Devarim

5781 Luchos Shniyos This week we read the Shirah of Haazinu. Rashi along with others learn that the obligation in the Pasuk ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת is referring to Shiras Haazinu. But the Gemara in Sanhedrin 21b learns from that Pasuk the obligation of כתיבה ספר תורה which would seem to mean that השירה הזאת in the Pasuk is referring to כל התורה כולה. The Rambam manages to explain both that really the Shirah in the Pasuk refers to Haazinu, it’s just that one can’t write פרשיות פרשיות and therefore one is required to write the whole Torah so ממילא we see that there is a Mitzvah to write the whole Torah....

5780 Lack of Shabbos Mevorchim for Rosh Chodesh Tishrei The Shabbos before Rosh Hashana is technically Shabbos Mevorchim however for Rosh Chodesh Tishrei, we are not mevarech the Chodesh. The Magen Avrohom says because it says בכסה ליום חגינו and therefore it is to be hidden. The Levush writes the reason is כדי לערבב את השטן. Perhaps another reason is as follows. The Gemara in Megilah 31b explains reason we have the Klalos of Devarim before Rosh Hashanah is כדי שתכלה שנה וקללותיה and the same is with Brachos as the Gemara says תחל שנה וברכותיה....

5780 Bikurim and Remembering Amalek The Parshah begins with the Mitzvah of Bikurim. Last week’s Parshah concludes with remembering Amalek. There is a Machlokes in Yevamos 4a as to whether or not we are דורש סמוכין. But even according to the one who holds we don’t דרשין סמוכין, he agrees that in Mishneh Torah, we are דורש סמוכין. This being the case, what is the connection between the Mitzvah of Bikurim and the Mitzvah of remembering of Amalek?...

5779 Right Mindset The Rebbe Reb Bunim M’Pshichsa would learn Sefer Devarim every day of the year as a mussar sefer because what better mussar sefer could there be than to learn from the mussar of Moshe Rabbeinu. In the beginning of the Parshah, we find two references to יציאת מצרים. They are both two ways of living life and it’s the constant balance that must be kept throughout a person’s life....

5780 Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Elul This week is Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Elul. One would think that when comparing the two, Shabbos is greater than Rosh Chodesh. However, from the Gemara in זבחים דף צא ע"א it appears that Rosh Chodesh is greater and more holy because the Gemara wants to prove that תדיר precedes מקודש because the musafei Shabbos come before the musafei Rosh Chodesh which is תדיר even though Rosh Chodesh is more מקודש....