Lead Tidbit

What It All Boils Down To

Double sedras. No, that’s not what it all boils down to. This is introductory; the main part of the Lead Tidbit follows. Double sedras - We can’t do without them… if we are to neatly complete the reading of the whole Torah each year. There are seven pairs of sedras that double up on occasion. Some of the pairs combine in regular 12-month years and split to provide the readings for the extra Shabbatot in a Shana M’uberet (13-month, 2-Adar years). Specifically, this is the job of Vayak-heil/P’kudei (VP), Tazri’a/M’tzora (TM), Acharei/K’doshim (AK), and B’har/B’chukotai (BB). Chukat-Balak (CB) only combine in Chutz LaAretz, when their second day of Shavuot is a “regular” Parshat HaShavua Shabbat for us. They never combine in Israel. Matot-Mas’ei (MM) are usually combined, except when their split is needed to adjust for D’varim before Tish’a b’Av and Va’etchanan after Tish’a b’Av. Nitzavim/ Vayeilech (NV) accommodate a Shabbat between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, when there is one. Additionally, BB and MM are split in Israel when the 8th day of Pesach is Shabbat - in Israel, there is no 8th day of Pesach and we temporarily go a sedra ahead of the rest of the world in Parshat HaShavua. Aside from a minor detail or so, that’s the double sedra story.
Until the eighth pair of combined sedras. This pair has nothing to do with the yearly Torah reading cycle - they are always read on separate Shabbatot. But R’ei and Sho-f’tim are combined in a single issue of Torah Tidbits - this one, 872, to be specific, to allow the Torah Tidbits staff a few days of vacation. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause. This issue has the full Sedra Summaries for R’ei and Sho-f’tim. Torah Tidbits will not appear for Shabbat Parshat Sho-f’tim; TT 873 for Ki Teitzei will IYH “hit the stands” (and first folding will take place) as usual on Wednesday, August 26th.
So, what does IT all boil down to? MITZVOT! With 55 mitzvot in R’ei (third highest mitzva-count for a sedra) and 41 in Sho-f’tim (sixth on the list), this issue covers a record-breaking 96 mitzvot (comfortably surpassing AK’s 79). Consequently, we cannot consider not using MITZVOT as the topic for this Lead Tidbit.
Judaism means MITZVOT. If we’re looking for the foundation, what about “belief in G-d”? Yes, Judaism is about belief in G-d. And in His absolute Unity. And in “not having any other gods before Him”. Each of which is a MITZVA. What about being good people and being good to each other? MITZVOT. Many, many of the Torah’s MITZVOT command us and guide us to being kind and good people. To caring and doing for each other. MITZVOT. What about Eretz Yisrael? Torah Tidbits is repeatedly shouting about living in Israel being the reason and purpose that G-d took us out of Egypt, made us into a nation, gave us the Torah. MITZVOT. The MITZVA to live in Eretz Yisrael and the host of MITZVOT that are linked to the Land and can only be observed here.
Although commentaries divide the Book of D’varim into three sections - the first being Moshe’s account of the history of the first 40 years of nationhood and the fundamentals of Torah (Aseret HaDibrot, Sh’ma, and more); the second part being MITZVOT in R’ei, Sho-f’tim, and Ki Teitzei (170 of the 613); and the third being the whys and wherefors (Reward and Punishment, T’shuva, Free Will…) - it’s still all about MITZVOT. History is more than stories - it is a MITZVA to remember and never forget what happened in and out of Egypt, to remember Amalek, to remember what happened at Sinai, to remember what happened to Miriam in the Wilderness, to remember all the times we angered G-d, to remember the many kindnesses He performed for us. MITZVOT. Belief in Reward and Punishment and in Free Will is part of the MITZVOT of belief in G-d. T’shuva is a MITZVA. It’s all about MITZVOT.
And when our Sages have “fleshed out” our way of life with a multitude of Rabbinic commands, rules and regulations - that’s about MITZVOT too. In Sho-f’tim we find the pair of MITZVOT - one positive (ASEI) and on prohibition (LAV) - requiring us to listen to the dictates of the Sages and not to veer from them, neither to the right nor to the left. Authority of the king and of the prophet? MITZVOT.
In the Sedra Summaries within these pages, we will focus on some of the MITZVOT in these two sedras. But it is also important to take a step back from the “trees” and admire the “forrest”. And to commit to the “forrest” by accepting upon oneself the “yoke of mitzvot”. That is the essence of the second passage of the Sh’ma - which comes from last week’s sedra of Eikev. We should not just recite the Sh’ma, but have KAVANA to accept the Yoke of Heaven (first part of Sh’ma) and recommit to observe all of His mitzvot (second part) to the best of our ability and with the best of attitudes, that of love of HaShem, with a healthy dose of Yir’at HaShem mixed in. This is not an easy task, but a well-worth one. And we ask HaShem for His help in the bracha right before Sh’ma in Shacharit, we ask Him to V’DABEIK LIBEINU B’MIZVOTECHA, that our hearts should cling to MITZVOT… with love, B’AHAVA

• Other Lead Tidbit
• The Middle Matza
• When will we learn?!?
• A Brief Look Back at Chanuka