Parshas Vayeilech - The Significance of Hakhel

Speaker:
Ask author
Date:
August 17 2009
Downloads:
0
Views:
488
Comments:
0
 

The mitzvah of Hakhel is featured in this week's parshah. The basic fulfillment of Hakhel (literally, "Congregate") is for the King to publicly read the Torah from the beginning of Sefer Devarim through Shema Yisroel and to then continue on to other specific sections of Sefer Devarim, including the Berachos U'klallos (Blessings and Curses) and the Tochacha (Grand Adminishment) of Parshas Ki Savo. The reading is performed in the Beis Ha-Mikdash at the beginning of the second day of Sukkos immediately following the Shmitah year, and men, women and children must attend. (See Sefer Ha-Chinuch, mitzvah 612.)


Why does Hakhel appear in Parshas Vayeilech rather than in Parshas Behar (which deals with the laws of Shmitah) or Parshas Shoftim (which details the laws of the King)?


The answer is that Parshas Vayeilech was uttered by Moshe Rabbeinu on the last day of his life (31:2) and was his final testament and exhortation to B'nei Yisroel to observe the Torah. For B'nei Yisroel, it commenced the last occasion upon which they would hear the word of Hashem from Moshe, who conveyed Hashem's message directly and with complete clarity, due to Moshe's unique prophetic vision and contact with the Almighty. After Moshe's death, this direct prophetic connection would be forever gone. So, too, was this a time to cherish, as upon entry to Eretz Yisroel, the nation would begin to split up, with the wives and children of the tribes of Reuven, Gad and half of Menasheh to remain on the east side of the Yarden, followed later by each shevet (tribe) occupying its own, separate plots of land. Togetherness such as that at the time of Vayelech was not to be experienced again for quite some time.


This is where Hakhel fits in. Hakhel is the recreation and reenactment of Moshe's monologue to the entirety of the Jewish nation, all together, before entry to the Land. The King - who represents Moshe Rabbeinu (as Moshe had the status of Melech [King]) - reads to the masses from Mishneh Torah, which is Moshe's final address to the people. The text includes the most core exhortations of Moshe's original speech, and it is addressed to the entire nation, which again assembles together as one body on this rare occasion, just as it was gathered before Moshe's death. In Vayelech, Moshe's words were addressed to the people as they were about to conclude their spiritual rendezvous with the Shechinah in the Midbar (Desert), enter their lands, fend for their livelihoods (no more Mann [Manna]), and scatter to individual plots; the King, too, reads to the nation as it exits the Shemittah year, in which it had a spiritual existence, focusing on Hashem and His Torah rather than on farm work, and as it is about to split up, return to the fields and pursue agrarian life once more. Hakhel is thus a reenactment of the events featured and concluded in Parshas Vayelech, and it therefore appears in Vayelech rather than in Behar or Shoftim.


Hakhel is more than nostalgia; it is profound reality. Hakhel addresses the true, deep inner connection that every Jew has with Hashem and with the entire Jewish People.


May we soon again merit to enter the Mikdash and hear the Melech read from Mishneh Torah, standing as one nation under God, in affirmation of our eternal bond with Him and our Mesorah.

Halacha:
Machshava:
Elul 
Parsha:

    More from this:
    Comments
    0 comments
    Leave a Comment
    Title:
    Comment:
    Anonymous: 

    Learning on the Marcos and Adina Katz YUTorah site is sponsored today by Judy & Mark Frankel & family l'ilui nishmos מרדכי בן הרב משה יהודה ע"ה and משה יהודה ז"ל בן מאיר אליהו ויהודית