“אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה אל כל ישראל בעבר הירדן, במדבר בערבה מול סוף בין פארן ובין תפל ולבן וחצרות ודי זהב” Devorim 1:1 - “These are the words that Moshe spoke to all of Yisroel, on the other side of the Jordan, concerning the Wilderness, concerning the Aravah, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tofel, and Lavan, and Chatzeiros, and Di Zahav.” Rashi explains that when the posuk says, “אלה הדברים”, it means that Moshe was giving Klal Yisroel tochacha, words of rebuke. The names of places mentioned in this posuk are not meant to delineate locations, rather they are to allude to sins that Klal Yisroel transgressed. Due to the honor of Klal Yisroel, Moshe did not want to openly mention their sins, rather he alluded to them. How are we to understand this Rashi? A little further on in the Torah, Moshe mentions the sin of the meraglim at length, and does so again in Parshas Eikev. Why is Moshe worried here, and only alludes to their sins, while later he doesn’t seem to have an issue with saying it outright? (קול רם)
We learn from this that if one is able to give Tochacha, rebuke, in a way of Remez, by alluding to it and not saying it bluntly, then he should do so. By one discussing the sin outright, it is a chillul Hashem, and it strengthens the concept of people transgressing the word of Hashem. It is better that the words conveying that a sin was transgressed should not pass a person’s lips, for that itself brings a weakening of the Torah and Mitzvos. Though, when remez will not work, one is left with no choice but to do so, even directly.
By Mitzvos Aseh, we also see this concept, for just seeing a mitzvah being performed is also a mitzvah. Yuma 70a – It says in the Mishna that one who sees the Kohen Gadol reading the Torah, does not see the bull and goat burned, and vice versa. The Gemara says that this is not because one is not permitted to see both, but because there is a distance between them and they are performed simultaneously. The Gemara is telling us that one is not transgressing passing over a mitzvah, being that one cannot be in both places at the same time and see both. The Gemara is telling us that just seeing both of them, that itself is a mitzvah, and the chiddush is that one is not transgressing one, for it is impossible to do both. However, if it were possible, one should do both, for they are both mitzvos.
We see that even just seeing a mitvzah performed is a mitzvah. Thus, even if one needs to rebuke another for a sin, if just alluding to the sin will work to get the person to do teshuva, like just saying the name of the place that the sin took place, then that is what should be done. When Moshe Rabbeinu spoke here, and just alluded to the sins by mentioning the places, he knew that for them, it was enough to arouse them to do teshuva. However, not all of Klal Yisroel were on this level. Therefore, to the rest of Klal Yisroel, those who would not be aroused to do teshuva from just alluding to the sins, Moshe Rabbeinu had no choice but to say it explicitly.
