לקוטי שיחות חלק כ״ד - וילך ג

Likkutei Sichos Vol. 24 – Vayeilech 3

1. At the conclusion of our parsha, it is recounted that Moshe Rabbeinu instructed the "Levites who carry the Ark of the Covenant of the L‑rd": "Take this Torah scroll... Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, and I will speak in their ears..."

Rashi comments on "Assemble to me" and explains: "They did not blow the trumpets on that day to assemble the congregation, because it is said, 'Make for yourself,' and he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them, and even during his lifetime, they were hidden before the day of his death to fulfill what is said, 'There is no authority on the day of death.'

Simply, it is understood that the question in the verse which Rashi comes to address is: Why was the congregation not assembled through the trumpets (as it is stated in Parshas Beha'aloscha, "Make for yourself two trumpets... for calling the assembly")?

The necessity to say that "Assemble" does not mean assembling "in the known manner, which is with trumpets" — comes from the fact that the command (of Moshe) was to the Levites, and the blowing of the trumpets had to be specifically by the Kohanim, "the sons of Aharon the Kohanim."

However, it is not understood why Rashi says, "because it is said, 'Make for yourself,' and he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them" — who mentioned Yehoshua?

Rashi comes to explain why Moshe did not assemble the congregation through the trumpets — Rashi should have said (briefly), "They did not blow... to assemble the congregation to fulfill what is said, 'There is no authority on the day of death'!"

Furthermore: The source of this explanation of Rashi is in Tanchuma on the verse "Make for yourself" — but there, the matter of "he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them" is not mentioned concerning the assembly of "that day" (when Moshe died), but rather in general "he did not give authority..."

2. The verse states, "Make for yourself... you shall use them, and no one else shall use them. Know that Yehoshua, Moshe's student, did not use them when he came to fight at Jericho." Only afterwards, as a separate novelty, does the Midrash add: "And do not say Yehoshua alone, but even Moshe Rabbeinu himself, while he was still alive, they were hidden... 'Assemble to me'... and where were the trumpets?... Rather, they were hidden... to fulfill what is said, 'There is no authority on the day of death.'

This is puzzling: Why does Rashi, who explains the simple meaning of the text, bring the lengthy explanation of 'because it is said... and he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them' in connection with Moshe's assembly ('Assemble to me')?

Commentators explain that 'if Yehoshua had authority over them after Moshe's death, they would have blown them even on the day Moshe died,' and therefore Rashi warns that 'he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them.'

However, this does not answer Rashi's wording. For Rashi should have first answered why Moshe did not use the trumpets (due to 'there is no authority on the day of death'), and then add that the reason they were not used (at least) concerning Yehoshua is because 'he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them' — but not begin with the matter of 'because it is said... and he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them!'

3. There are also several precise points in Rashi's wording here, among them:

a) How does the term "authority" — "and he did not give authority (to Yehoshua over them)" — fit regarding the trumpets? Rashi should have said "Yehoshua did not use them" or similar, especially since according to some versions it also states in Rashi on "Make for yourself" — "You make and use them, and no one else."

b) Why does Rashi quote the word "to me" in the introductory phrase? Rashi is seemingly only explaining the...

3. The explanation of this matter, with a preface:

It is known that Rashi's usual approach in his commentary on the Torah is not to specify the question he is addressing. Instead, he provides the explanation of the verse, and thereby the question (or questions) is resolved naturally.

Moreover, in many places where he begins his commentary with a question, it is not because this is the primary question in the verse that he seeks to answer. Rather, from the answer to this question, the primary question in the verse is resolved naturally.

Similarly, in our case: Rashi begins his commentary with "and they did not blow the trumpets that day," but this is not the primary question in the verse.

On the contrary, several commentators explain that with "(And Moshe commanded) the Levites, etc., take this Torah scroll, etc.," it becomes clear that the "gathering" was not done with trumpets.

Rashi, however, is primarily addressing a general question in the words "gather to me" (as will be explained), and to answer this question, Rashi explains that the "gathering" here was done in a manner of "and they did not blow the trumpets that day to gather the congregation." Through this explanation of why the gathering was not done with trumpets, the general question is naturally resolved.

4. The question (in the words "gather to me") that Rashi seeks to address is:

At the beginning of the section, it is indeed true that Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to speak to the Jews himself, "and I will call heaven and earth to witness against them." However, the act of gathering the congregation is typically the responsibility of the leader, the leader of the generation. Since Yehoshua had already become the "one leader for the generation," he should have been the one to gather the Jews, and Moshe would have spoken to them.

[At the very least, the gathering should have been done by both together — similar to how the speech (during the gathering) to the Jews was done by both: "he and Yehoshua the son of Nun" — but not "gather to me," where Moshe says "gather," which excludes Yehoshua.]

To answer this question, Rashi prefaces with "and they did not blow the trumpets that day to gather the congregation (and immediately explains regarding Yehoshua) because it is said 'make for yourself' (and specifies) and he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them." This (that "he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them") naturally explains why the gathering was done by Moshe, as will be explained.

5. Regarding the matter of "make for yourself, and he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them," it seems difficult to understand:

The emphasis on "make for yourself" — "you make and use them, and not another" — appears to only exclude their use by any other person in general. However, when it comes to Yehoshua, who was appointed by G‑d as "a man over the congregation who will go out before them," the leader of the Jews, the shepherd of the congregation of G‑d as the successor of Moshe Rabbeinu — why should the trumpets not be transferred to Yehoshua (for use in "gathering the congregation") just as the authority of Moshe was transferred to Yehoshua?

From this itself, it is derived that not all matters of Moshe were transferred to Yehoshua, because Moshe's authority over the Jews was on a higher level than Yehoshua's. This is the precision in Rashi's wording "he did not give authority to Yehoshua over them" — Yehoshua did not have authority over them, because not the entire matter of Moshe's authority was transferred to Yehoshua.

Accordingly, it is understood that as long as Moshe Rabbeinu was alive, even after "the authority was taken from me and given to Yehoshua," there was no place for Yehoshua to be the one gathering the Jews (in the presence of Moshe Rabbeinu), since there were matters that were not transferred to Yehoshua, in which Moshe remained the sole ruler.

— And only after Rashi answers the primary question regarding the gathering in general "gather to me" (why the gathering was "to me," by Moshe), does Rashi explain the detail — the manner of "gather" — why Moshe did not use the trumpets? And he answers, "and even in his lifetime they were hidden before the day of his death to fulfill what is said, 'and there is no authority on the day of death.'

6. From the wine of Torah in this Rashi's explanation:

At first glance, it is not understood: It is indeed true that the gathering could not be done through the trumpets (which indicates an aspect of authority) — but why was there a need for another change, that instead of the priests gathering the Jews, it was done by the Levites?

This will be understood by first explaining the inner meaning of the concept of "there is no authority on the day of death" — at first glance: How is it that on the day of death there should be a matter of descent ("no authority") for Moshe Rabbeinu? For the righteous, it is the opposite: "they go from strength to strength," as they are elevated from day to day, and certainly on the day...

7. The last stage of their life in this world is certainly at the highest level; especially according to what is known, that on the day of his death, Moshe Rabbeinu reached (also) the fiftieth gate (of the fifty gates of understanding that were given to the world, and until that day, Moshe was given all but one — the fiftieth gate).

It can be explained that the concept of "there is no authority on the day of death" is (for the righteous) due to the virtue of the day of death, as on that day, one stands above the concept of authority:

Authority indicates a connection to those over whom one has dominion. A king is indeed "taller than all the people from his shoulders and upward" — even his "shoulders" are "taller than all the people," and certainly his "head" is above all the people — yet, this elevation and exaltation still has a connection and is relative to the people, and this is the essence of authority.

However, on the day of death, one is elevated in such a manner that they are entirely above the people, and therefore, they are not related to the concept of "authority" even with the people.

One might think that since Moshe Rabbeinu was elevated to a level where he is entirely above having authority over Israel, there is, G‑d forbid, no connection or bond between Moshe and Israel — the verse tells us that even as Moshe Rabbeinu stands at this level (as he is on the day of his death), Moshe says "gather to me," to Moshe. Because Jews are (essentially) one with (the essence of) Moshe Rabbeinu. In the words of Rashi: Moshe is Israel and Israel is Moshe.

And this is the (inner) reason why the gathering was without trumpets: Gathering with trumpets indicates that it is associated with effort and toil; however, in the gathering of Jews to Moshe as he stands on the day of his death (when his essence is revealed) — the essential connection of Jews to Moshe is revealed and activated.

[And as our Sages say, for every Jew, "fear is a small matter" because for Moshe it is a small matter, and as the Alter Rebbe explains, every Jew has within them "an aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory." For although not everyone feels the aspect of Moshe in their soul, since "Moshe is Israel and Israel is Moshe," the aspect of Moshe influences and affects every Jew in such a way that fear is a small matter.]

Accordingly, it is understood why the gathering was specifically through the Levites: The difference between the Kohanim and the Levites is that the Kohanim represent kindness, drawing down from above to below, while the Levites represent might, an elevation from below to above.

Therefore, in order to gather the Jews "to me" — to Moshe as he stands in an elevation on the day of his death, above authority — it is through the Levites, who also bring about an elevation in the Jews to Moshe's level.