.
The words “and you shall cleave to Him” describe a level higher than the matters mentioned previously. It is therefore difficult to interpret them as referring merely to attachment to Torah scholars.
Rashi consequently explains:
“Bury the dead and visit the sick, just as the Holy One, blessed be He, did.”
Hashem performed these acts in circumstances where, in a comparable situation, a person would not have been personally obligated to perform them. When Hashem visited Avraham after his circumcision, there were certainly other people who could have visited him.
Rashi comments on the verse:
“And you shall cleave to Him”
(Devarim 13:5):
“Cleve to His ways: perform acts of kindness, bury the dead, and visit the sick, just as the Holy One, blessed be He, did.”
This requires explanation.
The concept of cleaving to Hashem was already stated in Parshas Eikev in the words:
“And to cleave to Him.”
There Rashi explains that the intention is to attach oneself to Torah scholars.
Earlier, on the verse:
“You shall fear Hashem your G‑d, serve Him, cleave to Him, and swear by His Name,”
Rashi explains:
“Serve Him and cleave to Him, and only after all these qualities are present within you may you swear by His Name.”
We must understand the reason for the different explanations given for these verses. Why does Rashi not explain the meaning of cleaving in the verse “and cleave to Him,” or earlier in Parshas Vaeschanan, in the verse “but you who cleave to Hashem your G‑d”?
We must also understand why Rashi chooses specifically two examples of acts of kindness—burying the dead and visiting the sick—and why he lists them in this particular order.
This question is especially strong because in Parshas Eikev, on the verse “You shall follow Hashem your G‑d,” Rashi explains:
“Just as He performs acts of kindness, so too must you perform acts of kindness,”
without giving any examples.
The explanation is as follows:
Generally, the concept of cleaving signifies love. This is evident from the verse:
“His soul cleaved to Dinah, the daughter of Yaakov,”
which is immediately followed by:
“And he loved the maiden.”
Therefore, in Parshas Vaeschanan, on the verse “but you who cleave to Hashem your G‑d,” Rashi offers no explanation, because its meaning—loving attachment to Hashem—is readily understood.
At the end of Parshas Eikev, however, the verse states:
“To love Hashem your G‑d…and to cleave to Him.”
There, cleaving cannot refer merely to love, because love has already been mentioned at the beginning of the verse.
It must therefore refer to an actual and more direct form of attachment that follows love. Regarding this, Rashi asks:
“Is it possible to cleave to the Divine Presence?”
He therefore explains that it means:
“Attach yourself to Torah scholars.”
In the present passage, the words “and you shall cleave to Him” appear in the continuation of the command concerning a false prophet. The purpose of the false prophet’s test is described by the verse:
“For Hashem your G‑d is testing you, to know whether you love Hashem your G‑d.”
Since the entire passage already concerns love of Hashem, it is difficult to say that the particular command “and you shall cleave to Him,” which follows several other instructions, refers once again merely to love.
Furthermore, the words “and you shall cleave to Him” follow a progression of several commands, culminating in:
“And Him you shall serve.”
This indicates that “and you shall cleave to Him” describes a level higher than all the preceding matters.
It is therefore also difficult to interpret these words as referring merely to attachment to Torah scholars.
Rashi consequently explains that they refer to performing acts of kindness:
“Bury the dead and visit the sick, just as the Holy One, blessed be He, did.”
Only concerning these particular acts do we find that Hashem performed them in circumstances where a person in a comparable situation would not have been personally required to do so.
When Hashem visited Avraham after his circumcision, there were certainly other people who could have visited him.
Similarly, the phrase “bury the dead” refers to the burial of Aharon. His burial could have been performed by the Jewish people. Nevertheless, Hashem Himself attended to it.
From the Wine of Torah
There is a form of kindness that is included within the general fulfillment of the mitzvos. At that level, however, the identity of the person who has been commanded is still felt. He is conscious of himself as an individual performing Hashem’s command.
There is, however, a higher form of kindness represented by the words:
“And you shall cleave to Him.”
This level goes beyond the sense of personal obligation. A person’s own identity is no longer felt; all that is experienced is his attachment to Hashem.
Through this, a person reaches such complete attachment to Hashem that he naturally and automatically does what Hashem does.