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By Rabbi Shimmy Sternfield
ויקרא משה להושע בן נון יהושע (פרק י”ג, פסוק ט”ז)
Moshe called Hoshea the son of Nun, “Yehoshua.”
Before sending the twelve spies to see ארץ ישראל, Moshe changed the name of his student הושע to יהושע. The name יהושע is interpreted by חז”ל as a prayer that משה Davened on behalf of his student: “May Hashem save you from the plot of the spies.” The מפרשים ask, if משה was Davening to save יהושע from sinning like the other spies, why did he only Daven for יהושע? Why didn’t he Daven that they should all be saved from sin? The כתב סופר gives the following answer: אלדד and מידד had already foretold that משה would die and יהושע would take his place as the leader of בני ישראל. This would surely lead to jealousy by the נשיאים, especially those who were greater than יהושע. (As חז”ל teach, the spies are listed in order, starting with the greatest. יהושע is listed fifth.) משה was concerned that the other spies would try to prevent בני ישראל from entering ארץ ישראל, thereby stopping יהושע from becoming their leader. The כתב סופר concludes, that משה was not Davening to save יהושע from sinning. Rather, he was Davening that יהושע should be saved from the spies’ plans against יהושע.
וכי תשגו ולא תעשו את כל המצות האלה אשר דבר ד’ אל משה את כל אשר צוה ד’ אליכם ביד משה (פרק ט”ו, פסוקים כ”ב-כ”ג)
If you err and do not perform all of these commandments which Hashem has spoken to Moshe, everything that Hashem commanded you through Moshe…
In this week’s פרשה, the Torah discusses the laws pertaining to one who serves עבודה זרה. The commentators note that, in the introductory פסוקים, the Torah seems to repeat an entire phrase unnecessarily. After saying, “If you do not perform all of these commandments which Hashem has spoken to Moshe,” the Torah repeats, “everything that Hashem commanded you through Moshe…” What is the Torah adding by repeating this phrase? The אור החיים offers the following explanation: חז”ל tell us, that when one serves עבודה זרה, it is as if he/she has transgressed all 613 commandments of Hashem. These commandments are divided into two categories: A מצות עשה is a positive commandment, which requires one to do something. A מצות לא תעשה is a negative commandment, which prohibits one from doing something. The אור החיים suggests, that the two phrases in these פסוקים represent the two types of מצות that the idol worshipper is considered to have transgressed. The first phrase- “If you do not perform all of these commandments which Hashem has spoken to Moshe”- refers to the 248 positive commandments that are considered unperformed. The second phrase- “Everything that Hashem commanded you through Moshe”- refers to the 365 negative commandments that are considered violated. This thought is expressed again by the אור החיים to explain a פסוק a little further on (פסוק ל”א). Regarding one who serves עבודה זרה intentionally, the Torah writes, “For he scorned the word of Hashem and broke His commandment; that person will surely be cut off.” The אור החיים writes, that it is as if this person has “scorned the word of Hashem” and has not listened to His instructions to fulfill any positive commandments. He/she has also “broken His commandment,” for it is as if he/she has violated all negative commandments.
