Bostoner Torah Insights: Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in Hebrew and English: Parshas Ki Tavo – 18 Elul 5784
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
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Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Ki Tavo – 18 Elul 5784
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
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The Rebbe Yitzchak of Radvil, a contemporary of Chidushei HaRim, was quoted by the Beis Yisrael as saying that the last Pasuk of the Tochecha rebuke, "…You will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as slaves and maidservants, but there will be no buyer" (Devarim 28:68) was very perplexing. Specifically, R' Yitzchak was troubled with the simple understanding of 'there will be no buyer' and wept until he fell asleep. In his dream, the following Gemara (Sanhedrin 49a) was revealed to him:
Bnei Yisrael were told by the Navi to repent and return to Hashem. They responded, "If a master sells his servant, or a husband divorces his wife, they have no recourse" Hashem relays to the Navi, "Go and tell them…it as known to the one who brought the universe into being that Yisroel would make this claim in the future, therefore Hashem came first and called Nevuchadnetzar 'His servant'. It follows that if a servant acquires assets, they belong to the servant's owner…"
Rabbi Isaac of Radvil continued to explain that before the coming of the Messiah there will be difficult times for the Jewish People. Many will argue that Hashem has abandoned us, He is no longer our master, and therefore, we have no obligations to serve him and obey his commandments. The response of Hashem is that Nebuchadnezzar is His servant, and the rule is that all a slave acquires belongs to his master. In essence, when Nevuchadnetzar captured Klal Yisroel, they remained the servants of Hashem. Similarly, the Chidushei HaRim explained that if a woman does not understand the concept of divorce and continues to return home to her husband, the Get or divorce contract is invalid. Since Klal Yisrael never accepted the divorce, as they continuously return to Hashem, there was no valid divorce between Hashem and Klal YIsroel.
My uncle, the Alshtater Rav zt"l, quoted the Midrash regarding Bikkurim and Maaser Sheini that because Klal Yisroel observes these Mitzvos they merit to receive Eretz Yisroel. He further quoted a Midrash Tanhuma stating that Moshe saw through Ruach HaKodesh that the Beis HaMikdash would be destroyed and therefore he instituted three prayers each day. The question is: What is the connection between these two ideas.
The Alshtater answered that when we make the public statement of Arami Oved Avi (Devarim 26:5-11) that accompanies the offering of Bikkurim, it demonstrates the humility of a person and conveys feelings of thankfulness to Hashem for all of the good that He has provided. In this way we recognize that all the blessings we receive come from the grace of Hashem and not because of our human efforts or intellect.
The Nachalat Yaakov asks why the Pasuk says, "I relate this day to Hashem your G-d" (Devarim 26:3). Why does it say 'Hashem your G-d', it should say Hashem our G-d. He answers that the individual who brings his Bikkurim to the Kohen, views the Kohen as a Tzaddik, and in comparison the individual feels lowly, since it is the righteous who cause blessing to come into the world in abundance so that all can benefit.
The Midrash (Devarim Rabah Ki Tavo 7:1) states that the Chazzan should not answer Amen after the Blessing of the Kohanim because it may interfere with his davening. Only if the Chazzan is confident that answering Amen will not interfere with his davening may he do so "Since there is nothing greater before Hashem than when Yisroel answering Amen". The Midrash continues that R' Yehudah Bar Simon says that this Amen has three meanings: An oath, an acceptance, and affirmation of its being true. We find Amen used as an oath in the narrative of the Sotah (Bamidbar 5:22), as an acceptance in Parshas Ki Tavo (Devarim 27:15-26), and as an affirmation of truth in the Navi (Melachim I 1:36). R' Yudin states that anyone who answers 'Amen' in This World will merit to say 'Amen' in Olam HaBa
R' Yehoshua ben Levi states that anyone who enters the synagogue or the Beit Midrash in This world will merit Olam HaBa, based on the Pasuk, "Ashrei Yoshvei Veytecha" that we say three times a day. We see from here that the purpose of prayer is to lower oneself and request one's needs.
From my experience, I can tell you that one main reason why people do not pray to Hashem for their needs is that they feel that Hashem knows what they need and they do not feel worthy enough to stand before Hashem and ask Him for what they need. On the contrary, one's prayers are answered specifically because one prays with a sense of humility and unworthiness. If we stand before Hashem with a mindset that all comes from Hashem, our prayers will be answered, and we will merit the coming of the Go'el Tzedek.
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