We know that Moshe Rabbeinu was pining to go into Eretz Yisrael, and davened very hard to Hashem to allow him to enter Eretz Yisrael.  Ultimately, the Rebono Shel Olam refused the request. However, in the pesukim when it describes this dialog, something very fascinating is found. We have a mesorah as to how to spell Hashem’s name and how to pronounce it, and sometimes the two are actually different.

Aleph-dalet-nun-yud Followed By Yud-kay-vav-kay

The beginning of the parsha starts off with Moshe says that I davened to Hashem to get permission to go into Eretz Yisrael. Moshe’s words were “Hashem Elokim”, Hashem my G-d, You have shown Your servant, Your greatness and now I’m asking You to please grant me my request.

The words “Hashem, Elokim”, are very fascinating because whereas they are pronounced “Hashem Elokim” because we have a mesorah that whenever we have Hashem’s name twice in a row, aleph-dalet-nun-yud, that one is pronounced Hashem, and then when a yud-kay-vav-kay comes afterwards, we don’t pronounce it as “Hashem, Hashem, ata hachilosa,” but rather we pronounce it as Hashem Elokim. That’s the way that we read it.  There are other times in the Torah where if it tries to say Hashem’s name twice it would right yud-kay-vav-kay, and then yud-kay-vav-kay. For example, in the yud-gimel middos where it says Hashem, Hashem Keil rachum v’chanun, there it’s pronounced aleph-dalet- nun-yud, aleph-dalet-nun-yud.  That’s how we pronounce it.  Ado and then noi, and then ado and then noi.  Keil rachum v’chanun.  But, in this case it’s pronounced ado and then noi and then elokim.

There’s a machlokes, seemingly, between the Ramban and Rashi as to how we interpret the sheimos of Hashem when they are not pronounced in the same way that they are written.  So, thus, in our pasuk, where the actual spelling in the pasuk is aleph-dalet-nun-yud and then followed by yud-kay-vav-kay, that’s the way it’s written.  However, the way it’s pronounced is aleph-dalet-nun- yud and then Elokim, so does that change the interpretation.

Rashi: Moshe’s Request For Rachmanus

Rashi brings down from a Sifri, or, according to the Ramban, he’s not quoting the Sifri properly, but Rashi says it’s rachum badin.  Hashem you are merciful in din. Rashi holds that for “Hashem, Elokim” you go according to the pronunciation.  Hashem is middas harachmim and then Elokim is middas hadin. Moshe was asking for rachmanus in the din against him.

Ramban: Moshe’s Request

Ramban is very critical of Rashi and he states that you have to look at how the words are spelled/written, and the first one is spelled aleph-dalet-nun-yud, which is middas harachamim, and the second one is spelled yud-kay-vav-kay which is also middas harachamim, and so you do not have a right to say that there is a din going on over here when it comes to the name of yud-kay-vav-kay.  Ramban then quotes Sifri and shows how it in fact supports him.

Ramban explains that aleph-dalet-nun-yud is middas hadin, and that Moshe was saying: Rebono Shel Olam, if I deserve to enter Eretz Yisrael based on din, then please give it to me, and the second word which is pronounced Elokim, but is written yud-kay-vav-kay, that is rachamim. Ramban is insistent that even though we pronounce it as din, nonetheless, the way that it is written, is the primary explanation- mercy. “If I don’t deserve it b’din, then please let me enter b’rachamim.”

Ben Yehoyada: All One Hashem

What is very fascinating between all this is that we know that we try to mention middas din in the din and middas harachamim at night in the berachos before kriyas Shema, and the Ben Yehoyada explains that one should not think that Hashem is not present in the darkness.  “L’hagid babokeir chasdecha, v’emunascha baleilos”.  We have to have emunah in the nighttime that the Rebono Shel Olam, even though things look like they’re din, they’re really coming from rachamim.  And, this is one of the biggest soddos of Sheim Hashem and understanding how Hashem runs the world that there are many things that appear to be middas hadin, but, in truth, they’re really rachamim.

Depth of the Machlokes

That could be some of the depth of what is being disputed here. We know that even the din that Hashem fulfills is really rachamim because it’s the greatest mercy if someone needs a surgery for the doctor to cut him open and perform that to save his life, and when we have that perspective about the things that have happened to us.   Rebono Shel Olam, I know that everything is for the best, and everything that you decide is ultimately for my best that changes everything.  And, this is one of the reasons that mekubalim say that in the morning we wash negel vaaser, we’re actually supposed to fill up the cup in the right hand and hold it there, and then our left hand takes it from there.  Because what that’s saying is that even when left, which is din, happens to us, even when challenges and trials and tribulations and difficulties occur to us, we know that it is all coming from rachamim.  It’s coming from a love of the Rebono Shel Olam.

Feelings and Knowledge of Hashem

Now, this doesn’t contradict our emotions and our feelings and our dealings with challenges when we have tests from Hashem we could be in pain.  And, that’s okay.  That’s not the issue.  There are berachos, “Baruch Dayan HaEmes”, for a reason.  We understand that there are such things in our eyes that are bad and painful, and, of course, the human being must acknowledge those.  “Vayavo Avraham l’spod Sarah v’livkosa”.  Avraham had feelings.  He didn’t just say: Everything’s for the best, therefore I don’t care.  He had feelings, but that knowledge that even when things look like they’re din, they’re really rachamim, that’s really important, and that could be one of the things that’s being hinted to in the transformation of the name yud-kay-vav-kay specifically into middas din that even the din is really, ultimately coming from a place of love, and we should be zocheh that in our life Hashem should a life of menuchas hanefesh and when we have challenges and tribulations in our life we should be able to see Hashem’s guiding hand, and know with emunah sheimah that it’s coming from Hashem’s chesed.  That’s what’s going on.

2) Eretz Yisrael Gives Opportunity

Moshe says to the Jewish people (4:5): I taught you guys chukkim, umishpatim; I taught you the Torah, and he mentions that this is in Eretz Yisrael that you’re going to do it b’kerev ha’aretz, that you’re going to fulfill the mitzvos in Eretz Yisrael. Ramban has a shittah which has been misquoted, but let’s quote the correct understanding of what he’s saying that the ikur kiyum hamitzvos is in eretz Yisrael, and the Ramban has talked about this many time.  This doesn’t mean the mitzvos don’t apply in Chutz La’aretz, but the ikur kiyum HaTorah and kiyum hamitzvos is in Eretz Yisrael which there are the most opportunities for mitzvos hateluyos ba’aretz and that is the land of the Jewish people where we fulfill Hashem’s ratzon and there is certainly a lot to talk about and we’ve mentioned this briefly in the past, but he mentions that comment as well, based on the pasuk.

3) Pass it On

Ramban (4:9) is talking about the idea that we should watch the mesorah very well.  “Pen tishkach es devarim” we should never forget that which we saw on Har Sinai because, and here the Ramban says his famous line, which is “ki lo naim sheker l’baneinu” because a man does not pass testimony over to his sons that is false.  “Lo nanchil lahem davar hevel v’ein moil,” we don’t give worthless things to our children.  We think about it, the depth of love that parents have for their children is that we always want to teach our children the most accurate thing.  And, the Jewish people believe passionately in Torah and mitzvos and in the Rebono Shel Olam, and that is the mesorah that we pass on from generation to generation.  It’s the most accurate and most important thing that we could pass on to them to teach them to be true ovdei Hashem.  And, the Kuzari develops this as well, but this is one of the biggest proofs for the Torah and our mesorah that if we think about it that there’s no normal, healthy parent that would ever teach anything false that were not accurate to their children, and the point is that this is what we pass on to our children.  The Emes of Torah

4) Arei Miklat

Regarding the arei miklat it says (4:41), “az yavdil Moshe shalosh arim”.  Moshe, it is a little bit of an animally how do we translate it.  It sounds like, “Then Moshe set aside three arim for the ir miklat”, so the Ibn Ezra says here, quoted by the Ramban, that on the day that Moshe set aside these three arim, these three cities, these three ir miklat, then he told over this divrei habris to the Jewish people.

Ramban: Differing Understanding

Ramban says that this is totally wrong and not p’shat.  This is not the simple understanding of what’s going on over here.  Rather, Moshe gathered all the Jewish people to explain the Torah and he started to give them mussar, and when he told them his mussar not to serve avodah zarah, and not to deny the unity of Hashem, so he told them that they should follow the chukim and mishpatim, so that Hashem will give them a good life, and then he told them in front of them that you should do the mitzvos that Hashem commands us and I want to make sure that Betzar in the city of Bamidbar and Ramlos which is in the city of Gilad, and Golan and Bashan, they should be arei miklat, and even though they don’t protect right now, until the ones in Eretz Canaan are going to be appointed by Yehoshua who takes over for me.  However, this is a mitzvah that came into my hand, and, therefore, I’m going to do it, and Moshe fulfilled this directive of Hashem in front of the Jewish people.  So, unlike, Ibn Ezra who reads it as “Az yavdil Moshe” for the past Moshe had set it up and then he spoke to them later, the Ramban is reading it that no, Moshe spoke to them, and, as part of his speech to them, he showed them that now I am designating these three places to be arei miklat even though they are not going tp protect until Yehoshua establishes him, but I want you guys to see that when we have an opportunity for a mitzvah, we do it right away.

5) Shabbos Chiddish HaOlam

We have a discussion about Shabbos again (5:15), and we’ve spoken about this many times.  There’s a machlokes Rambam and Ramban about what the purpose of Shabbos is so to speak.  It’s a little bit nuanced, and so it’s probably not so famous, but the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim writes that Shabbos teaches us two things: to believe in the chiddush ha’olam, that Hashem created the world, and also to remember the great chesed that Hashem did that we are His servants and He establishes us as his servants.

Ramban: Shabbos Teaches Yitziyas Mitzrayim As Well

However, the Ramban just fixes the nuance here that he says: Wait a minute, the p’shat here is that just because we’re his servants, what does that testify for?  But, he says that what that testifies for is that Shabbos is zeicher l’yitziyas Mitzrayim and yitiyas Mitzrayim is zeicher l’Shabbos.  What does that mean?  That when it comes to yetziyas Mitzrayim, that proved that Hashem was still watching over the world, just as when he had originally created it, and when Hashem revealed himself, like the Ramban explained in Parshas Bo, his famous shtikel there, and throughout, really, much of Shemos and all of Chumash, that when Hashem revealed himself in Mitzrayim, what He was showing was that I’m still the G-d who created the world; I’m still the G-d who runs it and is in full control of it, and that is the ultimate hoda’ah that we are trying to give to the Rebono Shel Olam that He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.  And, so Shabbos is really just zeicher to ma’aseh Bereishis, but Mitzrayim is that exact same lesson, and it’s a more practical lesson because the Jewish people went through it themselves.  They weren’t around when Hashem created the world; only Adam was to a certain degree when he was created.  But, the Jewish people saw with their own eyes the yitzyas Mitzrayim and that had a profound impact on them.

6) Yiras and Ahavas Hashem

“Es Hashem Elokecha tira” (6:13). Ramban says that this is a mitzvah to fear Hashem, and that it is true that it is a mitzvah to love Hashem, ahavas Hashem, but there’s also a mitzvah to fear Hashem because when you fear someone, you’re not going to sin, and you’re afraid of being punished, so there’s an element of how we deal with Hashem which is an element of ahava, of very high level, and there is an element of yira where we have fear of Hashem.

Yiras Haonesh vs. Yiras Haromemus

The Nefesh HaChaim explains, and many people explain that there are different levels of ahava.  There’s different levels of yira.  But, very briefly, there’s yiras haonesh which is I’m afraid You’re going to punish me, and then there’s yiras haromimus which is: I’m in awe of this great person, and, again, some people might not like this parable, but when you live in a country where a king has unlimited power to kill you, and you stand in front of him, you’re going to have yiras haonesh because you’re literally afraid that You could do something stupid and get killed, but if you meet the queen or the president of the United States, if you have any interest in that, he doesn’t have any or she doesn’t have any judicial power, really to kill you, it’s more of just a figure head.  They can’t actually execute someone without cause.  They can’t just say: Off with his head because they didn’t like the way that you talked or walked, and so, if you have fear of them, it’ll be yiras haromimus, which is just a respectful awe.

Yiras Haromimus and Ahavas Hashem

And, so when it comes to the Rebono Shel Olam, yiras haromimus ties in very much to ahavas Hashem, and the Ben Yehoyada explains that if you take the word ahava, aleph-hay-bei-hay, and you put underneath it the word yirah, yud-reish-aleph-hay, the way that it manifests itself, you have a very interesting dicotamy because aleph-hay-beis-hay on top of the letters yud-reish-aleph-hay, you could write it out, and you’ll see it yourself, if you take the first four letters in that block, it’s aleph-hay-yud-reish, which is yirah.  Spells yirah, and then you’re left with aleph-hay-beis-hay, ahavah in the end.  So, the two words kind of combine because really, the truth is you need to have both.  You need to have ahavas Hashem, the love of Hashem because that love compels us to do great things.  You need to have yiras Hashem which is fear of Hashem because that keeps us in check to act appropriately as well and to know that there’s a din and a dayan, and we’re accountable for our actions.

7) Hashem Chose Us With Love

It says (7:7) that Hashem loved the Jewish people.  “Chashak”, he desired us.  And, the Ramban explains a beautiful idea that Hashem loved us, and, therefore, He chose us, and He saw that we deserved to be loved in front of Him.  And, we were chosen for His love more than all the other nations, and there’s no reason except just that Hashem chose us because we know that when it comes to love, love allows us to love someone unconditionally and unlimitedly even if we don’t have justification.  We don’t have to explain why we love our children or why we love our spouse or why we love our loved ones, friends and family members.  Love, “sh’ha’ahava mikalkeles es hashura”.  Sometimes it is not really explicable, and that chashak, that Hashem desires us is a tremendous reassurance and a tremendous inspiration for the Jewish people to know that Hashem loves us.

Rabbeinu Tam: How You Know Hashem Loves You

Rabbeinu Tam writes in Sefer HaYashar: If you want to know that Hashem loves you, one of the ways you could see Hashem’s loving hand is when you get punishments because you see that Hashem is still patching you for doing something wrong.  If Hashem gave up on you, He didn’t care about you, He didn’t love you, He wouldn’t be holding you accountable anymore, you would just lose your Olam Habah or whatever.  The point is that you see that Hashem is still caring for you.  And, it’s so important in life to see Hashem’s love in everything that happens to us, everything that we go through we’re always looking to see how much Hashem loves us and cares for us, and this is really a truly inspiring idea to see Hashem’s love, and it’s unexplainable.  It’s a cheishek.  It’s a desire that doesn’t have to be explained.  But, that reassurance that we have, knowing that we are loved, is something that can carry us very far.

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Rabbi Yosef Tropper is a rav and psychotherapist. Learn more and subscribe at ParshaThemes.com