This D’var Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my sister, Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my paternal grandmother Channah Freidel Bas Avraham A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein,

It should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:

-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel

-My grandmother Shulamis Bas Etta

-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL

-HaRav Shlomo Ben Shayna Zelda

-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili

-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha

_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Liyatka

-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis

-And all of the Cholei Yisrael, especially those suffering from COVID-19 and the Meiron tragedy.

-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of HaRav HaGa’on V’Sar HaTorah Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky A”H, Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and the Meiron tragedy.

-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.

 

 

בס”ד

 

 

 

The rest of my audio content can be found here:

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Parsha Paradise/פרשה פרדס – Shoftim: The King’s Torah & His Torah Scroll 👑 📜

 

 

Audio:

https://jewishpodcasts.fm/thedatabeis/41400

 

 

The Torah rules that a Melech B’Yisrael or a Jewish king must compose for himself a “Mishneih Torah” [Devarim 17:18].

וְהָיָ֣ה כְשִׁבְתּ֔וֹ עַ֖ל כִּסֵּ֣א מַמְלַכְתּ֑וֹ וְכָ֨תַב ל֜וֹ אֶת־מִשְׁנֵ֨ה הַתּוֹרָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ עַל־סֵ֔פֶר מִלִּפְנֵ֖י הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֥ים הַֽלְוִיִּֽם

What exactly is a “Mishneih Torah”? What was written in it? What was its purpose?

 

P’shat:

 

Several Rishonim point out that although “Mishneh Torah” often refers to Sefer Devarim alone, this “Mishneih Torah” refers to a copy of the entire Sefer Torah, see Onkelus for example. However, Rashi based on the Gemara [Sanhedrin 21B] points out that the Torah here refers to a “second” Sefer Torah that a king must write, i.e. he needs to compose two Sifrei Torah, one for his treasure house and one to accompany him everywhere.

 

Remez:

 

On the other hand, Da’as Zikeinim points out an alternative suggestion that the “Mishneih Torah” was a summary or extremely shortened synopsis of the Torah, namely, the Aseres HaDibros, which were written into an amulet which the king wore on his arm (perhaps like Tefilin). Da’as Zikeinim explains that the Aseres HaDibros contain 613 letters, alluding to the entire Torah.

 

 

Drash/Sod:

 

The Torah itself is pretty clear why the Melech is required to write this Sefer Torah. The Pasuk states [17:19].

וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה עִמּ֔וֹ וְקָ֥רָא ב֖וֹ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֑יו לְמַ֣עַן יִלְמַ֗ד לְיִרְאָה֙ אֶת־ה֙’

אֱלֹקָיו לִ֠שְׁמֹ֠ר אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֞י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את וְאֶת־הַֽחֻקִּ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לַֽעֲשׂתָֽם

 

 

The king is supposed to read it and learn from it to fear Hashem properly, to follow His Torah. But, why does the Torah specify, “וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה עִמּ֔וֹ וְקָ֥רָא ב֖וֹ,” that it needs to “be with him” and that he needs to “read it.” He obviously can’t read it if it’s not with him.

HaK’sav V’HaKabbalah derives an incredible lesson from a grammatical point. “וְהָֽיְתָ֣ה”-“and it shall be” is feminine, while “וְקָ֥רָא ב֖וֹ”-“and he shall read from it” is masculine. What is the reason for this discrepancy? Simply put, the word “Torah” is feminine while the word “Sefer” is masculine. What that means is that the Torah should be with him, and he shall read the Sefer. Explains HaK’sav V’HaKabbalah, he doesn’t merely read the Sefer Torah, but the Torah itself in its essence must be with him, i.e. he has to take its lessons to heart. It is not just an intellectual pursuit, but it is a way of life to be attended to and applied.

 

In this vein, Ramban explains, “Al Derech HaEmes” (“by way of truth,” his code words for Kabbalistic teachings) that although the king reads from the Sefer, on a deeper level, the Torah itself will be with the king.

 

We should be Zocheh to write a Torah, read it, learn it, take it to heart, apply it, and always have it with us, and be able to hear the Torah read from none other than HaMelech HaMoshiach, Bimheirah BiYomeinu! Have a wonderful Shabbos!

-Yehoshua Shmuel Eisenberg