Mishnah Torah is a Mussar Sefer:
Rav Modechai of Neshchiz zy”a (Sefer Rishpei Aish) writes that Mishnah Torah contains “all of the words of mussar in the world.” For this reason, it is known by chasidim as a “Mussar Sefer”.
Similarly, Sefer Bais Yaakov writes in the name of Rav Simcha Bunim of Peshischa zy”a that if someone desires to do teshuva, a good piece of advice is to learn Mishnah Torah, which will arouse his heart to return fully to Hashem. This is hinted to in the first verse in Devarim: “These are the words” - the words of tochacha that are written in this sefer. “Which Moshe spoke to all of Yisroel” – they are words of mussar that Moshe Rabenu said not only for his generation but, rather, for every Jew in every generation. Thus, anyone can be aroused to do teshuva through learning Sefer Devarim.
In this vein, an explanation is said in the name of tzadikim on the Mishnah (Avos 3:1) that says: “Look at the three ‘devarim’ (things) and you will not come to sin.” This can be understood to mean that if one learns the first three Parshios in Sefer Devarim, which are Devarim, V’eschanon and Eikev, he will not come to sin. This is because these Parshios are full of tochacha and mussar, and fundamental concepts of Yiddishkeit and how to serve Hashem properly.
Be Careful with Lashon Hara:
My ancestor, Rav Mordchele of Nadvorna zy”a (quoted in Sefer Maamar Mordechai) said that the words “Eileh Devarim” contain a hint about the severity of lashon hara.
The word “Eileh” can be an acronym for “avak lashon hara” – hints of lashon hara. The pasuk then says that Moshe “spoke to all of Yisroel”. This indicates that he told everyone – even the Gedolei Hador – that they all must be careful to guard their tongues from speaking anything that hints at lashon hara in any way.
Guarding One’s Words:
The following well-known words of the Vilna Gaon zt”l (from Igeres HaGr”a, a letter that he wrote to his family) are a tremendous source of inspiration for us all on the topic of shemiras halashon:
Every individual will be judged for every word he says. One should not waste even a small word. Therefore, I exhort you to become accustomed to sitting alone because, as Chazal say, the sins involving the tongue are the worst sins of all. There is no reason to expand on this sin, as it is worse than all other sins...
Chazal say that all of a person’s mitzvos and Torah are not sufficient to overpower what comes out of his mouth. The work one has to do in this world is to make himself like a mute and to stick his lips together...
And all the worst punishments (of Kaf Hakeleh) are because of pointless words that the mouth emits... That is in regards to pointless words, but in regards to lashon hara, rechilus, mockery, words that cause discord and curses, and especially if those are said in the bais knesses or on Shabbos and yomtv, one gets an even worse punishment (and one is sent to an even lower place in gehenim).
One cannot even imagine the damage he can cause himself with one word. One should not waste even a single word... And one should not say any unnecessary word on Shabbos or yomtov because the holiness of Shabbos is very great and, as Chazal say, it was only permitted with difficulty to greet a friend on Shabbos.
We see how severe one word can be. You should know that for words and middos, one must habituate himself very much to act properly...
Until one’s final day, he must “afflict himself.” This does not mean that he should fast or cause pain to his body. Rather, he must afflict himself by subduing his mouth and his desires. This is how one earns Olam Haba, as is stated (Mishlei 6:23): “The way of life (in Olam Haba) is rebuke and mussar.” Guarding one’s mouth in this way is more effective than all fasts and physical afflictions.
The Gr”a continues: Every single second that a person closes his mouth, he is rewarded with a great, hidden light that no angel or creation can imagine. The pasuk says (Tehillim 34:17-18): “Who is the man who desires life... protect your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking badly...” In this way, one atones for all sins and is saved from Sh’ol Tachtis, as is stated (Mishlei 21:23): “One who watches his mouth (from excessive eating) and his tongue (from speaking bad words), protects his soul from suffering.”
The main thing is not to speak even positively about any man, and certainly not negatively. The main way to merit Olam Haba is by guarding one’s mouth. This is bigger than all of one’s Torah and actions because the mouth is “Kodesh Kodashim.”
One Who is Silent When Shamed Becomes a New Person:
The pasuk in Tehillim (37:7) states: “Dom l’Hashem v’hischolel lo.” While this literally translates as: “Wait for Hashem and hope to Him”, Rav Moshe Tzvi of Savron zy”a notes the word “dom” can also mean to remain silent. He thus explains the verse to mean that when is shamed but remains silent, it is “to Hashem”, meaning that he has fulfilled the will of Hashem. He explains the words “v’hischolel lo” to mean that in this merit, one has all of his sins forgiven (mochlin).
Hashem is Praised by Those Who Guard Their Words:
We recite in davening: “Hameholel b’peh amo.” (Hashem is praised by the mouths of His nation.) Sefer Birchas Avrohom quotes Rav Uri of Sterlisk zy”a as explaining that when one closes his mouth and doesn’t speak any forbidden words, that is a glory for Hashem. He adds that if remaining silent is a way to glorify Hashem, it is certain that if one actually uses his words to praise Hashem that he has glorified Him.
Sins Turned Into Merits:
At the beginning of the Parshah, Rashi says that Moshe Rabenu only hinted to the people’s sins, rather than saying them outright, so as not to embarrass them. The Chidushei Harim asks: If this is so, why does he later explicitly list all of their sins?
He answers that Moshe did teshuva himself and brought all of Klal Yisroel to do teshuva as well. Chazal say (Yoma 86) that when one does teshuva out of love, his sins are transformed into merits. Thus, when Moshe was listing the sins of Klal Yisroel, he actually was saying how many merits they now have.
Accepting the Rebuke:
Rashi explains that the posuk is listing all the places where Klal Yisroel angered Hashem. The Kli Yakar asks: Why would this book of the Torah start off by hinting to all of the people’s sins?
Sefer Tiferes Shmuel answers that the posuk is actually saying a great praise for Klal Yisroel. It is relating how Moshe spoke harshly to the people and listed their sins, but everyone accepted his words. No one rejected the criticism or became angry. Instead, they all accepted the rebuke with love.
The Medrash (Rabbah 1:9) also says that Klal Yisroel were praised for accepting the rebuke. It says that Hashem told Moshe that because the people accepted his rebuke, he now must bless them
This is why it says that Moshe spoke to “all of Yisroel.” He was praising the nation for the fact that not even one person was unwilling to accept the criticism. Therefore, they all deserved to be blessed. Moshe then immediately blessed them and said, “Hashem should increase you.”
For this reason, Hashem told Moshe that because the people accepted his rebuke, he now must bless them. This is as Chazal say (Tamid 28A): “One should love tochacha for whenever there is rebuke in the world, there is goodness and blessing in the world.”
Proof That They Never Meant to Sin:
The Tiferes Shlomo adds that this acceptance of the mussar, proved that everyone regretted their sins. They had only done aveiros because they were led astray by their urges, but their true desire was always to serve Hashem.
This is a defining trait of Klal Yisroel. Even when they fall to sin, their true essence is the desire to follow Hashem’s ways. In this way, Sefer Bina L’Itim (Chelek 2, Drush 1) explains the posuk in Tehillin: “Hashem, against you are all my desires. My sigh is not hidden from You.” We tell Hashem that it is true that we have animalistic urges that are against Him, but our “sighs are not hidden” – meaning that even when we give in to our urges to act against Him, we immediately sigh in regret and are pained by what we did.
The Bracha of the Tiferes Shlomo:
Sefer Niflaos Hatiferes Shlomo (Ois 130) relates that a talmid chochom once came to the Tiferes Shlomo zy”a and cried that he had a daughter who was getting on in years but he didn’t have any money to use to marry her off. He handed the Rebbe a kvittel, which said on it that was an ani (a poor man).
When the Rebbe read the note, he began to laugh. He said, “Ha! Ha! You are an ani? Get out of my house right away? An ani is considered to be like a meis (a dead man). I am a kohen and I am forbidden to come into contact with the dead. Get out now!”
The main was very disturbed and he began to run out in fear but the Rebbe called him back and said, “You definitely have the status of a ‘meis mitzvah’, and a kohen is permitted to become tamei in such a case.”
There were a few people standing around, and this sounded like a joke to them.
The Rebbe then said to the man, “You are worried about not having money to make a wedding. Do you have enough to put food on your table?”
The man became flustered and admitted that he couldn’t even afford to buy food for his family.
The Rebbe then asked, “Don’t you make a bracha of ‘hamotzi’ every day? Where do you get bread from?”
The man answered that his wife made a small amount of money, enough to buy a bit of bread every day.
The Rebbe appeared happy with this answer. He said, “Very good... Your wife supports you. We see that Odom Harishon did a good deal when his wife gave him food to eat...”
He then asked, “What type of work does your wife do?”
The man answered that she went to the fields (chatzeros) of rich non-Jewish people and sold them some vegetables and other items, which brought in a very small income.
The Tiferes Shlomo then said, “The Torah says: ‘And Chatzeros and Di Zahav’. When one goes to the chatzeros, that comes with ‘di zahav’ (the gold). Go home and Hashem will help your wife get ‘di zahav’.”
The man was very confused by the Rebbe’s words but he went home as he was told to do. When his wife asked him what the Rebbe said, he didn’t know what to answer.
Just a few days later, his wife came home looking very happy. She related that she found a bundle of wool on the ground in one of the fields she had been in. She unwrapped it and found the huge amount of 300 gold coins. They set aside 150 gold coins for their daughter’s dowry and the wedding expenses, and used the other 150 for business, and they never again lacked parnassah.
Obtaining Wealth in Golus:
The Rimanover Rebbe zy”a (quoted in Be’eros Mayim) explained the words “Di Zahav” as follows: While we are stuck in this golus, it is sufficient (the word “di” can also mean “sufficient”) for us that Hashem sends us a lot of “zahav” (gold, i.e., livelihood), so that we will have the means to serve him without worry.
No Complaints:
Rashi states: “Moshe said: If I rebuke them before they enter part of the land, they will say, “What claim has this man on us? What good has he ever done for us? He has come only to be against us and to find some pretext, for he does not have the power to bring us into the land. Therefore, Moshe waited until he had defeated Sichon and Og before them and had given them possession of their land, and afterwards he rebuked them.”
We learn from this that one should not rebuke a person at a time when he is in pain. Rather, one should wait until the person is calm and has returned to his senses before giving him mussar. This is what Moshe did. He did not rebuke the nation until he had defeated Sichon and Og and Klal Yisroel had been given part of the land. Once they were calm and at peace, he rebuked them for the sins they had committed during their journeys.
Sefer Divrei Yisroel uses this concept to explain the words we recite in Tefillas Mussaf: “And You planted us (“Vatitaeinu”) in our borders and there You made before us the korbanos of our debts.” The word “Vatitaeinu” also indicates a “tainoh”, complaint. Thus, Klal Yisroel were saying to Hashem: If you have a complaint against us because we have not acted properly, You should issue it ‘in our borders.’ You should not rebuke us until we are living peacefully in our land. Once we are there, we shall repay “our debts” and serve You properly. We ask that you do not chastise us while we are suffering and in pain and cannot respond properly.
A person should know, however, that the mud he is stuck in is not as bad as he thinks. One may feel like he is trapped in quicksand and has no hope of escape, but he should realize that it probably is not as terrible as he makes it.
It is related that a chasid once complained to the Kobriner Rebbe zy”a that he feels like he is stuck in the mud and he has no way out. The Rebbe told him, “Even the deepest mud will eventually dry up if we don’t add any more water to it.”
The Geulah Depends on Achdus:
Sefer Imrei Noam explains this pasuk by quoting the Sefarim Hakedoshim’s words on the verse (Bereishis 49:1): “Gather, and I will tell you what will occur to you at the end of days.” They explain that Yaakov was teaching his sons that they must gather together and be united. If they do this, they will merit redemption, as Yerushalaim was only destroyed because of sinas chinam (Yoma 9B).
The Imrei Noam says that the word “eicha” symbolizes the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh. Moshe was saying that he could carry the “eicha” on his own. He could rectify the problems that caused the Churban. All they have to do is gather as one and be united. The only burden on Klal Yisroel is to remove the strife and discord of sinas chinam.
Helping Others With Parnassah:
Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Rimanov zy”a (Sefer Be’eros Hamayim) says that this verse is teaching us how to fulfill the commandment to love one’s friend like himself (Vayikroh 19:18). The way to do this is to provide one’s fellow Jew with whatever they are lacking so that he can daven and learn Torah with a clear and pure mind, and without distracting thought.
If one’s friend needs money, he should give him money. If one doesn’t have money to give him, he should daven to Hashem to give him money. It is a fulfillment of the mitzvah of ahavas Yisroel to help someone with parnassah, so that he can serve Hashem properly.
The pasuk can be understood to be saying: “Hear from your brothers” - hear what they are lacking. “And judge them justly” – try to judge them favorably. If you don’t know their situation, you are in no position to judge them. It is possible that they aren’t learning or davening properly because they lack parnassah.
Rav Tzvi Hirsch adds that the Magid of Zlotchov zy”a explained that when the pasuk says that Rivka Imeinu asked (Bereishis 24:65): “Who is that man who is coming towards us” she was seeing the Malach Gavriel – who is referred to as “the man” (Daniel 9:21) - walking with Yitzchok and asking who he was. When Eliezer said, “He is my master”, he was referring to Gavriel.
It then says that, “He took the tze’if (veil) and covered her.” This too is referring to Gavriel. The word “tze’if” is an acronym for “amcha Yisroel tzrichin parnassah” (Your nation Yisroel needs livelihood). Thus, Gavriel was “covering” Klal Yisroel with the excuse that they cannot be found guilty because they don’t have sufficient parnassah.
It is said in the name of Tzadikim that when two people meet, they usually ask about each other’s ruchnius, They ask questions like: How much do you learn and daven? The truth is, however, that they should be asking about gashmius. They should ask if their friend has sufficient parnassah. If one makes sure that his friend has “kemach”, he will be able to rest assured that he will have Torah.
Doting on Children:
Every day, the Chozeh of Lublin would give a coin to a child. He explained that the greatest thing in the world is to give pleasure to a Yid. However, it is very hard to make an older person happy, as he is usually worried about various challenges he is going through in life and is unable to be 100% happy. It is much easier to bring full joy to a child, who has no worries and is able to derive satisfaction from being given a single coin. Since he wanted to make sure to make at least one Jew happy each day, he engaged in this practice.
May There be More Like You in Yisroel:
Rav Leibele Eiger zy”a related The Chozeh was once sitting at his Friday night tish, when he suddenly began to rebuke himself – referring to himself in very insulting and demeaning terms. He spoke so insultingly about himself that the chasidim couldn’t bring themselves to listen and they slowly left, one by one.
When the Chozeh saw this, he called out, “Hashem should help you so that you never have a son who is worse than me!”
The chasidim were appeased, and they all came back and the tish continued.
Rav Leibele explained this story by noting that when Moshe Rabenu was chastising Klal Yisroel in this week’s Parshah, he suddenly stopped and blessed them (1:11). He explains that Moshe saw that they were...
