Hagaon
Rav Shlomo
Efraim of Prague zt”l
on Parshat Nitzavim
(from
Kli
Yakar on Devarim 30:11)
You
Needn't Climb to Heaven
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There is a four verse section (Devarim 30:11-14)
of this week's Torah portion that opens, "For this
commandment that I command you this day, . . . is
not beyond you . . . is not far away from you .
. . is not in Heaven . . . is not beyond the sea
. . . Rather it is very close to you, in your mouth,
and in your heart, to do it." Some of the commentators
say that the "commandment" referred to in the verse
is Teshuva (= repentance - others say that it refers
to Torah; the Kli Yakar develops both possibilities),
and that this section is a natural continuation
of the previous paragraph that ended (30:10), "When
you return to Hashem your G-d with all of your heart
and soul." Those commentators are challenged to
read all the details of the whole section as referring
to repentance, figuring out the meaning of repentance
being not in heaven, beyond the sea, etc. The Kli
Yakar takes up the challenge. The following is paraphrased
from a small section of his commentary on the verse.
What does the Torah mean when it says that repentance
is "not in Heaven"?
The Kli Yakar explains:
The peninent is worried. Even though he mends his
ways, he is unsure of the status of his relationship
with G-d. Maybe, he says, even though I desire to
return to G-d, who says that He desires to return
to me? Sin has two ill effects. One, sin affects
the person, distancing him from G-dliness. But sin
also has an affect on the Divine Presence in the
world, causing it to leave the earth, rising up
to the Heavens. A man might work at moving in the
direction of the Divine, but will the Divine Presence
return to the person?
G-d responds to the penitent's worry and says, "You
need not rise up to the Heavens to do Teshuva. When
you repent and start to move in the direction of
G-dliness, I will descend from the Heavens towards
you."
[prepared
by Eliezer Kwass]
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