HA'AZINU

In the sefer Divrai Shaul it is asked, "What hand is it, and whose, which is stretched over the Temple?"

He answers that it is apparently the same hand which grasps the throne of G-d trying to pull it down, as it is written, "Because he has a hand on the throne of G-d, He has said that the war for G-d with Amalek will be from generation to generation" (Exodus 18:16). The Name of G-d and the throne of G-d are incomplete until this disorder in the universe is set right. Because of it, for the reason of our many sins, the Temple is still destroyed.

"...Reveal the glory of your kingdom upon us."

The well-known sentence (e.g., recited after the shema), "Blessed is the name of your glorious kingdom forever and ever" consists of six words in the Hebrew original. According to the Vilna Gaon these six words correspond to the six wings of the angels described in the Book of Yechezkiel. Two of these wings, corresponding to the words "glorious kingdom," make music in praise of G-d. Chazal (Chagiga 13b) said about them that it is written, "...And with two (wings) they fly." Now, these two are missing. Therefore, in another description, only four wings are ascribed to the angels.

For the return of these two missing wings, corresponding to the words "glorious kingdom," we pray, "Reveal the glory of your kingdom upon us."

For Sukkot...

In mussaf we pray, "As it is written in Your Torah: Three times during the year the face of G-d shall appear to all your males.... The face of G-d shall not appear if you are empty. Each one shall give a gift according to his ability, according to the blessing which the L-rd your G-d has given to you."

In the sefer Yitav Lev it is explained that the inner meaning of the sacrifices was the kavannah-intention that in place of the sacrifice each person was ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Creator, if that were the will of G-d. Thus, it is written, "...A person who brings a sacrifice from among you as a sacrifice to G-d" (Leviticus, 1:2), and Chazal has explained "from among you" means from yourselves, with the intention of the heart to sacrifice his life for G-d.

Therefore, the Yitav Lev continued, it was necessary to ascend to the Temple where the heart is aroused in general, and where it would be easier to arouse the heart to this vital intention. Otherwise, the sacrifice would be merely a superficial act, and its inner intention would be left an empty heart. For this reason it is said that no one shall appear before G-d empty. When people came to the Temple their heart did not remain empty. They were aroused. And this arousal, the inner meaning of the sacrifice, the willingness to give one's life -- this emotion was each person's gift to G-d.

In the sefer Divrai Shaul it is asked, "What hand is it, and whose, which is stretched over the Temple?"

He answers that it is apparently the same hand which grasps the throne of G-d trying to pull it down, as it is written, "Because he has a hand on the throne of G-d, He has said that the war for G-d with Amalek will put into the mouth of the Ramban the following verse: "I said that I will scatter them; I will make their remembrance to cease from among humanity" (Duet. 32:26). The Ramban then turned to Avner and said, "Pay attention. The third letter of the words in this verse spell your name, Avner!"

When Avner heard this, he went into shock and began to tremble, for he realized that the verse not only intimated his name, but also described what he had become. It is told that the next day he went onto a boat and sailed to wherever the boat took him, and no one ever heard anything about him ever again.

For the sins which a person commits as a consequence of his desires there is ultimately something to say in the way of an apology. The sinner was not able to gather enough strength to overcome his evil inclination. "He knows our inclination; He will remember that we are dust." However, the sins which a person commits because of lack of faith, or because he has been influenced by atheistic beliefs, do not have any claim of apology. It was not desire which drove the sinner to it.

It is possible to recognize which of these factors motivates a person to sin by the education which he gives to his children. If the motivation is only desire, he will at least try to educate his children in a good way. However, if the motivating factor is lack of faith, then he will also corrupt his children by allowing them an education full of false opinions.

Thus, it is written, "...It is not His." Their corruption cannot be ascribed in any way to G-d because it does not come from the evil inclination which G-d created. "...It is His children's blemish." It belongs to them. Also, "...It is his children's blemish," because it can be seen that the blemish in their children comes from parents whose faith is deficient, and not from the mere overpowering of the evil inclination.

Ketav Sofer

There are people who seem to be faithful to the tradition of Torah, and we cannot find any fault in them. However, deeply hidden within them they are corrupt, and this becomes apparent when we judge the education which they provide for their children. A Jewish person who gives his children a non-Jewish education proves that all his Jewishness is superficial and merely habitual. In his inner soul he is far away from true Judaism.

Thus, it is written, "He corrupts...," but apparently, "it is not his...," because we do not see in him any sign of corruption. Perhaps, he even conducts himself as a fine Jew. Nevertheless, "...it is his children's blemish." The blemish which becomes revealed in his children is really his corruption. He has given them an unwholesome education, and as a consequence, he has raised "a perverse and crooked generation."

Avnai Ezel