11:13 “והיה אם שמוע תשמעו אל מצותי אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום, לאהבה את ד' אלקיכם ולעבדו בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם”
It will be that if you hearken to My commandments that I command you today, to love Hashem, your G-d, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” The word, “והיה” – “And it will be,” appears to be extra – what do we learn from this word here?
Why is there a double Loshon of, שמוע תשמעו ? “שמוע ” means a little, and “תשמע ” means a lot. If you will hearken to the Mitzvos of Hakodosh Boruch Hu a little, then you will be Zoche to hearken to them a lot. We need Hakodosh Boruch Hu for everything. If we do a little and show Him we want to do it, then He will help us. (רבינו יואל)
The word, “והיה” – “And it will be,” appears to be extra – what do we learn from this word here? The Gemara in Nedarim 81a says: “על מה אבדה הארץ? על שלא ברכו ברכת התורה תחילה” – Why was Yerushalayim destroyed? It was because Klal Yisroel did not recite Birchas Hatorah first, prior to learning Torah. The Gemara needs explanation, for was it really the only thing that Klal Yisroel did wrong that they did not recite Birchas Hatorah before learning Torah? Additionally, while we know that one is obligated in reciting a Brocha prior to learning Torah, but is not doing so such a grave sin that the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed due to their not reciting this Brocha? Truthfully, there isn’t even one Yid that is not full of Mitzvos, as the Gemara in Sanhedrin 371 says that sinners amongst Klal Yisroel are full of Mitzvos like a pomegranate. The main problem is that they did not serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu with joy, rather they felt forced to do so. When they fulfilled their obligation and no longer had to fulfill that Mitzvah, they had great joy that they finished it, so that they did not need to do it anymore. They saw it as an unpleasant yoke. This is the main part of the sin of Klal Yisroel, that it is because of this that we are in a long bitter Golus. Hakodosh Boruch Hu created man for the good of man, and He did not create man for His own good or need. For what does Hakodosh Boruch Hu need man for, rather He only did so that we should perform His Mitzvos, and receive reward for it. If one does not perform the Mitzvos with a positive attitude and joyously, then it is like he is Chas V’sholom being Kofer in the Ikar, as if he is saying that Hakodosh Boruch Hu needs his service. As an example, a master has a servant and he wants to test his servant to see if he will follow through on his command quickly, so he gives him a command. If the master needs that which he commanded his servant to do, then even if the servant does not perform the command with joy, but he does perform it, it still has some value to the master, for he needed it to be done. However, if the master didn’t need that which he commanded the servant to do, rather his entire purpose in the command was to test his servant to see if he was a loyal servant, and then the servant does it while grimacing, then the master will become very angry at the servant, even if he fulfills the command. The master has nothing from the action of his servant, and if the servant didn’t do it with any desire and joy to fulfill the word of his master, then there is no value in the action to the master. This is the situation here. Hakodosh Boruch Hu has no need for anything we do, thus, if one performs His commands with great joy, then Hakodosh Boruch Hu is happy with him. However, if the person performs the commands quickly, for he sees it as a burden, and wants to remove the burden as fast as he can, Hakodosh Boruch Hu will be angry at him. The Brocha of Birchas Hatorah includes the words, “אשר בחר בנו מכל העמים ונתן לנו את תורתו ” – we bless Hakodosh Boruch Hu that He chose us from all the nations of the world to give us the most precious gift of the Torah Hakdosha. If we do not learn the Torah, and fulfill the words of the Torah with joy, then why are we blessing Him for giving us the Torah? If we see it as nothing more than a burden, then we obviously don’t really want it. It is like reciting a ברכה לבטלה – a Brocha for no reason, for it is not really sincere. This is as the sin of the Klal Yisroel, that they did not serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu joyously, thus they did not recite the Birchas Hatorah – for they didn’t really want it. They saw it as a burden, despite their doing it. The Gemara in Megilah 10b says that the Loshon of והיה represents a Loshon of joy. This is what the Torah is telling us here, “והיה אם שמוע ” – if you will listen and perform the Mitzvos of Hakodosh Boruch Hu – with joy, then you will receive all the Brochos written here. (תפארת יהונתן )
29:9 “אתם נצבים היום כלכם לפני ד' אלקיכם” – The Medrash in Parshas Nitzavim says that after Klal Yisroel heard the Tochachos (admonishments) of Parshas Ki Savo, their faces turned green with fear. In Parshas Nitzavim, immediately after the Tochacha, Moshe tells them to stand on their feet and not to worry. It would seem that it is beneficial for Klal Yisroel to fear the Tochacha. This will help them stay away from sin. If so, why does Moshe Rabbeinu tell them not to worry? There are two Parshiyos in the Torah with Tochacha. One is in Parshas Bechukosai and one in Parshas Ki Savo. The Tochacha in Parshas Bechukosai is the punishment that Klal Yisroel will receive if they sin. The Tochacha of Parshas Ki Savo is the domino effect of their original sin. The Ribbono Shel Olam loves His children, Klal Yisroel. If Klal Yisroel sins, the Ribbono Shel Olam is Kevayachol left with no option but to punish, just as a father needs to punish his child to teach him the proper path. The Tochacha in Parshas Ki Savo is the punishment for causing the Ribbono Shel Olam pain for needing to punish His dear children, Klal Yisroel. Avos 4:2 – “One sin leads to another sin.” The result of a sin leads to another sin because when one makes the Ribbono Shel Olam punish a Yid, he commits another sin by causing anguish to the Ribbono Shel Olam. Moshe was not telling Klal Yisroel not to fear the Tochacha. Klal Yisroel must fear the Tochacha and use that fear to stay away from sin. Nonetheless, the Tochacha of Parshas Ki Savo has a built in Nechama. The only reason that Klal Yisroel would receive the punishment of Parshas Ki Savo is because they are Hashem‘s children. If a Goy sins, he does not receive the punishment for causing Hashem to punish him. Goyim are not Hashem’s children, and Hashem is not pained by punishing them. Klal Yisroel must always remember that they are children of the Ribbono Shel Olam. (אמרי שפר)
Hakodosh Boruch Hu gave us the Torah and Mitzvos, all for our benefit. He wants to give us much goodness and reward. He doesn’t need anything we can provide, for He is complete in every way. He loves us so much, that He wants everything for us. If we understand this, then, “והיה” – a Loshon of Simcha, we will certainly serve Him with joy. It is not enough to serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu, but we must also do so with love. May we be Zoche to serve Hakodosh Boruch Hu with great joy and reciprocate the love that Hakodosh Boruch Hu has for us.
