Alumni Group Learning
Parshat Netzavim Devarim 30:11-14
Chumash, Ramban, Sforno, and Kli Yakar
[Learn through the sources, guided by the questions.
In an email
(subject: "Elul Webshiur") write the answers
to the questions, numbering them 1 through 7, send
them in to the Darche Noam Israel office, and you
will receive a response with comments from a Darche
Noam staff member.]
The Parsha in the Torah
There is a small (4 verses) section in Parshat Netzavim
(Devarim 30:11-14, source #1) that receives a lot
of attention from our commentators.
One of the challenges this section presents is determining
which mitzva the Torah is referring to when it says
(the opening words of the section), "For this
mitzva that I command you today . . . ."
There are three main approaches taken by the commentators.
The approach we will focus on views this section
as referring to the mitzva of Teshuva, repentance.
Source
#1
English
Translation
Immediately
preceding section (very helpful for answering
question 2)
1. What else might
"this mitzva" be referring to? (2 other
possibilities -- Rashi on pasuk 14 takes one of
them, and the Ramban, before he brings teshuva,
brings the other)
2. What in the text supports the "teshuva"
approach? (see the immediately preceding section
in the Torah)
The Ramban
The Ramban is the author of the approach that
"Hamitzva hazot" refers to the mitzva
of teshuva. First try and read the section (source
#1) as referring to teshuva and see what, if any,
difficulties arise. Then read the Ramban and see
if he addresses them.
Source
#2
English
Translation
3. The
main thrust of this section in the Torah seems
to be: You might think this is impossible, difficult,
and unattainable -- but it is not. Why might we
have thought -- reading between the lines of the
Ramban -- that teshuva is not possible?
4. How does the Ramban explain the line, "beficha
uvilvavecha laasoto" ("In your mouth
and in your heart to do it") = what about
teshuva is in the mouth, what is in the heart,
and what does "to do it" mean?
The Sforno and the Kli Yakar
The Sforno and the Kli Yakar (second explanation)
similarly explain this section as referring to
teshuva. Compare and contrast their comments with
the Ramban's.
Source
#3
English
Translation
5. Show
how the Sforno translates the Ramban's basic direction
into the following expressions: "Lo nifleit
hi;" "Lo rechoka hi;" "Lo
bashamayim hi;" "Lo mei'eiver layam
hi;" "beficha uvilvavecha laasoto."
Source
#4
English
Translation
6. What
is the sinner's excuse that this section rejects?
7. What is the sinner's worry that this section
reassures him about?
After having learned the above sources, read
an article, "This Mitzva: Teshuva",
that puts it together (and offers an additional
reading of the parsha according to the Teshuva-approach)
[Prepared by R. Eliezer Kwass]
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