REBO Dvar Torah
Parshat Nitzavim-Vayeilech
Moshe Kaplan

This week’s Parsha, Nitzavim-Vayeilech, focuses mainly on the covenant made between the Jewish people and God. Most of the book of Devarim contains Moshe’s final speech to the Jews; reminding them of their mistakes and obligations. Amongst Moshe’s rebuke and reminders, we find a very unique and important mitzvah. He commands them that at the end of every seven years-during the festival of Sukkot-the Jews must come to the temple to hear the king read the torah. This mitzvah is called “Hakel.” Everyone would come to the temple and stand around a wooden platform to hear the king read selected portions from the Torah.

“Gather together the people-the men, and the women, and the small children, and your stranger who is in your cities” – Devarim 31:12

However, it is interesting to note who in particular is commanded to come to the reading: Not only are the men commanded to attend this special reading in the temple, but the women and children as well! The torah explains that the reason for Hakel is for the people to hear, learn, fear God, and be careful to observe all of the mitzvoth. Why then must children attend the reading? Before a certain age, they probably wont understand any of it!

The Torah explains: They (the small children) will hear and they shall learn to fear God, every day that they live in the land of Israel. The Torah is saying that since this event is so impactful on Jewish People – even those who don’t yet understand language will be affected.
For us, there is also significance in what the King read. The sages tell us that the King read select passages from the book of Devarim. Why did the king read specifically from the last book of the torah? When the Jews were in the desert, they were surrounded by miracles. Literally everywhere they walked they saw the gifts that God had granted them. When they entered the land, these gifts disappeared and less obvious miracles became the norm. This Mitzvah was aimed at reminding the Jews of the miracles that occurred in the desert. In the book of Devarim, Moshe goes through everything that happened to the Jews and everything that God did for them. This is why the Jews were commanded to hear from the King every seven years. It is imperative to our own survival that we remind ourselves of the unique relationship we possess with God.

Even though today, we don’t have a Temple or King, and therefore cannot perform this mitzvah: we can still apply the important lessons that Hakel teaches us in our daily lives. Every so often we need to remind ourselves of the gifts that god has given us. It doesn’t matter how trivial or seemingly insignificant these gifts appear to be: because they all come from God. We need to become aware of how incredible God’s miracles are and realize that without them, nothing could even exist.

Shabbat Shalom,
Moshe Kaplan