Vaetchanan
ואתחנןThe Shema
84 translated essays · 84 total
תרל"א(1870)
Vaetchanan תרל"א 1· Essay 1
במדרש עשרה לשונות כו’. The Midrash talks about the 10 different types of prayer הם הדרכים ועצות לבוא לתפילה. The Sfas Emes explains that these 10 types are different methods to get to the actual תפילה כי תפילה עצמו אינו בכלל הלשונות F…
True Preparation for Prayer· Essay 2
במדרש ואהבת את ה’ כו’ מי לי בשמים ועמך לא חפצתי כו’. The Midrash on the pasuk of Shma Yisrael quotes the pasuk in Tehillim (73) who do I have in heaven and on the land I want nothing other than you. Just as in Shamayim I h…
Loving God With Every Sense· Essay 3
במדרש ומי גוי גדול כו’ אדם שקורא ק”ש וסומך גאולה לתפלה כו’. ע”ז קרובה ורחוקה והקב”ה רחוק וקרוב כו’ פי’ בכל קראנו אליו שאדם יכול לקרב ולגלות ההסתר להיות נגלה אליו כבוד ה’ שהוא מלא כ”ה. וז…
Revealing Hashem Through Tefillah· Essay 4
In the Midrash: "And what great nation is there..." (Devarim 4:7) — this refers to a person who recites Krias Shema and joins the redemption to the tefillah. The Midrash on the verse praising Bnei Yisrael as a great nation reads it as a ref…
Gates Of Teshuvah Always Open· Essay 5
The Midrash expounds the verse "As for me, may my tefillah be to You, Hashem, at a favorable time" (Tehillim 69:14) together with "and the distant seas": the gates of tefillah are at times locked, like a mikveh. The Midrash contrasts two ve…
תרל"ב(1871)
Drawing Near Through Prayer· Essay 1
במדרש ואלה מוסיף על הראשונים משל למטרונה הזיין מכאן ומכאן ע”ש. וברש”י מה הראשונים מסיני כי באמת הכל מן התורה. והיא נותנת ברכה לפני’ ולאחריה וכמו שכל הבריאה נברא בשביל התורה. והדור שקבלו התורה הוציאו מכח אל הפועל ומ”מ…
Vaetchanan תרל"ב
תרל”ב במדרש סימן לתפילה אם כיון לבו כו’ ובפ’ מי גוי גדול כו’ הש”י רחוק וקרוב כו’ סומך גאולה לתפילה ת’ נשמעת כו’ ע”ש. כי וודאי בלי כוונה אינה תפילה כלל. רק הפי’ להיות מכוון ומקרב עצ…
Copy of Vaetchanan תרל"ב
תרל”ב במדרש סימן לתפילה אם כיון לבו כו’ ובפ’ מי גוי גדול כו’ הש”י רחוק וקרוב כו’ סומך גאולה לתפילה ת’ נשמעת כו’ ע”ש. כי וודאי בלי כוונה אינה תפילה כלל. רק הפי’ להיות מכוון ומקרב עצ…
Vaetchanan תרל"ב
תרל”ב במדרש סימן לתפילה אם כיון לבו כו’ ובפ’ מי גוי גדול כו’ הש”י רחוק וקרוב כו’ סומך גאולה לתפילה ת’ נשמעת כו’ ע”ש. כי וודאי בלי כוונה אינה תפילה כלל. רק הפי’ להיות מכוון ומקרב עצ…
Vaetchanan תרל"ב
תרל”ב במדרש סימן לתפילה אם כיון לבו כו’ ובפ’ מי גוי גדול כו’ הש”י רחוק וקרוב כו’ סומך גאולה לתפילה ת’ נשמעת כו’ ע”ש. כי וודאי בלי כוונה אינה תפילה כלל. רק הפי’ להיות מכוון ומקרב עצ…
Vaetchanan תרל"ב
תרל”ב במדרש סימן לתפילה אם כיון לבו כו’ ובפ’ מי גוי גדול כו’ הש”י רחוק וקרוב כו’ סומך גאולה לתפילה ת’ נשמעת כו’ ע”ש. כי וודאי בלי כוונה אינה תפילה כלל. רק הפי’ להיות מכוון ומקרב עצ…
תרל"ג(1872)
Heading For Shabbos Nachamu· Essay 1
With the help of Hashem. Parshas Vaetchanan, Shabbos Nachamu. This is the opening heading of the piece, invoking the help of Hashem and identifying the occasion as Parshas Vaetchanan, which falls on Shabbos Nachamu, the Shabbos of consolati…
Binding Oneself To Tefillah· Essay 2
In the Midrash, regarding the laws of tefillah: "One should not raise his voice..." "evening and morning and afternoon..." this is a sign for tefillah; "if a person directs his heart in tefillah..." "ten expressions..." The Sfas Emes opens …
Transforming the Yetzer Hara· Essay 3
In the haftarah it says, "A voice says: Call out! And he said: What shall I call out? All flesh is grass... the grass withers... but the word of our God shall stand forever" (Yeshayahu 40:6-8) — for within every single thing there is a Divi…
Vaetchanan תרל"ג
תרל”ג ב”ה ואתחנן שבת נחמו במדרש דיני תפילה לא ישמיע קולו כו’ ערב ובוקר וצהרים כו’ סימן לתפילה אם כוון אדם לבו לתפילה כו’ עשרה לשונות כו’. אף כי פשוט נראה שיש לאדם להתפלל בשעה שנצרך לבקשה. אבל באמת עיקר מע…
תרל"ד(1873)
Tefillah Redeems Hidden Vitality· Essay 1
In the Midrash the laws of tefillah are taught — evening, morning, and afternoon, and so on — and in the Gemara it states that a person should always first arrange the praise of the Omnipresent, and only afterward daven. The Midrash sets ou…
Shabbos As Revealed Geulah· Essay 2
As for what is stated in connection with Shabbos, "And you shall remember that you were a slave [in the land of Mitzrayim]... therefore Hashem your God commanded you... to keep the Shabbos" (Devarim 5:15) — the Maharal explains that this is…
Uncovering Hidden Love· Essay 3
The commentators raise a difficulty, in the name of the Rambam, regarding the mitzvah of "And you shall love Hashem your God" (Devarim 6:5) and the like: how can there be a command concerning something that depends on a person's natural dis…
Emunah In Tefillah· Essay 4
Regarding what Chazal said, that one who raises his voice during his tefillah is among those of little faith (Berachos 24b), The Gemara teaches that someone who prays out loud, raising his voice, shows a deficiency in his emunah. there is a…
Serving Hashem Through Love· Essay 5
Rashi of blessed memory comments that the one who is fearful, when Hashem burdens him too much, He leaves him be and goes off. Rashi teaches that when the fearful soldier presses Hashem too much, Hashem withdraws and leaves him to himself. …
Mesirus Nefesh At Sinai· Essay 6
Regarding the verse, "This day we have seen that Hashem speaks with man, yet he lives" (Devarim 5:21), [the Torah continues] "so why should we die? ... if we continue ... to hear ..." [the voice of Hashem]. The Sfas Emes opens with the vers…
Vaetchanan תרל"ד
תרל”ד במדרש דיני תפילה ערב ובוקר וצהרים כו’ ובגמ’ לעולם יסדר אדם שבחו של מקום ואח”כ יתפלל. אף כי לכאורה נראה עיקר מצות התפילה שיבקש אדם כל הצריך לו בעתו. אך למדונו רבותינו ז”ל כי התפלה הקבוע בכל זמן מקובלת וחבי…
תרל"ה(1874)
Tefillah as Yearning for Dveikus· Essay 1
In the Midrash there are the laws of tefillah, and in the pasuk "For what great nation is there" (Devarim 4:7) we find the juxtaposition of geulah to tefillah — see there. The Sfas Emes opens by pointing to two sources on tefillah — the Mid…
Revealing Hashem's Honor· Essay 2
Regarding the pasuk, "You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness" (Devarim 3:24) and so forth. The Sfas Emes opens with Moshe Rabbeinu's plea in which he calls himself Hashem's "servant" while speaking of the revelation of Hashem's …
Exodus Rooting Shabbos Kedushah· Essay 3
"And you shall remember that you were a slave [in Mitzrayim]... therefore [Hashem your God] commanded you... to keep... the Shabbos" (Devarim 5:15). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in Vaetchanan that gives the reason for keeping Shabbos:…
Unanswered Tefillah Elevating Others· Essay 4
Moshe Rabbeinu's tefillah to enter Eretz Yisrael, which was not answered. The piece opens with the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu davened to be allowed into Eretz Yisrael, and Hashem did not grant his request. It appears that this tefillah was me…
Fewness Reveals Israels Loftiness· Essay 5
On the pasuk, "Not because you are more numerous... for you are the fewest..." (Devarim 7:7). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in which Hashem says He did not choose Bnei Yisrael because of their large numbers, since they are in fact the …
תרל"ז(1876)
Tefillah Completing the Revelation· Essay 1
The Midrash on the words "And I implored Hashem" (Devarim 3:23) takes up the laws of tefillah. The Sfas Emes opens by noting that the Midrash on the opening words of the parsha, where Moshe Rabbeinu pleads with Hashem, turns to discuss the …
Remember and Guard Shabbos· Essay 2
"Zachor" (Remember) and "Shamor" (Guard) were spoken in a single utterance. The two versions of the Shabbos mitzvah — "Remember" in Shemos and "Guard" in Devarim — were uttered by Hashem simultaneously at Har Sinai. Regarding "Zachor" it is…
Finding Kedushah Within Action· Essay 3
On the verse "And you shall guard and do, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations etc." — "Only guard yourself etc. lest you forget etc. the things that your eyes have seen etc." (Devarim 4:6,9). And there …
תרל"ח(1877)
Brief Note On Vaeschanan· Essay 1
With the help of Heaven. On Vaeschanan, briefly, for I have already written about this matter. The Sfas Emes opens his remarks on Parshas Vaeschanan with the customary invocation of Hashem's help, and notes that he will be brief here since …
Fixed Times Of Tefillah· Essay 2
In the Midrash: "Evening and morning and noon" (Tehillim 55:18), etc. The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash on the verse from Tehillim about davening evening, morning, and noon, setting up that tefillah has fixed times. For it is written, "At …
Renewing Sinai Through Yearning· Essay 3
There is a mitzvah to remember the Giving of the Torah, as Chazal expounded that just as there at Har Sinai it was 'with trembling and quaking,' so too whenever one recalls it. The Torah commands us to recall the Giving of the Torah, and Ch…
תרל"ט(1878)
Asking Only Free Gifts· Essay 1
In Rashi and the Midrash it is brought that even though tzaddikim could rely on their own good deeds, they ask only for a free gift (matnas chinam) from Hashem. Rashi and the Midrash teach that even tzaddikim who could invoke their merits c…
Reawakening The Sinai Voice· Essay 2
On the pasuk "These words Hashem spoke to your entire assembly" (Devarim 5:19). The Sfas Emes opens by citing the pasuk in which Moshe Rabbeinu describes how Hashem spoke the words of the Aseres HaDibros to the whole assembly of Bnei Yisrae…
תר"מ(1879)
Receiving Eretz Yisrael as Gift· Essay 1
In the Midrash it is taught that there are ten expressions of tefillah, and yet of all of them Moshe Rabbeinu davened only with 'tachanunim' — supplications, the language of beseeching an undeserved gift. Chazal list ten words the Torah use…
Awakening Innate Love· Essay 2
The Midrash on the verse "You shall love" asks, "Whom do I have in heaven?" (Tehillim 73:25) — for the philosophers raise the difficulty: how can there be a command to love, since love is a matter of the heart and not something that can be …
תרמ"א-תרמ"ב(1880)
Eretz Yisrael As Gift· Essay 1
"Va'eschanan" ("And I pleaded") — as Rashi and the Midrash of Chazal explain, it is a term denoting "gifts of grace," something given freely as an undeserved gift. The very word that opens the parsha, "Va'eschanan," signals the theme: Moshe…
Renewing Matan Torah Daily· Essay 2
In the Midrash on the verse "For what great nation is there that has Hashem so near to it" (Devarim 4:7), Chazal derive the requirement to join the recitation of Krias Shema directly to the Shemoneh Esrei tefillah. Chazal learn from this ve…
Renewed Life Through Sinai· Essay 3
In the pasuk, "This day we have seen that Hashem speaks with a person and he yet lives" (Devarim 5:21), and immediately after they ask, "and now, why should we die?" Bnei Yisrael declare that they witnessed Hashem speaking to a person who s…
Shabbos as Testimony to Hashem· Essay 4
On the pasuk, "You have been shown to know" (Devarim 4:35). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in which Hashem showed Bnei Yisrael open revelation so that they would come to a clear knowledge of Him. Rashi explains: He opened up for them th…
תרמ"ג(1882)
Tefillah Flowing From Daas· Essay 1
In Rashi's comment: "Even though tzaddikim have [a claim on Hashem based on their own good deeds, they ask of Him only an undeserved gift]." Rashi teaches that even tzaddikim, who could rely on their merits, instead ask Hashem only for an u…
Inner Vision Through Tefillah· Essay 2
Regarding the tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu, certainly it was not in vain, chas v'shalom, and Chazal taught that it accomplished half its purpose, in that Hashem showed him the entire Land. Moshe Rabbeinu's tefillah to enter the Land was not r…
Two Concealments Two Gifts· Essay 3
On the verse, "You have been shown, etc." (Devarim 4:35). The Sfas Emes opens with the verse in which Bnei Yisrael were shown the truth of Hashem's Oneness, and he will explain what it means that they were "shown." Rashi explains that Hashe…
Cleaving Through Total Bittul· Essay 4
In the Midrash, in the passage of Shema, on the verse 'And you shall love' (Devarim 6:5), and so forth. The Sfas Emes opens by citing the Midrash on the Shema passage and the words 'And you shall love,' setting the stage for his discussion …
תרמ"ד(1883)
Torah And Tefillah Powers· Essay 1
"Va'eschanan" (And I beseeched), etc. This is the opening word of the parsha, "And I beseeched," describing Moshe Rabbeinu's plea to enter the Land. For Moshe Rabbeinu embodied the aspect of Torah, while Eretz Yisrael is the aspect of tefil…
Daily Renewal Through Love· Essay 2
In the parsha of "Shema Yisrael... and you shall love..." (Devarim 6:4-5). The Sfas Emes opens with the parsha of Shema and its command to love Hashem. "And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart" (Devarim 6:6). H…
תרמ"ה(1884)
Praise Before Requesting In Tefillah· Essay 1
In the Midrash it is taught: 'rinnah (joyous song)' refers to the arrangement of the praise of the Omnipresent, and afterward comes tefillah, and so forth; this is a sign for tefillah — when one has directed his heart to tefillah — see ther…
Torah As Unquenchable Love· Essay 2
In the parsha that says, "And you shall love Hashem your God etc." (Devarim 6:5), it continues, "And these words shall be..." (Devarim 6:6). The Sfas Emes opens with the verses of "And you shall love Hashem" followed immediately by "And the…
תרמ"ו(1885)
Tefillah After Divine Assurance· Essay 1
Regarding what Rashi and Chazal said: even though tzaddikim are entitled to lean upon their own good deeds, they request only a free gift. Tzaddikim could rely on their good deeds, yet they choose instead to ask Hashem only for an undeserve…
Shabbos Testimony Through Daas· Essay 2
In the mitzvah of Shabbos, it is written in this parsha, "And you shall remember that you were a slave [in Egypt]" (Devarim 5:15), whereas in the first set of luchos it is written, "For in six days Hashem made [the heavens and the earth]" (…
תרמ"ז(1886)
Indwelling Godliness Revealed on Shabbos· Essay 1
Regarding the teaching that "Zachor" (Remember) and "Shamor" (Guard) were spoken in a single utterance. The Sfas Emes opens with the well-known teaching that the words "Zachor" and "Shamor" of the Shabbos commandment were spoken by Hashem s…
Fifty Gates Of Freedom· Essay 2
Now, Shabbos is called "sahadusa" — testimony. Shabbos itself bears witness — it testifies to Hashem as Creator. The Sfas Emes opens with this idea that Shabbos is a form of testimony. As it is written, "You are My witnesses" (Yeshayah 43:1…
Shabbos As Boundless Freedom· Essay 3
The matter of why Yetzias Mitzrayim is mentioned fifty times in the Torah is because there is no free man other than one who toils in Torah; therefore there are found fifty pathways within the Torah, each one a way to become a free man libe…
תרמ"ח - תרמ"ט(1887)
Drawing Renewal Into Nature· Essay 1
Regarding the verse, "And lest you lift up your eyes... which Hashem your God has allotted... them to all the nations" (Devarim 4:19). The Sfas Emes opens with the verse warning Bnei Yisrael not to be drawn after the sun, moon, and stars, w…
Boundless Love Through Testimony· Essay 2
On Parshas Shema. This piece is presented as a teaching on the section of Shema in Parshas Vaetchanan. "And you shall love" (Devarim 6:5). The Sfas Emes anchors his thought in the verse "And you shall love Hashem your God," the command of l…
Truthful Tefillah Through Torah· Essay 3
Earlier, regarding the verse "For what great nation is there that has Hashem so close to it, as is Hashem our God whenever we call upon Him" (Devarim 4:7). The Sfas Emes returns to the verse praising Bnei Yisrael for Hashem's closeness when…
Shabbos Doubles Love· Essay 4
Regarding the mitzvah of "And you shall love Hashem your God" (Devarim 6:5), the philosophers raise a difficulty: how can there be a command to love, since love is a feeling that cannot be obligated? The philosophers ask how the Torah can c…
תר"נ(1889)
תרנ"א(1890)
Freedom Before Soul Light· Essay 1
Regarding the matter of "Shamor" (Guard) and "Zachor" (Remember): in connection with "Shamor" it is written, "And you shall remember that you were a slave" (Devarim 5:15). The Sfas Emes opens on the two words of the Shabbos commandment, "Sh…
Shabbos Oneness With Hashem· Essay 2
Regarding the mitzvah of declaring the Oneness of Hashem in "Shema Yisrael..." the Medrash says that through the receiving of the Torah we merited to recite "Shema Yisrael." The Medrash teaches that our ability to proclaim Hashem's Oneness …
תרנ"ג(1892)
Wisdom Through Doing Mitzvos· Essay 1
On the pasuk, "And you shall observe and do them, for this is your wisdom..." (Devarim 4:6). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk that calls Torah and mitzvos the very wisdom of Bnei Yisrael. The explanation is that the essential strength of …
Shabbos Beyond Created Nature· Essay 2
In the parsha, regarding 'Shamor' (the command to 'Guard' the Shabbos), it says, 'And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Mitzrayim, and Hashem your God took you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm;…
Uncovering Essential Love Through Bittul· Essay 3
Regarding the parshah of Shema. The Sfas Emes opens by turning to the section of Shema in the parshah. The Midrash asks: from where did Bnei Yisrael merit the recitation of Krias Shema at the giving of the Torah? See there. He cites the Mid…
תרנ"ד - תרנ"ה(1893)
Cleaving To Mitzvos Root· Essay 1
On the pasuk, "For it is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the nations" (Devarim 4:6). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk that describes keeping the Torah's mitzvos as the wisdom and understanding that the nations will recog…
Ascending Beyond The Fire· Essay 2
On the verse, "I stood between Hashem and you at that time" (Devarim 5:5), and "for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not ascend the mountain" (Devarim 5:5). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in which Moshe Rabbeinu recalls …
Seeking Closeness Through Humility· Essay 3
Rashi comments on the words "Va'eschanan" ("And I pleaded") that even though the tzaddikim could rely on their good deeds, they request nothing from Hashem except an undeserved gift. Rashi teaches that even tzaddikim, who could lean on thei…
Oneness Through Shabbos Unity· Essay 4
The Midrash comments on the verse "Shema Yisrael" ("Hear, O Yisrael") (Devarim 6:4). The Sfas Emes opens by citing a Midrash on the verse of Shema, the declaration of Hashem's oneness. The Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Bnei Yisrael: Ever…
Harder Than Mesiras Nefesh· Essay 5
On the verse "with all your might" (Devarim 6:5), Chazal said: there is a type of person whose money is more beloved to him than his own body. The Gemara observes that some people cherish their wealth even more than their own physical life,…
Life Through Hashems Word· Essay 6
On the pasuk "And these words shall be" (Devarim 6:6), Rashi, citing the Sifrei, explains that the love of Hashem comes about from these very words. Rashi teaches that ahavas Hashem is generated through immersing oneself in the words of Tor…
תרנ"ו(1895)
Exodus as Shabbos Revelation· Essay 1
In the version of 'Shamor' (Devarim 5:12, 'Guard the Shabbos day') it is written, 'And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt' (Devarim 5:15), while in the version of 'Zachor' (Shemos 20:8, 'Remember the Shabbos day') it is writt…
Troubles As Binding Chains· Essay 2
In the parsha of Krias Shema we say "Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad" (Devarim 6:4). The verse of Shema is our daily declaration that Hashem alone is our God in complete unity. Each and every day one must accept His Divinity, m…
Awakening Love Above· Essay 3
On the pasuk "And you shall love Hashem your God" (Devarim 6:5). The piece opens with the mitzvah of loving Hashem from the first parsha of Shema. The meaning is to awaken love Above, as the Zohar HaKadosh says: "Whoever loves the King caus…
תרנ"ז(1896)
Distress As Spiritual Birth· Essay 1
In the Midrash on the verse, "He has those who are close to Him." The Sfas Emes opens by citing a Midrash on the phrase that speaks of those who are close to Hashem. On the verse, "May Hashem answer you on the day of distress" (Tehillim 20:…
Shabbos Nullifies Natural Dominion· Essay 2
In the passage of "Shamor" (Devarim 5:12-15), the Torah says: "the Shabbos day... your servant shall rest... like you, and you shall remember that you were a servant (in the land of Egypt)." The Sfas Emes opens with the Shabbos commandment …
Bnei Yisrael Bearing Witness· Essay 3
In the parsha of Krias Shema, 'Shema Yisrael,' the Midrash asks: from where did Bnei Yisrael merit Krias Shema? From Har Sinai, where it says 'Anochi Hashem Elokecha (I am Hashem your God).' The Midrash links the source of Krias Shema to th…
תרנ"ח(1897)
תרנ"ט(1898)
תרס"א(1900)
Shabbos Remembrance And Testimony· Essay 1
The matter of "Zachor" (Remember) and "Shamor" (Guard) encompasses the entire Torah. The two words spoken at Sinai, "Zachor" and "Shamor," together contain the whole Torah. "Zachor" corresponds to the positive commandments, while "Shamor" c…
Drawing Down Soul Love· Essay 2
In Parshas Shema Yisrael, the Torah commands us, "And you shall love Hashem your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Devarim 6:5). The piece opens with the Shema and its command to love Hashem with all…
תרס"ב(1901)
תרס"ד(1903)
Seeking Hashem In Galus· Essay 1
On the pasuk, "And from there you will seek out Hashem your God and you shall find Him" (Devarim 4:29). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk that promises that even from the depths of galus, Bnei Yisrael can search for Hashem and will indeed …
Hearing Sinai Through Torah· Essay 2
The mitzvah of remembering the giving of the Torah, "and you shall make them known to your children... the day that you stood (at Sinai)" (Devarim 4:9-10), is accomplished through Krias Shema each and every day, as the Midrash says: From wh…
Guarding Shabbos Through Redemption· Essay 3
Regarding the verse "Guard the day of Shabbos" (Devarim 5:12). The Sfas Emes opens with the verse in this parsha that commands us to "guard" the day of Shabbos, the wording used in the second set of the Aseres HaDibros. This "guarding" mean…