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By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum
כי חלק ה’ עמו יעקב חבל נחלתו (פרק לב פסוק ט)
It is said that R’ Chaim Volozhiner was very bothered with a particular statement of the תנא דבי אליהו. It says that Hashem practices the מדה, trait, of being שמח בחלקו (happy with one’s lot). R’ Chaim asked that Hashem owns everything, לה’ הארץ ומלואה, if so, how would He exercise this מדה of being happy with his portion- everything is His? He brought this question to the Vilna Gaon who answered him based on our Parsha. The פסוק says that the חלק, portion, of Hashem is His nation- the Jewish People. If so, the תנא דבי אליהו is telling us that Hashem is happy with us. That is, although we are not always the way we should be, and our level is not as high as in previous generations, Hashem is still כביכול happy with us, His חלק, if we are still putting our full effort into our עבודת ה’.
שובה ישראל עד ה’ אלקיך…ושובו אל ה’ (הושע פרק יד פסוק ב-ג)
The נביא urges בני ישראל to do תשובה saying that they should return until Hashem. The חתם סופר points out that the first time the expression of תשובה is in singular form, לשון יחיד, and in the next פסוק it is in plural form, לשון רבים, to return to Hashem. He explains that חז”ל understand the first פסוק which says to return “until Hashem”, that the תשובה reaches the Throne of Glory, and that is specifically by תשובה מאהבה, out of love for Hashem. The second פסוק is referring to תשובה מיראה, out of fear of punishment. The חתם סופר says that when we have אחדות, unity and love for one another, we are protected from misfortunes and punishments. Therefore, although normally the average person does תשובה מיראה, which is the lower level, but when living together in אחדות they need not have that יראה, they are protected from the punishments. It must be that when בני ישראל are united, the תשובה that they do is purely out of their love for Hashem. Therefore, when referring to תשובה מאהבה the פסוק uses a לשון יחיד in reference to בני ישראל, stressing their unity as if they are one being.
