“First, one should undertake the yoke of heaven”

by HaRav Dov Begon
Rosh HaYeshiva, Machon Meir

Parashat VaEt’chanan and Parashat Ekev are linked to each other. The former’s main theme is our receiving the Torah from G-d and our undertaking the yoke of Heaven through our reciting the words, “Hear O Israel, Hashem is our G-d. Hashem is One.” The latter’s main theme is our fulfilling all of G-d’s mitzvoth in general, and our fulfilling them in Eretz Yisrael in particular. As Rav Yehoshua ben Korcha said, “Why did the first paragraph of the Shema precede the second? It was so that a Jew would first undertake the yoke of heaven and only then the yoke of mitzvoth” (Berachot 2b).

Our faith in Hashem’s being the One G-d, and our duty to love Him and to learn His Torah, precedes mitzvah fulfillment, which is a corollary detail extending from that faith, in the same way, that the roots and trunk of a tree precede its branches. This does not mean, G-d forbid, that we should not fulfill mitzvoth as long as we haven’t yet learned and the Torah does not yet permeate our entire being. Quite the contrary, the heart is influenced by deeds. Still, we have to distinguish between general points and specifics. When a Jew fulfills mitzvoth without being full of faith, that is a shortcoming evincing a situation of “For it is precept by precept, precept by precept, line by line, line by line; here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10). The integral Torah is then transformed into separate bits and pieces, a plethora of details without any unifying link, and then crises surface. As our sages said, “In the Messianic era, impudence will prevail” (end of Tractate Sota. See “HaTorah HaGo’elet, Sichot HaRav Tzvi Yehuda zt”l, I:154).

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, zt”l, was the seer and faithful Shepard of our generation and all the generations to come. He possessed a deep understanding of the roots of the crises befalling our generation, the generation in the footsteps of the Messiah. He taught us what improvements are needed not only for us to overcome those crises, but also how to ascend spiritually to the higher levels that the Jewish People, rising to rebirth are encountering with G-d’s help.

In relating to the spiritual, moral, and religious crisis we are facing, and how to rectify it, he writes:
“The impudence of the pre-Messianic era develops because the world has been sufficiently prepared to demand an understanding of how all the details are linked to the whole, and the generation cannot rest if any detail remains unexplained…” (Orot HaTeshuvah 4:10).

The study and strengthening of faith, i.e., the undertaking of the yoke of heaven, is the greatest need of our generation. Through that, and through being infinitely patient, we will also arrive at mitzvah fulfillment performed loving. Indeed, Rav Tzvi Yehuda, son, and torchbearer of Rav Avraham Yitzchak, zt”l, worked all his life to strengthen faith, mitzvah fulfillment based on love and faith, and with G-d’s help, we will merit a new light over Zion.

Looking forward to salvation,
With Love of Israel,
Shabbat Shalom.