Devarim - 2nd Portion

Join me as we learn Chumash for Monday Parshas Devarim, the Torah reading of Devarim, which is chapter 1, verse 12. Yesterday we began, as this is the month before Moshe's passing, as he gives his rebuke to the Jewish people, and we began by telling the Jewish people of how it was difficult to judge them, and how it was difficult for him to be the one to constantly be dealing with the matters of the Jewish people. And over here, Moshe continues about that event, of how while the reward may have been great to judge the Jewish people, but the difficulties that were entailed, and therefore he had to appoint different judges for different positions. Verse 12. How can I bear this all of my own? Torachem, your troubles, Masa'achem, your burdens, Verivchem, and your strife. Rashi, Eicha Essa Levadi, Im Omer, even if you're going to tell me, Lekabel S'char, that it is worth it to be able to get a great reward, and therefore I should take upon myself all of these burdens, Lo Yuchal, I'm not able to, because God told me, Zu She'amarti Lachem, This is not the very fact that I went and appointed judges was not because I wanted to do it. It was because God told me this is what I should do, and therefore I appointed judges. Torachem, Melamdecha Yisurim, Torachem, this tells us that the Jewish people, they would cause burden and pain to the judges. O Ye'echad Mehem, one of the people, one of them either the plaintiff or or of the uh defendant, would see Re'us Ba'al Din, Netzach Ba'Din, would see that a that is uh person, his opposition is about to be victorious in the court, what he would do is, Omer, he would say yeshli adam lavi, we would try to prolong the court and say, "Well, I have witnesses. Yeshli ice lavi, I have more testimony and or more proofs to bring." Mois and therefore Mois Dayan and therefore I brought more judges and therefore by making more judges he would still made that the court cases should go so long and this was the reason one of these events of why I had to get more judges. U massa akem. What does it mean burdens and toils that I have to carry with you? Malachim of course and it teaches us that there were people amongst them that were heretics. They would always look to make and find issues with Mosha. For example, they were and therefore they would cause Mosha pain and suffering with the things he would say. For example, if they saw Mosha one time would go out early from his home, they would say, "Hey, look at the son of Amram." Referring to Mosha. "Why is he going out early out of his house? Maybe there's something going wrong at home that he's leaving early." E here lots is what happens if he went late. Amra they would say more of an Amra surely lots is why is it that Ben Amra why did Mosha stay late in his home? Matam sworim yeshiva yet you think that he was probably staying back because since he's thinking of good ideas and issues how to plot against us. And this is these individuals that would always look to see and find problems with what Mosha did. The reeve chem Malachim it takes teaches us that these were people that were cause strife and constant fighting with one another. Verse 13. Havo amano so what did I decide that we're going to do is ready yourselves with people with wise understanding people that are wise and are understanding and they do him and they're well known the shif take him amongst your tribes I see as I will appoint them as heads. Hovolochim Rashi as mean what's my home and the devil get ready for this event. Did you think that he appointed woman? Why did he have to say anashim men? Men sadikim righteous people chachamim that they're wise that they're clean that they don't that they don't have any um that they're not can't be bribed. Onavoinim they understand. Not only understand they're able to see one thing from the next that the way they see it they're able to understand one issue from another issue. This is what we find that Arius asked Rabbi Asi. Ma bein chacham and onavoinim? What's the difference between a chacham a wise person and an onavein and a and a person who understands? And Rabbi Asi answered him by giving him an example of the difference between a money exchanger and what the difference is as follows. He says chacham damon the shulchani asher a wise person is similar to a money exchanger who's wealthy. He's not looking for any other businesses. He just see it changes the money. Kishum avin le dinarim they bring him money. Lir'ei ya he looks at kshem avin le when they don't bring him just sits and does nothing. Navain a scholar a person who has who has the ability to understand damon shulchani tagar is like a money like a money exchanger but he's a businessman. He looks for business. Bring him money to see he sees it kshem avin le but you don't see him he goes around he starts peddling for more business to see what he can do. Or maybe mishalayan tries to bring in his own money to be able to make the business. Viyedu'um shiftechim which were known for your tribes sheim nikarim lachem people that you are well known to you shacheim sheim balafanim what do you tell me say? If a person comes to me and he's wearing a tallis and he's all enwrapped in his tallis ain day day on me who may the shavet to don't know who he is and from what tribe he comes from. They all going to be so appropriate. I will let them but you the people of this tribe I came in by no mistake because you brought him up. You do the show take him and he's known amongst you. People that are respected and put upon you should you know you make coffee video that for a year and they should have respect and all for them. If he's look over here the word that I say him and I will place them as your heads the word that I say him is missing a youth. This teaches us that the fault of the Jewish people and the mistakes that they make and their abrogations against the law that are based on independent because of the leaders of the judges. The leaders are supposed to rebuke them and keep them on the straight narrow path to make sure they do what they're supposed to. And when because they went off the path meaning that it was the leaders fault. Verse 14. But and you answered and you responded and said it is good what you have spoken. It's a good suggestion. But Rashi you quickly meaning you heard what happened and quickly you responded to this idea. Meaning this was for your pleasure for your enjoyment. You accepted it without any negotiation. Technically you should have said You should have answered Mosha. Who is a better to learn from? From you or from your student? We want to hear it from Mosha himself. What happened was you really should have said we want to learn Torah from you Moshe. Moshe the one who learned hard and figured out the Torah and stayed 40 days and 40 nights. But what happened? I knew exactly why you wanted to appoint judges. You wanted me to appoint judges because you felt this way, look, we'll be able to get a lot of judges. If I know them, that's great. They'll be able to feel take care of my needs and they'll be able to answer according to what I want or to what we want. And if not, we'll bring them presents and we'll be able to bribe them and they'll be able to ready to do what we want. And for that reason as Moshe continues later on and he says what the judges should be doing. Verse 15. The leaders of the heads of your tribes and righteous men, wise men, well-known veterans and as ministers and the leaders upon you, ministers of leaders of a thousand, leaders of a hundred, leaders of 50, leaders of 10, and policemen according to your tribes. I convinced them with words and I said you guys are so lucky that you get to be the leaders of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I'll be Adam people that are called brothers and friends. You get a portion and inheritance and all different kinds of terms of endearment. I want to find them so if you notice he says we have to find them, people that understand and deeper than the regular surface. But when he talks about the people that he appointed, he doesn't mention the one name. Because he was not able to find a nation of Israel and the nation. This is one of the seven attributes that told them Moshe when he was looking for people and he told them one of them that you need to find is Nevi'im. Lemasa al shaleshes, I was only able to find out of the seven three of them. Anashim, tzadikim, v'chachamim, only righteous, wise, and well-known. However, people that are well with the Anshei Chayil, people that know a lot of people, they're popular at the same time that they hate money, all those kinds of things that are mentioned there that he was not able to find. Roshim aleichem, leaders upon you, should tinagov im kavod, they should respect them. Roshim b'mika, roshim im kavod, they should be the first to buy, first to sell. Roshim b'chumash u'matan, they should be the first one any come time it comes to any business. Nichnas acharin, they should be the one that walks in last and everybody stands up when they come in. V'yeitze rishon, he leaves first. Tzarei aleph alafim, leader of a thousand. Echad m'munah al alaf, one person that was in charge of a thousand. People said to me is echad m'munah al me'ah, one person that was in charge of a hundred. Shotrim, manisim aleichem v'shoftim aleichem, ki yesh makah b'yad Pi Adonai. These are the people who are the followers, if you want to call it. They were the ones that would enforce the law while the leaders and the judges would say what the law would be. The policemen, they would be the ones to make sure the law is enforced. Verse 15, verse 16. V'atzav esh shofteichem eis ha'hilim, and I commanded your judges at the time saying, "Shamoa bein acheichem, you should hear disputes amongst the brothers, u'shvatatem, and you should judge tzedek, justice, bein ish u'vein achiv, bein adam and his fellow, bein ger u'vein achiv, and between his convert." Rashi said, "Tzav esh shofteichem, amarti lahem, I told them, 'Havu b'sonei b'din, you must be patient in judgment. Don't rush to be able to give a ruling. Inquire im badlun u'fanekh, amakh ashtaim u'shalosh, even if you have the same exact case came before you one, two, three times, al tomar, don't say, 'Ach, amarti lifnei bami, I know this case. I'm really well-versed in it.' And just rule the way it is. Ela hoyu ne'esavim ne'esavim, but you have to be able to acquire and understand and appreciate and look through thoroughly every case the way it is. But he said he had that time lahem, it's not like in the past. In the past you were on your own and therefore you didn't have to accept whatever the judgment may have been. You have an obligation to the community and therefore you have to listen and obligate yourself to the duties of the community. As a constantly you always have to be in tune of what's what's going on. Watch and protect. And between the convert the baldino doesn't necessarily mean a convert over here, but it also refers to over here a person a litigant a person who compiles words that he has opposing to you. So therefore Joe usually the word Gator would mean a convert, but in this case it means a litigant the person who compiles items and words and case against you. Also comes out people that are living in the same place. Inheritance who gets it inheritance question of even if it's between an oven and in a stove who and there's argument of who should get what there's nothing that's exactly the same and therefore you have to analyze each case for what it is. Verse 17 Lisa Kiro panem is but do not find favor in people when it comes to judgment. Kakutani you have to hear each dispute involving small amount of money just as much as there's a large amount of money. Lisa Guru me do not be afraid of any individual. Because the judgment is up to God and it's God's however when something is difficult for you that you can bring it to me and I will hear it. >> This is the person who is able to to put the judges and take care of the judges and put them in the different places and the person who's in charge of the litigants coming before the judge. Oh, this guy is a nice guy, he's a strong guy. I'll find him a judge. Each plane crave this guy is my friend or he's my relative. I'll find him a judge that works for him. Or he'll be able to get out of the case. Therefore, he says he can have a person if he puts the wrong judges to the wrong people or he starts trying to find favor in placing judges and shopping around for different judges. He's going to make the one that's innocent liable and the one that's liable innocent. And therefore, Mosha says I I put the blame on the people who are appointed judges because also they have they're the ones that are mixing in and finding favor. That it should be just as important to you if it's a case of involving lots of money or little of money. Each one of them are just as important and therefore, you shouldn't push aside to the end. Each one should find equal value before you. One another explanation this is which is You shouldn't say, well, this guy is a poor person this guy is a rich guy. I'm going to make the poor guy win. So, this guy the rich guy gives him money and this way he supports him in a nice dignified way. That it's not up to you to judge that. Another explanation You shouldn't say, how can I ruin the honor and dignity of this rich person because of a small amount of money? I'll say that he won the case. But then when it time comes time to leave, I'm going to tell him, you know what, really you're a guy. You can afford to pay the other guy. Tell him give it to him whatever you owe him. Lisa, go to me lay Tito, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of him. Lisa guru meaning don't collect. Lisa don't take your words and try to hold them and don't express yourself because you're afraid of what you should say. Russian ogre by kites like a person who collects things in the summer and holds it in and he does not say it. Whatever you're going to take from this person not in accordance to Jewish law, this means that you're causing that God to now have to give this individual from someplace else. So, God says the but the the judgment is to God that you're causing God to sway in the court to be able to give back what the person really deserves. Take because of this motion was actually punished when he saw and he forgot the law pertaining to daughters of because he said whatever you don't know you'll bring to me. And he told Samuel so to Samuel he told to show God said I promise I will show you there will be something you didn't see. They must say to you when did he show him Samuel when he came to anoint King David he went through every single one of the sons until finally he said there must be somebody else. This is not the right one he didn't say I'm the one that sees and therefore I should be the one he said don't look this is not the right one and therefore he had to go through all the different children of King of until he came to the correct one and this was because he said I am the one that sees when he told Samuel. Verse 18 but I told you I commanded you at that time is called all the things do. Rashi is called what are the things? These are the 10 things which are more severe when it comes to monetary laws versus versus the laws which pertain to the question of death which is when it comes to laws of capital punishment they needed a law a president of 23 and as all of them are enumerated in the mission of the difference between when it comes to monetary laws versus laws that are liable for capital punishment. Verse 19 Now he rebukes the Jewish people about what happened with the scouts with sending the spies. And we traveled from and we traveled through the the entire great frightening desert. that you saw towards the mountain of the Amorites like God commanded us until finally we arrived opposite Kadesh Barnea. Why was it such a treacherous scary desert? because it had in it massive snakes like beams and scorpions that were like the size of bows that were scared very thick scorpions as well which were scary. Verse 21 verse I said to you we came to the until the mountain of the Amorite the mountain of the Amorites that God will be giving to us. Verse 21 God is that before you as the other it's the land alley go up rage and inherit it take possession of it. God has spoken to your fathers the God of your fathers Al-Tirev, Al-Techas, you should neither be afraid nor be terrified. This concludes the second Torah reading of Parshas Devarim.