Accepting The Tochacha:
The Kli Yakar asks why the pasuk says that these words were said “to all of Yisroel.” Rashi says in the name of the Medrash that Moshe related all of the places where Klal Yisroel angered Hashem. Sefer Tiferes Shmuel asks why he would begin his words by mentioning the nation’s sins.
He answers that Moshe was, in fact, praising Klal Yisroel. He was showing that even though the people sinned and committed some transgressions that generally cannot be atoned for, they all still accepted the tochacha. Not one person rejected the rebuke. Rather, they all accepted it with love.
This was a clear sign that they never really intended to sin. Although they fell prey to their desires, their hearts were never into it and they always truly wanted to remain holy and pure.
The pasuk states: “Hashem, all my desire is opposite You, and my sigh is not hidden from You.” The Bina L’Itim explains that a person’s base desires come from his animalistic tendencies but are not a true part of the person’s essence. They are “opposite him”, as they are in opposition to his true will. However, a person’s “sigh is not hidden”, meaning that the sigh of regret a person has after he sins is truly genuine and heartfelt, as it represents his true nature.
This idea is also found in the Medrash Rabbah (1:6) that relates that Hashem told Moshe: “Since they accepted your rebuke, you must bless them, as Chazal say (Tamid 28A): ‘Whenever there is tochacha in the world, there is nachas ruach and bracha in the world, as is stated (Mishlei 24:25): ‘And for those who rebuke it will be pleasant, and a good blessing shall come upon them.” Moshe then immediately blessed the nation.
For this reason, it says that Moshe spoke to “all of Yisroel.” He was praising the nation by saying that every single person accepted the tochacha and, therefore, they are all worthy of being blessed.
