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Chapter 8:1 states “Kol hamitzva asher anochi metzavcha hayom tishmerun la’asos. All the mitzva that I command you today, you should keep to fulfill.” What mitzva is Moshe referring to? The following verses command the Jewish People to remember their experiences in the desert. Is this the mitzva Moshe refers to in verse 1? Additionally, why does he say “the entire mitzva” or “all the mitzva?” If he is referring to a specific mitzva, he does not need to say “entire.” If he is referring to many mitzvot, then he should have said “all the mitzvot.” All refers to many; mitzva is singular. Why the inconsistent grammar?

Rashi responds in two ways: The pshat, basic explanation, and a midrashic, or homiletical interpretation. The basic explanation is that when Moshe says “mitzva”, he refers to all the mitzvot. Sometimes the Torah refers to many in the singular form, perhaps because the parts are all connected. We should read the verse, “All the mitzvot that I command you today, you should keep to fulfill.” The midrashic interpreta-tion is that the word kol does not mean all – it means entire. Moshe is commanding the Jewish People to complete any mitzva they begin. In order to get credit for a mitzva, one must do the entire mitzva.

Ohr HaChayim explains that people frequently do not fulfill all the mitzvot that they are commanded to do. Sometimes this stems from

a belief that if I am good at a specific mitzva, I do not have to focus on other mitzvot, especially ones that seem unimportant. Moshe wants to combat this wrong philosophy, so he repeatedly warns the Jewish People to keep all the mitzvot. In our verse, he calls the entire Torah one mitzva, so that no one will mistakenly think, I don’t have to fulfill some mitzvot. Just like I understand that I am supposed to do an entire mitzva, I should understand that all the mitzvot in the Torah are connected. If I don’t fulfill some of the ones that I can, then it is as if I did not complete one mitzva.

Malbim agrees that “all the mitzva” refers to the entire Torah. He explains that people have asked why G-d gave the Jewish People 613 mitzvot? Weren’t the seven Noachide Laws sufficient to achieve shleimut, completion?

One way people respond is that these are different ways to achieve shleimut. They explain by comparing to a sick person who goes to a doctor to get medicine. The doctor prescribes Medicine A. Then, he goes to a second doctor. This doctor prescribes several medications and tells the patient that he can choose the one he prefers. Malbim rejects this approach to the Torah. G-d is not giving us choices – to fulfill the seven Noachide Laws or the 613 mitzvot. He does not give 613 mitzvot to choose one from among them. We are commanded to fulfill them all – they are one

unit, which why Moshe refers to them in singular.

The seven Noachide Laws enable a person to attain completion in this world and allow society to function. In order to have a functioning, productive life in this world, people cannot kill, steal, serve idols, curse G-d, abuse animals, commit adultery, and they must set up a system of courts to enforce these laws.

Torah, and its 613 mitzvot, enables a person to attain a higher level of spiritual completion. One who keeps the mitzvot can cleave to G-d and attain prophesy. He or she will merit eternal satisfaction – in the World to Come, not just in this world.

Some of the mitzvot of the Torah only apply to the Land of Israel. The Malbim explains that there is an even higher level of shleimut that can only be attained in the Land of Israel. However, to attain this high level of shleimut, one must be in the land of Israel. Eretz Yisrael is suited for completion because there are many mitzvot that are unique to it.

“All the mitzva” then, explains the Malbim, is one unit – consisting of all the mitzvot –that must be fulfilled in its entirety. It is a set of commandments that bring us to a higher level of personal perfection.

Parshat Eikev: All the MitzvaBrought to you by Naaleh.comVolume 2 Number 20

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Based on a shiur by Mrs. Chana Prero

The core section of Shemoneh Esrei is the blessings of bakasha – asking for mercy. This comes after we have already established through the first three blessings of praise, that Hashem has the power and will to help us in any way He sees fit. The Rambam writes that the thirteen requests for individual and communal support are archetypes for all personal requests that a person may have. Many of these requests are spelled out

specifically. The thirteenth blessing of Shema Koleinu is a catch-all blessing where we can ask Hashem to listen to all of our prayers. Rav Soloveitchik notes that we can see the greatness of Hashem in the inclusiveness of Shemoneh Esrei. Whatever minute trivial request a person may have, he is able to include it within the Shemoneh Esrei and Hashem will listen to him. Hashem, the Master of the universe, the King of kings, is ready and

willing to help us with anything that ails us. Our Sages gave us the basic format of thirteen platforms of bakashot, but they left it open for us request anything. We should approach prayer with the notion that any request is legitimate. There is no limit to what we can ask Hashem to do for us, whether tiny or gargan-tuan, whether to heal your little pinkie or to bring the Messiah. The only address is our Master and King, our loving Father, Hashem.

Meaningful Prayer- Asking For Mercy: Class #11Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Herschel Reichman

By nature, children do not enjoy giving. Babies know nothing about giving and everything about taking. This is because very young children only hear their animal souls. You, as the parent must awaken within them another more elevated voice.

We live in a materialistic society where giving is undervalued. What counts is physical reality. In the material sense, the more you give the less you have while in the spiritual sense, the more you give, the more you are. Therefore, the first step in educating your child to give is to question your own attitude towards giving. Do a bit of introspection. How do you feel when someone asks you for a favor? What is your immediate reaction when someone asks you for a significant loan? If your attitude about giving is negative, don’t be hard on yourself. It’s normal not to want to give because we live in a very materialistic society. However, be aware that the language of the soul is giving; and the language of the body is taking.

By allowing yourself to be a taker, you commit yourself to your body. The body is journeying towards death which is why it yearns for repose. It’s root is death. Conversely, the soul is eternal and desires to give and to do for others. If you have your own inner crisis about giving, you will need to resolve it first before attempting to resolve your children’s’ crisis.

Ask yourself initially, “How can I come to enjoy giving?” There are various ways to reach this level. First, learn to identify with the recipient. Use imagery to cross a bridge that may be

hard to cross otherwise. Suppose someone asks you for money to help pay for therapy. Picture someone who isn’t coping with life and imagine what will happen if you pay for therapy. Picture the person back on his feet, getting married, starting a family, and holding down a steady job. The more you see yourself in the recipient’s shoes, the more you awaken empathy within yourself for others, the more you’ll love giving.

Secondly, learn how to give with perfection. There’s a huge difference between making a complicated cake for a bar mitzva and handing over a box of store bought cookies. The cake signifies hours of effort and perfection and you can identify your higher soul in the gift.

A child’s desire to take and not give is much stronger than an adult’s. With very young children don’t expect much. They aren’t mentally developed enough to understand spiritual pleasure. Therefore, laying down the law is the way to go. You have to say, “We share here. Look at the clock. You get five minutes and he gets five minutes.”

Starting at about the age of five, it is possible to build empathetic understanding. This can be accomplished through storytelling. Have the hero stem from a different culture or use animal characters. This helps take pressure off the child. Your goal in storytelling is to have the child empathize with a hero who gives something to someone in need after which they both end up feeling good. You can use this basic storyline in endless variations for young

children. The hero can either give honor, clothing, help with homework or assistance with understanding a new language. It is essential that the hero be a winner and not a loser, otherwise the child will not connect with the story. Your aim should be to teach them the joy of giving.

Give your child a sum of money and teach him about maaser. Initially, he won’t want to give the money to tzedaka. Although he didn’t work for it and does not as yet have a clear picture of what money can buy, he will still be loathe to give anything of his away. Try to open his heart by saving some of the Vaad Harabbanim booklets and reading him the stories. Tell him how he can make a difference by donating his money. Once he’s experienced the pleasure of giving, you can move up a notch. Take your child to Geulah or the Kotel where collectors are wont to be found. Give him money to drop into a beggar’s cup. Then say, “Look what a mitzva you’ve done, now this woman can go home and buy a cake for Shabbat.”

Once you’ve passed these steps, you can then introduce the concept of giving as a part of the child’s personal life. A good place to begin is at home. Tell your child, “The baby was so happy when you brought her a cookie,” instead of, “You were so good, you brought the baby a cookie.” This creates empathy.

Bringing Torah To Life #20- Teaching Children To Be GiversBased on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Hanoch Teller

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Question:

I am confused about following the news. On the one hand, not knowing what is happening to fellow Jews around the world is bad for my ahavat yisrael. On the other hand, hearing about too many tragedies makes me jaded. It can also be so addictive and much of what is reported is really unnecessary for me to know. What is the correct balance?

Answer:

The Rabbanim are divided in their opinion on this. Rav Gifter reputably said, “You have to look in the mirror and you have to look at the paper.” You need to know what

you look like and what the world looks like. I agree that the news is addictive and most of it is superfluous. However, you need to stay informed and you need to care. Learn to cultivate the art of skimming. Scan the headlines instead of spending time on long news articles. Listen to the news roundup on the hour instead of wasting precious hours on talk shows or endless hype. The news is alluring because it offers an escape from the tedium of daily life. Recognize this and if you find yourself becoming addicted, look for meaningful activities to engage in that will make you unwilling to sacrifice your time on senseless things.

News addiction is more prevalent among men than women. If your husband shows signs of addiction, recognize that this is a problem for both of you since you are one unit. Empathize with his pain and feel the emptiness within him that is driving him to this. Help him heal by guiding him to find other more purposeful avenues of interest. When you do hear of tragedies, commit yourself to recite a chapter of Tehilim and try to mean what you are saying.

In summary, you need to stay informed but don’t spend more time than you have to on it.

Brought to you by Naaleh.comVolume 2 Number 20

Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

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Rebbetzin’s Perspective II: Class #10Excerpted from Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller’s Question and Answer series on Naaleh.com