Parsha with Rabbi David Bibi – Détails, épisodes et analyse

 חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־עָבַ֙דְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּשִׂמְחָ֖ה וּבְט֣וּב לֵבָ֑ב מֵרֹ֖ב כֹּֽל׃ 

Because you would not serve your God יהוה in joy and gladness over the abundance of everything, https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.28.47 

עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃ 

worship
the LORD in gladness;come into His presence with shouts of joy. 

https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.100.2 

Rabbeynu
Bachya: The Torah accuses people who do serve G’d not to have done so joyfully.
A person is obligated not merely to carry out G’d’s instructions but to do so
gladly, in a happy frame of mind. Joy when performing any of G’d’s commandments
is considered as fulfillment of a commandment by itself, meriting additional
reward.  

This
is why one may be punished for failing to perform the commandments with a
joyful heart. This is why the Torah requires that its commandments be performed
with full intent and joyfully.  

Our
sages in Midrash Ruth Rabbah 5,6 comment concerning this that if Reuven had
been aware that G’d would write in the Torah concerning his attempts to save
Joseph’s life from the hands of his other brothers (Genesis 37,21) that he
would receive a reward not only for his deed but for the good intentions
accompanying same, he would have carried Joseph on his shoulders and brought
him back to his (their) father.  

The
Torah also makes a point of underlining the joy in Aaron’s heart when he saw
his brother Moses again after so many years. Had he known that his feelings
would be commented upon favorably (Exodus 4,14), he would have gone out to meet
his brother accompanied by an orchestra of many different musical
instruments.  

Had
Boaz known that his offering Ruth food and drink in abundance would be recorded
for eternity as a good deed of his, he would have fed her the choicest parts of
a fatted calf, instead of merely bread and vinegar (Ruth 2,14). 

https://www.sefaria.org/Rabbeinu_Bahya,_Devarim_28.47.1 

….writes
further  

Naturally,
the joy which accompanies the performance of a commandment by an individual Jew
is in a class by itself. Seeing that performance of the commandments is
called עבודת ה',
“serving the Lord,” we can understand what is written in Deut. 28,16 תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלוקיך בשמחה,
“on account of the fact that you did not perform the commandments of the Lord
your G’d with joy, etc.”  

When
David writes in Psalms 100,2 עבדו את ה' בשמחה,
“serve the Lord with joy,” he does not refer to the offering of sacrificial
animals but to the performance of each and every commandment which it is our
duty to perform.  

Joy
is the ingredient which makes service of the Lord something perfect. This
concept helps us understand the unusual phrase in Numbers 4,46 לעבוד עבודת עבודה.
Concerning this expression our sages in Erchin 11 ask what kind of service this
is that the Torah speaks of there. The answer given in the Talmud is that the
Torah speaks of offering songs and hymns.  

The
Levites are commanded to offer songs and encourage expressions of joy to
accompany the sacrificial offerings. All of this was to ensure that joy is the
prevailing sentiment accompanying service of the Lord.  

Arizal: joy
increases one’s desire and love of adhering to HaShem-יהו״ה,
blessed is He, ….. For, a person who serves HaShem-יהו״ה,
blessed is He, with melancholy, is likened to a servant who serves his master
with a sullen and annoyed face. 

https://www.sefaria.org/Sha'arei_Kedusha,_Part_2_4.30 

1. Mesillas
   Yesharim -….And our sages said: 'the
   Divine presence rests on a person only through his rejoicing in a
   mitzva' (Shabbat
   30b). 

Rabbi
Samson Raphael Hirsch points out that the
Hebrew word same'ach (=
happy), is closely related to the word tzome'ach (=
growing). This is because human happiness is contingent on spiritual growth. If
we fail to feel the joy of mitzvos, it is because we are unaware that mitzvos
make us grow. 

Rabbi
Manis Friedman (chassidish answer) is that the charge 'serve Hashem
b'simcha' is not a charge to be happy when serving Hashem. It's a result.
If you truly serve Hashem, meaning you are serving Him, you finally get to
escape yourself for a while!  

Serving
ourselves, making our lives about us (even if it means 'my spiritual
growth'!) is what makes us depressed. If we realise that we are fulfilling
Hashem's essential Ratzon, it's about Him not us, and at the same time doing
the vitally important work of bringing His plan to completion, fulfilling your
very purpose, then automatically you will be b'simcha. 

So
read it 'if you serve Hashem, you'll be b'simcha' 

The
Torah is not telling us that we didn’t serve Hashem. It is telling us that we
didn’t serve Him with joy. Is this by itself such a severe transgression that
is should bring about all those terrible punishments described in the Torah? 

The
Rebbe Reb Bunim of Parshischa explained this with a famous parable: A teacher
taught the Alef-Bais to his little student, and pointed to each letter: “What
is this?” “An Alef,” said the boy. “What’s under the Alef?” asked the teacher.
“A kometz,” said the boy. The teacher continued with the other letters, until
he reached the Hey. 

“What’s
this?” he asked. “A Hey,” said the boy. “What’s underneath the Hey?” 

To
the teacher’s surprise, the boy refused to answer. “I won’t say!” he declared,
looking a little scared. After the teacher threatened to punish him, the boy
finally stammered, “Underneath the ‘hay’ is the stolen goat…” The teacher
finally understood why the boy didn’t want to answer. His father had warned him
not to tell anyone what he hid underneath the bale of hay in their barn! 

“The
same could be said about us,” Reb Bunim would conclude. “Tachas - what lies
underneath our apathetic service of Hashem? Why are we not serving Hashem with
joy? The answer to this question explains why the Jewish people deserved the
terrible tochacha.” When a person performs the mitzvos properly and values the
Torah, he serves Hashem with true inner joy. His life has a totally different
meaning, and he is deserving of the Torah’s blessings. 

It
was chol hamoed Sukkos, when writing is prohibited except under pressing
circumstances. Despite his busy schedule, the Chofetz Chaim penned a careful
letter to the rosh yeshiva of Lomza, Rav Eliezer Shulevits, and sent it to
Lomza posthaste. 

The
contents of the letter were surprising. In the missive was contained only a few
terse lines: Regarding the individual you consulted me about, whether he should
be offered the position of mashgiach in your yeshiva, I had originally told you
that he was a suitable candidate. However, I am withdrawing my advice and ask
that you don’t offer him the position. 

(Rav)
Yisroel Meir Hakohein Kagan 

The
rosh yeshiva of Lomza was very surprised. He had gone to consult with the
Chofetz Chaim before the Yomim Noraim and asked his opinion about the very same
candidate. On that occasion, the Chofetz Chaim had waxed enthusiastic about the
young scholar, praising him as a lamdan, a yorei shomayim, and a ba’al middos.
What had changed in the interim? And why was this such an important message
that it had to be delivered on chol hamoed? 

Fortunately,
the candidate had not yet been hired, and Rav Leizer did not have to deal with
retracting his offer. Still, at the first opportunity, he traveled to Radin to
ask the Chofetz Chaim about the letter. 

The
Chofetz Chaim, who guarded every word that emerged from his lips, explained: 

“When
you had asked me if the candidate was an appropriate choice, I had a high
opinion of him and felt he would be a role model for the bochurim. However, in
the interim he came to see me, and began to krechtz about his life, his
difficult financial challenges, etc. When I saw how full of bitterness and
negativity he was, I quickly wrote a letter retracting my position. After all,
a person who only sees the darkness and constantly focuses on the challenges in
his life, to the exclusion of the many blessings, such a person cannot be in a
position of leadership, especially for young, impressionable bochurim.” 

הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (ונשוב) [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃

Take us back, O LORD, to Yourself,And let us come back;Renew our days as of old!

https://www.sefaria.org/Lamentations.5.21

לְמִימֵ֨י אֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֜ם סַרְתֶּ֤ם מֵֽחֻקַּי֙ וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַרְתֶּ֔ם שׁ֤וּבוּ אֵלַי֙ וְאָשׁ֣וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֥ה נָשֽׁוּב׃

From the very days of your ancestors you have turned away from My laws and have not observed them. Turn back to Me, and I will turn back to you—said GOD of Hosts. But you ask, “How shall we turn back?”

https://www.sefaria.org/Malachi.3.7

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֗ם כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת שׁ֣וּבוּ אֵלַ֔י נְאֻ֖ם יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וְאָשׁ֣וּב אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃

Say to them further:Thus said GOD of Hosts: Turn back to me—says GOD of Hosts—and I will turn back to you—said GOD of Hosts.

https://www.sefaria.org/Zechariah.1.3

Midrash Eicha Raba 

“Return us to You, Lord, and we will return; renew our days as of old” (Lamentations 5:21).“Return us to You, Lord, and we will return.” The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, it is incumbent upon You to return us.’ He said to them: ‘It is incumbent upon you, as it is stated: “Return to Me and I will return to you, said the Lord” (Malachi 3:7).’ Eikhah_Rabbah.5.21

. וְכַאֲשֶׁר יָשׁוּב הַמְקַצֵּר בָּהֶם בְּלִבּוֹ וּבִלְשׁוֹנוֹ וְיִשְׁתַּדֵּל לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתָם וְלֹא יִשְׁנֶה קִצּוּרוֹ בָּהֶם יִמְחֹל לוֹ הַבּוֹרֵא וְיִשְׁתַּוֶּה עִם הַצַּדִּיק אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִצֵּר בָּהֶם, וּבִכְמוֹ זֶה נֶאֱמַר הַשָּׁב מִן הַחֵטְא כְּמִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא וְאָמְרוּ רז״ל עָבַר עַל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּרֵת וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה אֵינוֹ זָז מִמְּקוֹמוֹ עַד שֶׁמּוֹחֲלִין לוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג) שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם.

The explanation of the first case: That the lacking was in a positive commandment which does not carry the punishment of Karet (spiritual excision), such as tzitzit, lulav, sukka, or the like. 

When the person repents on them in his heart and in speech, and exerts himself to fulfill them, and does not repeat his neglect to do them, the Creator will forgive him, and he will be equal to the tzadik who never sinned in them. On such a penitent, it is said: 'one who repents from a sin is as if he never sinned', and our sages said of them: (Yoma 86a) 'one who transgressed a positive commandment which does not incur Karet (spiritual excision) and repented - he is forgiven right away, as written: 'return to Me and I will return to you' (Malachi 3:7)'.

https://www.sefaria.org/Duties_of_the_Heart,_Seventh_Treatise_on_Repentance_8.2

Four motives in matter of repentance 

הָרִאשׁוֹן – הַשָּׁב מֵחֹזֶק הַכָּרָתוֹ אֶת אֱלֹהָיו. וְהוּא כְּמוֹ עֶבֶד הַבּוֹרֵחַ מֵאֲדֹנָיו, וּכְשֶׁחוֹשֵׁב בַּטּוֹב אֲשֶׁר גְּמָלוֹ, שֶׁמֵּרְצוֹנוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ מְחִילָה מִמֶּנּוּ. וּבְכָמוֹהוּ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ירמיהו ד א): ״אִם תָּשׁוּב יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם יְיָ אֵלַי תָּשׁוּב״ – קֹדֶם בּוֹא הָעֹנֶשׁ. וְאוֹמֵר (מלאכי ג ז): ״שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם״.

The first is when a man repents because he has come to recognize his God. And he is like a servant who flees from his master, but when he thinks of the good which his master has done to him, he returns to him of his own free will to seek forgiveness from him, and of such as him the Scripture says, 'If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, yea return unto Me' (Jer. 4:1). And further, 'Return unto Me, and I will return unto you' (Malachi 3:7).

https://www.sefaria.org/Orchot_Tzadikim.26.62

Natan Nachman 

Moshe Katz 

הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (ונשוב) [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃

Take us back, O LORD, to Yourself,And let us come back;Renew our days as of old!

https://www.sefaria.org/Lamentations.5.21

Tisha B'Av at night: The scroll of Lamentations. It is the emotions of the prophet Jeremiah's soul and his dirge that he took up about the destruction of the holy city of Jerusalem and the Temple. And it is especially about the sin that Jerusalem and his people sinned, which is what caused that awful destruction to happen. And while glancing with eyes full of tears, he instructs and shows the path that leads to repentance and towards the revival of Israel, to renew our days as of old (alluding to Lamentations 5:21).

https://www.sefaria.org/Horeb.666.33

Kedushat Levi 

“Take us back, Lord, to You, and let us return, renew our days of old” (Eicha 5:21). To be specific, what does “[days] of old” mean? And one could explain this by way of the midrash: “And now, O Israel, what does the ETERNAL your God demand of you? (Deut 10:12) and it says in the Midrash: “Now is nothing other than Teshuvah” (Bereshit Rabbah 21:6) and it is explained thus, because each person from Israel is obligated to believe with full faith that at every moment we receive life from the Creator, Blessed Be, as it is explained, “Every [thing that] breathes praises — every single breath phrases Yah, ” (Bereshit Rabbah 11, Psalms 150:6) — that in every moment, the living wants to leave a person, the Holy One Blessed Be, sends to [that person] in ever moment, new life. Because of this, for Teshuvah to be effective for each person, for at the moment that [person] does Teshuvah, that person believes that they are created with life anew and with this God, may God be Blessed, with God’s enormous mercy, does not remind them of their earlier sins. But, if, God forbid, they do not believe this, God forbid, the Teshvuah is not effective. This is the explanation of the Midrash, “Now is nothing other than Teshuvah,” since that [person] believes that they are made with life anew, the Teshuvah is effective for them. This is the interpretation of the verse, “Take us back, Lord, to You, and let us return,” and how is “renew our days of old?” this is what it says in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98) [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi encountered the Messiah and said] “When will the Master [Messiah] come?”...“Today, if you will listen to his voice” (Psalms 95:7). When you [act] according to this quality, each day [a person] will be made with life anew.

https://www.sefaria.org/Kedushat_Levi,_Deuteronomy,_Megillat_Eicha.16

Avudraham 

And bring us back in complete repentance before You: is based on the verse, 'Bring us back, Adonai, to You, and let us come back; renew our days as of old.' (Lam. 5:21) In other words, if we begin to repent, You will help us to perform complete repentance before You. This is similar to the approach of the sages: 'If one comes to purity, they assist him.'

לשונו. והיינו, כי ישראל שואלים שיפתח להם הקדוש ברוך הוא הרהורי תשובה, כענין הכרוז שמכריז שהם הרהורי תשובה הבאים, והקדוש ברוך הוא משיב כי צריך התשובה במעשה שיתחילו בה.

https://www.sefaria.org/Reshit_Chokhmah,_Gate_of_Repentance_1.22

 Jacob then made a vow, saying, “If God remains with me, protecting me on this journey that I am making, and giving me bread to eat and clothing to wear, Genesis.28.20  

 Ohr HaChaim The proper explanation of what Jacob said is that he was prepared to conduct himself in such a way that G'd would consent to associate His name with him even during his lifetime.   

R' Bachya Yaakov wanted to teach his future offspring that the time to make vows is when one finds oneself in difficulties one does not know how to extricate himself from. Although, as a general rule, the Torah frowns on the making of vows, when a person vows due to finding himself in distress this is perfectly permissible. 

 וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יָלְדָ֥ה רָחֵ֖ל אֶת־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙
אֶל־לָבָ֔ן שַׁלְּחֵ֙נִי֙ וְאֵ֣לְכָ֔ה אֶל־מְקוֹמִ֖י וּלְאַרְצִֽי׃ 

After Rachel had
borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Give me leave to go back to my own
homeland.  

כאשר ילדה רחל את
יוסף WHEN RACHEL HAD BORN JOSEPH — after the birth of him who was to become
Esau’s adversary (Genesis Rabbah 73:7) — as it is said (Obadiah 1:18) “And the
house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame and the house
of Esau for stubble“. Fire (Jacob) that has no flame (Joseph) has no effect at
a distance. Therefore, when Joseph was born Jacob put his trust in the Holy
One, blessed be He, and wished to return home (Obadiah 1:18).  

Rashi explains
that Rikvah had sent Devorah to get Ya’akov to tell him it was safe to come
back as she had promised. And Yishak sent two servants  

Rashi explains that she was there
because Rebecca was fulfilling a promise she made to Jacob 36 years earlier. As
her son was departing to Charan,
she told him, “I will send for you and bring you from there [and bring you
home].”5 Sending Deborah to her son was her way of keeping
her promise to send for him and bring him home.  

The Medrash (Esther Rabba 7:9) tells us that it is a
reference to a conversation that occurred between Mordechai and the servants of
the King. The King’s servants asked Mordechai, why do you refuse to bow down to
Haman especially in light of the fact that your ancestors bowed down before the
ancestors of Haman? Mordechai asked, 'Which of my ancestors bowed down
before the ancestors of Haman?' The King's servants replied, 'Did not
your ancestor Yaakov bow down before Eisav his brother, who was Haman’s ancestor?'Mordechai
answered, 'I am descended from Binaymin and when Yaakov bowed down before
Eisav, Binyamin was not yet born and he did not bow down before any human all
his days... Just as my forefather did not bow to Eisav, I who hail from the
tribe Binyamin ('ish yemini') will not bow to his descendant
either.'  

 The
Gemara in Megilla (17a) teaches that Yosef disappeared from his father for
twenty-two years 'mida k'neged mida,' corresponding to the twenty-two
years that Yaakov did not honor his parents while he was in Lavan's house. (The Gemara in Megillah 16b teaches that
Yaakov was not punished for the fourteen years he spent learning in Yeshivas
Shem V'Ever as Rabba said in the name of Rav Shmuel Bar Marta 'The study
of Torah is greater than honoring parents' - see also Shulchan Aruch Yoreh
Deah 240:13)