do good things, and punish us when we do poor things. Now, unbelievable, this is Ramban. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) Says the Ramban, (speaking in foreign language) is that in the future world, (speaking in foreign language) Our natural instincts will be to do good. We're not gonna have the same bechirah we have now, because we will naturally be the kind of person who want to do what Akharsh brah who wants us to do. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) God will circumcise. What do you circumcise? You circumcise, and the Orla says the Ramban, the desire to do wrong, the desire for physical pleasure. They're not the slave. They're the Orla. They're what we grow, they're the covering for the slave. (speaking in foreign language) Then the Shama that Akharsh brah gave us was a pureness Shama. We grew the Orla on our own. (speaking in foreign language) Says the Ramban, (speaking in foreign language) The purpose of Yimos Amashiach is that our hearts will change back to what they were originally. Before the original sin of Adam Harishon, we won't desire things. We won't have overwhelming urges. We'll be better people. (speaking in foreign language) And we will return to the status that we had before the sin of Adam Harishon. It's a very beautiful idea, and it's very (speaking in foreign language) It's very compelling, except for one thing. (speaking in foreign language) If Akharsh brah who made Adam Harishon without urges, without desires, so why did he eat from the (speaking in foreign language) That's a strong question on the Ramban. And there are answers to it. We're not gonna go into it now. There are answers to it. But the fact the matter is, says the Ramban, (speaking in foreign language) The world is gonna change. (speaking in foreign language) We're gonna lose on some level, (speaking in foreign language) Our desire, when Akharsh brah who commands us to do something, it won't be a decision. We have to think about it. No, we'll wanna do it. Our instinct will be to do it. Our nature will be to do it. We'll be happy to do it. And therefore, there's the downside. I'm skipping to the very end of the Ramban. (speaking in foreign language) See, the problem is, if (speaking in foreign language) is tied directly to (speaking in foreign language) and the Ramban thinks without a doubt it is, that's a problem. 'Cause if you don't have real (speaking in foreign language) so then God can't reward and He can't punish. And then the whole motivation and the whole desire, it's a different world. In the world that we live in, most of us wanna be rewarded. I'm not saying that's the sole reason, even that's the main reason we do mitzvah, and we worship Akharsh Bharkal, but we believe that we're gonna be rewarded. When the time comes where that's our instinct and we don't have to overcome Ayyate Sahara and we don't have to overcome petty jealousies and all the things that motivate us, then what? What are we left with? If we're not gonna be rewarded, we're not gonna be punished. It's almost like, either I'm Haal talks about, many people talk about this, that Olam Haba, you know, you can't do mitzvah anymore. Olam Haba, wherever you finish in this world, that's where you are for eternity in the world to come. And there's no making that better and there's no making that worse, 'cause you're not gonna sin and you're not gonna do mitzvahs, 'cause they don't apply at that time. So, Ramban says, "That's gonna happen to me most amasheah." The good news is that we're gonna all beat Sadikim and our instinct is gonna be to do good. Now, it could be, and maybe this is also buried in the Ramban, that it's just an instinct. It doesn't guarantee anything. And if you really wanna be bad, you can still be bad. And maybe that's the answer to Adam Arisham, right? His instinct was to do good, that's how God created him. But you can overcome that instinct. There is still some bukhirah kafshis, even when our natural instinct is to do good. Okay? That's that fascinating Ramban. And now we come to the main point of Chuvah and a slight introduction. The question is, is Chuvah a mitzvah? Right? That kind of obsesses us in Elol and all Chuvah, Joshus and all ideas are relating to that. Right? And the Ramban, the Ramban doesn't explicitly say that it's a mitzvah, but the Rav explains how he means it's a mitzvah. And that's what most of us believe. And that's something I used to think was great. I wanted Chuvah to be a mitzvah. I wanted to think I'm doing a mitzvah when I do Chuvah. But recently, I've sort of rethought it. Because what happens, let's take an easy example, right? You get up in the middle of the night on Friday night and you go to the bathroom and you go back to bed. And on your way out of the bathroom, you shut the light, right? That's Chil Shabbos Bishogig, right? You didn't do it on purpose. It was a mistake. But you should have known it was Shabbos and there is what to do Chuvah for and you have to bring a khatos bismat shabesim, ekishkaim, et cetera. Now, if Chuvah's a mitzvah, so great, when you do Chuvah, you get a mitzvah and you wipe out your avairah, so to speak, and you're back to where you started from or you're even better 'cause you got shahr for a mitzvah. But what if you didn't? Right? Do you now get like a double word negative? Well, I'm punished once because I was, I was Michaela Shabbos Bishogig. And now I'm punished again 'cause I didn't do Chuvah that it was hard to do when I was Michaela Shabbos Bishogig. That kind of bothers me a little bit and that makes it difficult. On the other hand, I think our instincts really are that Chuvah is too important to be left to us and Chuvah is a mitzvah. Okay? Now, most people, and I think they're right when they say the Ramban thinks that Chuvah is a mitzvah. But the more I read the next Ramban, the more I think that's right, but I think it's not the whole story. Says the Ramban in post- (speaking in foreign language) Now let's read the Ramban. (speaking in foreign language) So he says the simple shot is Al-Kolat or Akula, right? We're at the end of the Torah now and the Torah's saying everything I've given you, you should keep. However, (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) Says the Ramban, no. (speaking in foreign language) Is talking about (speaking in foreign language) It's talking about the mitzvah that was just described in the Torah and that mitzvah is Chuvah. (speaking in foreign language) It's a mitzvah. We're commanded to do Chuvah if we do something wrong. Well, so why is it slightly unclear? Why does it just say do Chuvah, (speaking in foreign language) So he says (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) The Ramban says it doesn't read as a commandment. It doesn't read as an imperative because the Torah's trying to tell us something else also. How to try to tell us, it's really easy. You just have to wanna do it. And I'm here to accept your Chuvah, right? So it's not really, you know, the idea of a mitzvah makes sense. But you don't really find, keep Shabbos, oh, and Shabbos is the easiest thing in the world to do. (speaking in foreign language) We don't find that kind of encouragement with respect to other mitzvahs. So I think the Ramban was walking a fine line here. He's saying on the one hand, Chuvah is a mitzvah. On the other hand, Chuvah is the easiest thing in the world and God is trying to encourage us to do Chuvah. And let's read on. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) who disperses us to the four corners of the earth. (speaking in foreign language) And you're under the thumb of Christians, of Muslims, of all, you know, (speaking in foreign language) It doesn't matter, no matter how bad it is (speaking in foreign language) You can do Chuvah. (speaking in foreign language) It's not distant from us. (speaking in foreign language) No matter where you are, no matter what circumstance you're in, says, (speaking in foreign language) You can do Chuvah. And the good news is, when I call Chuvah who says it, it's slightly different than Shabbos. It's slightly different than Qasros. It's slightly different than other mitzvahs because the effectiveness of Chuvah is totally in our car, Chuvah. But when I'm, when I keep Shabbos, I keep Shabbos. I know the rules, I keep Shabbos, I did it. I know the rules of Qasros. When I keep Qasros, I did it. But Chuvah is dependent on Haqarashbukh who accepting our repentance. And so Haqarashbukh is basically begging us. He's saying, I'm here, I'm ready. It's easy, just do it. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) They have to confess in their mouths out loud. (speaking in foreign language) And they'll accept, do the Torah to observe the Torah forever. (speaking in foreign language) So on the one hand, you can't deny. The Ramban says, (speaking in foreign language) But the Ramban also acknowledges that it's presented in the Torah in some way, less than an imperative. 'Cause the focus of the parashah is to encourage us, is to tell us how easy it is. And so Haqarashbukh who presented as a mitzvah, but it's a mitzvah that's so easy to do. And I think the idea that it's a mitzvah, but it doesn't really qualify as other mitzvahs do. I think the Ramban is not masig in the safer amitzvahs of the Ramban. The Ramban doesn't say, "Hey, you forgot the mitzvah of Chuvah." The Ramban himself does not count the mitzvah of Chuvah. So I think, yes, he thinks it's an imperative, but it's not presented that way in the Torah. It's presented in the Torah as kind of a gift. And that's pretty compelling to me, that Haqarashbukh who tells us, I really, really want you to do Chuvah. Is it a mitzvah? Do you get Sa'ar and are you punished? If you don't do it, it's hard to tell in the Ramban. The sense you get is what matters is to do Chuvah. And obviously, you know, you can't be a Jew, you can't be religious, you can't be observant if you don't believe in the power of Chuvah. And whether you believe in it as one of the Tariq mitzvahs or you believe in it as a gift that Haqarashbukh who gave us, I don't think it matters much. I don't think it matters much for the Ramban. I don't think it matters much for the Ramban. I think the point is, if you did something wrong, you know, you just feel bad about it and you want God to forgive you. And that is a mitzvah, even if it's not a real mitzvah. Okay, um, let's keep going. Next Ramban. And it's a similar theme. Ra'ay says the posuk, posuk tatvah, Ra'ay na tati le finah hai yom et hai yim ve et tatov, ve et hai mah ve et tara. So what's pshah na posuk? Ha'ay na tati le finah hai mah ve et tatnara. Says the Ramban. Ya'ar Zorla has he reim oud, la hai gid lahhem. Kishnae hai dra'ayim bi'adam, u bi'rishu ta'am la la'ad, ba'ah shay ya'ar tati le finah. Right, the posuk is telling us, you have bi'hirah habshis. You can choose, choose. Ha'ay na tati le finah hai mah ve et tatnara. The aim monaya u me aqave bi'adam, lo mein a takhtonim. Ve lo mein hai leonim. And the world that God created, there's no pressure on you, there's no force, there's no one telling you, you have to do good, don't do wrong. The yahid baham et hai mahi mahi yim ve et tara. It's pam shainid. And the posuk says it over and over again. Ha'ah shah maar hai yidoti baham hai yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai tati le finah hai yom et hai, chi hai tati yomar hai yidoti baham hai yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi tati le finah hai. She haim hai brah hai brah hai qala, raman says haim equals brah hai mahi yidoti brah hai mahi evahi yidoti brah hai mahi yidoti brah hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai brah hai mahi yidoti brah hai mahi yidoti brah hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi yom et hai mahi tati le finah hai. When a king takes his son out to the fields, and he says, "Choose a good field for your inheritance," and he puts him in the good field, he wants him to choose correctly, but he can't choose for him. That's how Kudshbequ made the world. Kudshbequ is not going to impose Yeras Shamayim on us. That's the gimmerah. Kudshbequ, Yeras Shamayim. God doesn't do that. But he comes so close here by begging us, by pleading with us, "Please, I want you to do chuval. Please, I want you to choose well." The Hine'u Kimmah Timha Edim Bessauf Devarab Kulam. It's as if Hakar Ashwarqu is calling on witnesses at the end of this section of the Torah when we're going to enter the covenant of our vote. He wants to call witnesses to say, "This is what we should do. This is what matters. This is what God wants." Okay, very quickly. Last Ramban will go on to Vallech, and the Pasuk there says, "Pausuk, Yud Gimmul," when the Torah, for reasons we're not going to discuss today, introduces the once-every-seven-year midst of Haqel. So the Torah says, "Tikratatarazot negekko yusobah," it's named Haqelataram. Ha'anashim, Ve'anashim, Ve'hataf, Vighir, Ha'ashebisharachah. Le manishmuhu, Le man'yal meduvir, U.S. Adonaylo, Echamvishamulah, Sotukkul, De'ratarazot. Okay, the Ramban is going to focus on what Hazal focuses on the different categories. And here the Ramban says something fascinating. Le manishmuhu, Le man'yal meduvir, Ha'anashim, Ve'hataf, Ve'hataf, Vighashim, Qigam, Hain, Shomot, Villomdot, Le'irah, Ta'sham. It says the Ramban, "Unlike the measures," right? The measures that we all know, that's Korlyn Rashi, Le man'yashmuhu, Le man'yal meduvir, that the women come to hear, and the men come to learn. But the Ramban says it slightly differently. The Ramban says, "Both men and women come, because even the women have achihi vin ye'rachamayim." And that's the purpose of Ha'kel, right? It's not just to learn Torah. It's the experience of being there. And perhaps the Ramban would say, I don't want to put words in his mouth, perhaps the Ramban would say, that if you learn Torah, it's true. Women don't have the quote unquote mitzvah of Talmut Torah. But so long as what they're learning is increasing their ye'rachamayim, then that's the mitzvah of ye'rachamayim. And the Ramban here goes out of his way to point out that both the men and the women share in this mitzvah. And both the men and the women share in the mitzvah of Ha'kel in an active way. To say, it's not just that the men learn and the women listen, it's that so long as the women listen in a way that's going to increase their ye'rachamayim, that's part of the mitzvah. And just to make it clear, the Ramban knows the medrach because he says, [speaking in Hebrew] So the Ramban is trying to not disagree with Ha'Zal, but he has a different take on it. And he's saying men and women together can increase their ye'rachamayim through Ha'kel. Okay, so what we saw today was on Mitzvahim, yes, we live our lives standing in front of God. Nevertheless, there are times of more of awareness and less of awareness. And here, when you're about to enter into a covenant, there's more awareness. [speaking in Hebrew] God has heard that you would worship not just fake gods, but gods that never did anything for you. [speaking in Hebrew] But we'll also lose the urge to sin. That's a fascinating topic. [speaking in Hebrew] The idea that there is a mitzvah of Chuvah. But more importantly, God wants us to do Chuvah. God begs us to do Chuvah. God pleases us to do Chuvah. And then, the last point in Ha'kel, that men and women share equally in the mitzvah. Okay, Ashkar, to everybody, have a great, great week. I'm not sure about next week. So if we don't have next week, [speaking in Hebrew] I'll see you to all of us, the Kli Israel and the Saurus Tovos. [music]