Zera Shimshon Shiur
You shall observe the commandments, etc., that I command you today, to perform them. (7:11)
This shall be the reward when you heed these laws... Hashem will keep the covenant and the kindness for you...(7:12)
Last week’s parsha ends off with Hashem telling the Jewish people to keep the mitzvos. The words in this passuk are written in the singular. The first passuk in this week’s parsha, a continuation of this commandment to keep the mitzvos, changes to the plural. Why does the Torah change its way of wording the same message from one passuk to the next?
Before he answers this question, the Zera Shimshon infers an amazing concept from the fact that the Torah switches from singular to plural.
The passuk in last week’s parsha says, “...that I command you today to perform them.” On the word ‘today,’ Rashi brings from Chazal that we must do the mitzvos ‘today,’ in this world, but we only receive our reward ‘tomorrow,’ in the next world. This is because we do not receive reward in this world for keeping the mitzvos (Kiddushin 39b).
The Zera Shimshon infers that since the concept of not receiving reward in this world for keeping the mitzvos is derived from the passuk in the singular that commands us to keep the mitzvos, it follows that this rule is only true regarding a private person. However, the Jewish people as a whole can receive benefits in this world for keeping the mitzvos.
He further proves this from the first passuk of this week’s parsha. The passuk commands the Jewish people to keep the mitzvos and Hashem promises that “This shall be the reward when you heed these laws...Hashem will keep the covenant and the kindness for you....” Here, the Jewish people receive a clear promise from Hashem that they will receive reward in this world for their keeping of the mitzvos. If the rule that we are not rewarded in this world for keeping the mitzvos is true, how do we understand the promise Hashem made in this passuk?
This, says the Zera Shimshon, proves that since the source of the principle that one does not receive reward for his mitzvos in this world is derived from the passuk that speaks in singular, it only applies to the individual. However, the Jewish people as a whole can receive reward even in this world for keeping the mitzvos.
The Zera Shimshon explains why the Torah switches from the singular to the plural.
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 111a), when discussing who will merit being redeemed at the end of days, cites a dispute between R’ Yochanan and Reish Lakish in understanding the passuk that says, “I shall take one from a city and two from a family, and I shall bring you to Tzion.” Reish Lakish says the passuk is to be understood as is - only one person from a city and two people from an entire family will merit being redeemed. R’ Yochanan responded to Reish Lakish that Hashem is not pleased that you say that the Jewish people will be diminished to such a small number. Rather, the passuk means that even in the merit of one righteous person in a city, the entire city will be saved. Since we always go in accordance with the opinion of R’ Yochanan over that of Reish Lakish, here too, the passuk is as R’ Yochanan explains it.
Based on this, the Zera Shimshon explains that this is why the Torah begins with the commandment to keep the mitzvos in the singular and then switches to the plural. It is to teach R’ Yochanan’s lesson that the merit of one person who keeps the mitzvos protects the masses. “You shall observe the commandments, etc., that I command you today to perform them” – singular. In the merit of the individual who keeps the mitzvos, Hashem will consider it as though the masses kept the mitzvos – “this shall be the reward when you heed these laws...Hashem will keep the covenant and the kindness for you – plural. The merit of the individual will serve to protect many people.
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