RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
“כי יהיה לאיש בן סורר ומורה איננו שמע בקול אביו ובקול אמו” 21:18 “If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son who does not listen to the voice of his father and mother.”
Rashi – Sanhedrin 72b – A Ben Sorer U’moreh is killed because of his end. Although at the present time he is not deserving of death, his future actions will warrant his death; therefore, he is killed now. Better that he should die as an innocent person now, before he becomes a guilty person in the future. Sanhedrin 71a – There never was a Ben Sorer U’moreh, nor will there ever be one in the future - דרש וקבל שכר – Expound these Pesukim and you will receive reward for doing so. What are we to learn from a Ben Sorer U’moreh?
When Hakodosh Boruch Hu told Moshe Rabbeinu to write Parshas “Ben Sorer U’moreh” – Moshe asked the Ribbono Shel Olam if there is any father who would bring his son to Bais Din to be killed? Hashem answered – write it and receive Schar. The Zohar proceeds to explain the Posuk. “כי יהיה לאיש” refers to Hashem, as it says in Shemos 15:3 “בן סורר ומורהד' איש מלחמה “. ”” refers to Klal Yisroel, as it says in ”איננו שמע בקול”כי כפרה סררה סרר ישראל “. 4:16הושע אביו ובקול אמו” refers to Hakodosh Boruch Hu and Kneses Yisroel. The Ben Yehoyada explains – the Parsha of Ben Sorer U’moreh was written as Mussar to Klal Yisroel. The Yetzer Hara can convince Klal Yisroel to do Aveiros by telling them that they are “בנים אתם לד' אלקיכם”. One may think that he is a son of the Ribbono Shel Olam and therefore no matter what he does, the Ribbono Shel Olam will overlook it and not punish him. The Parsha of Ben Sorer U’moreh tells us that the Ben Sorer U’moreh is brought by his father and mother to Bais Din and is killed. The Gemara says that the whole Parsha of Ben Sorer only applies to a “Ben” (son), not “Bas” (daughter). “Ben” refers to Klal Yisroel, and “Bas” refers to the rest of the nations of the world. This message is explicitly to Klal Yisroel who may think that because we are children to the Ribbono Shel Olam, we do not need to do Teshuva because our Father in Heaven will not punish us. This Parsha comes as a direct message to Klal Yisroel to do Teshuva. (בן יהוידע)
The Yetzer Hara knows of the great power of Teshuva. He tries at all costs to prevent Klal Yisroel from doing Teshuva. We are all human, and we make mistakes and do Aveiros. After 120, when we come in front of Hashem, the question is not going to be if we did any Aveiros. The question will be if we did Teshuva on those Aveiros, and if we tried to rectify our misdeeds. We learn about the Ben Sorer U’moreh in the month of Elul, as we prepare for the Yo m Hadin. We should not think that we are children of Hashem and therefore can do whatever we want. Rather, we must come to Hashem with a broken heart, ready to do Teshuva. We may not have the answers yet on how we will rectify our misdeeds, but most importantly, we need to show Hakodosh Baruch Hu that we want to do Teshuva.
