ואתחנן 1) This parsha has the first perek of שמע.קריאת Ask your students if they are saying adults!), which is also a "weak" mitzvah, as many students (and קריאת שמע על המטה fall asleep accidentally without saying. One must be extremely careful not to neglect this important nightly קריאת שמע על המטה mitzvah, every night, without exception! It should preferably be said immediately before going to sleep. You may be very surprised...and disappointed! Explain the importance and urgency of this Halacha, connecting it to why we say מודה אני every morning as soon as we wake up every שלחן ערוך,סימן רלט morning. See 2) Ramban, sefer Devorim (-פרק ו--פסוקים כ-כה) דברים כ: כּ י י שׁ א ל ך ב נ ך מ ח ר ל אמ ר מ ה ה ע ד ת ו ה ח קּ ים ו ה מּ שׁ פּ ט ים א שׁ ר צ וּ ה י הוֹ ה א ל ה ינוּ א ת כ ם: כא: ו א מ ר תּ ל ב נ ך ע ב ד ים ה י ינוּ ל פ ר ע ה בּ מ צ ר י ם ו יּ צ יא נוּ י הוֹ ה מ מּ צ ר י ם בּ י ד ח ז ק ה: כב: ו יּ תּ ן י ה ו ה אוֹת ת וּמ פ ת ים גּ ד ל ים ו ר ע ים בּ מ צ ר י ם בּ פ ר ע ה וּב כ ל בּ יתוֹ ל ע ינ ינוּ: כג: ו אוֹת נוּ הוֹצ יא מ שּׁ ם ל מ ע ן ה ב יא א ת נוּ ל ת ת ל נוּ א ת ה א ר ץ א שׁ ר נ שׁ בּ ע ל א ב ת ינוּ: כד: ו י צ וּ נוּ י ה ו ה ל ע שׂוֹת א ת כּ ל ה ח קּ ים ה א לּ ה ל י ר א ה א ת י הוֹ ה א ל ה ינוּ ל טוֹב ל נוּ כּ ל ה יּ מ ים ל ח יּ ת נוּ כּ ה יּוֹם ה זּ ה: כה: וּצ ד ק ה תּ ה י ה לּ נוּ כּ י נ שׁ מ ר ל ע שׂוֹת א ת כּ ל ה מּ צ ו ה ה זּ את ל פ נ י י הוֹ ה א ל ה ינוּ כּ א שׁ ר צ וּ נוּ ). פרק ו--פסוק כ Devarim, (see the Ramban- Sefer If your son asks you in the future, saying, "What are the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Hashem our God has commanded you. You shall say to your son, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Hashem took us out of Egypt with a strong hand. And Hashem gave signs and wonders, great and terrible, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes. And He brought us out of there, in order that He might bring us and give us the land which was sworn to our fathers. And Hashem commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear Hashem, our God, for our.good all the days, to keep us alive, as of this day And it will be for our merit that we keep to observe all these commandments before Hashem, our God, as He has commanded us. ו א ת ח נּ ן However, The Ramban in Parshas.בן חכם Rashi says this posuk is referring to the states, פרק ו--פסוק כ ---explains these pesukim: If you are asked (by a student, or anyone else): What is the reason of this mitzvah? Why do we really need to do that mitzvah? The Torah
states, the answer to this question is--tell him/her/them--about צ יא ת מ צ ר י ם,י by translating and explaining פסוקים כא-כה, according to the Ramban s explanation of these pesukim., י צ יא ת מ צ ר י ם This seems to imply --if you begin the response by discussing and talking about it will ignite a spark in their neshama, because--planted into every neshama--is the spark of the topic of י צ יא ת מ צ ר י ם, waiting to be ignited. Read the pesukim out loud, and explain-- ו-פסוקים כא-כה --דברים -פרק --for the correct response to him/her/them... or better yet, tell him/her/them, to read the pesukim out loud to you, reading also the translation, if possible! It seems that the Ramban is saying-- the Torah is teaching us how to do Kiruv Rechokim (and.-פרק ו-פסוקים כ-כה -- דברים explaining-- Kiruv Kerovim...), by reading and Sometimes we meet people who ask these types of questions, and we are not sure what to answer or how to begin the discussion. The Ramban tells us the Torah commands us to start the answer to these questions with these pesukim, according to the Ramban's explanation of all of these pesukim:.(see the Ramban) כא: ו א מ ר תּ ל ב נ ך ע ב ד ים ה י ינוּ ל פ ר ע ה בּ מ צ ר י ם ו יּ צ יא נוּ י הוֹ ה מ מּ צ ר י ם בּ י ד ח ז ק ה: כב: ו יּ תּ ן י ה ו ה אוֹת ת וּמ פ ת ים גּ ד ל ים ו ר ע ים בּ מ צ ר י ם בּ פ ר ע ה וּב כ ל בּ יתוֹ ל ע ינ ינוּ: כג: ו אוֹת נוּ הוֹצ יא מ שּׁ ם ל מ ע ן ה ב יא א ת נוּ ל ת ת ל נוּ א ת ה א ר ץ א שׁ ר נ שׁ בּ ע ל א ב ת ינוּ: כד: ו י צ וּ נוּ י ה ו ה ל ע שׂוֹת א ת כּ ל ה ח קּ ים ה א לּ ה ל י ר א ה א ת י הוֹ ה א ל ה ינוּ ל טוֹב ל נוּ כּ ל ה יּ מ ים ל ח יּ ת נוּ כּ ה יּוֹם ה זּ ה: כה: וּצ ד ק ה תּ ה י ה לּ נוּ כּ י נ שׁ מ ר ל ע שׂוֹת א ת כּ ל ה מּ צ ו ה ה זּ את ל פ נ י י הוֹ ה א ל ה ינוּ כּ א שׁ ר צ וּ נוּ This is the answer the Torah commands us to give: You shall say to your son, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Hashem took us out of Egypt with a strong hand. And Hashem gave signs and wonders, great and terrible, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes. And He brought us out of there, in order that He might bring us and give us the land which was sworn to our fathers. And Hashem commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear Hashem, our God, for our good all the days, to keep us alive, as of this day. And it will be for our merit that we keep to observe all these commandments before Hashem, our God, as He has commanded us. I was recently teaching a student who had general questions about Yiddishkeit, even questioning even if the Torah was true. I was telling him about the classic proofs of Torah is MiSinai-- Shabbos, Kashrus, other mitzvos, but it had no effect on him, he still had the same questions. Recently, I taught him these pesukim with the Ramban's explanation. He started having less doubts, and he told me it just makes "more sense" now.and he wants to keep learning and discussing the ideas and hashkofos of these pesukim! Interestingly, even among the non-frum-- Pesach and the Seder discussion about י צ יא ת מ צ ר י ם --are the most popular things that almost everyone observes today... The response does not seem to really answer the question. Again, the question is--what are these laws all about??, and the answer discusses מצרים,יציאת and goes and explaining more details... However, the torah teaches us, according to the Ramban, ---This is how the torah commands us to answer this question, and this answer will have a major, very positive effect. Sometimes we meet people who ask these types of questions, and we are not sure what to answer or how to begin the discussion. The Ramban teaches The Torah commands us to answer this question with these pesukim, with their explanation.
To summarize, The Ramban explains to answer--we are commanded by the Torah to discuss the whole topic of מצרים and,יציאת Hashem is our creator,behold took us out of,מצרים for one reason--we should do all the mitzvos, and fearing Hashem by not doing we --,עבירות will receive great rewards, לחיתנו" "to keep us alive! The Ramban further explains,receiving great rewards is really "וצדקה" a great favor from Hashem, because we are obligated to serve Hashem even without any reward, because of all the kindnesses Hashem does for us every day! The Ramban says if we answer in this way, the questioner will begin to see and understand the real purpose of our existence. The questioner is asking what are the עדת all about? What is the purpose of the חקים, since we do not know the reason for them? The Ramban further explains, when he asks what are the,משפטים it can't mean why, because mishpotim are necessary for society to exist...payments for damages, monetary laws. Mishpotim here means, why are there punishments for transgressing the Torah, such as מיתה and.מלקות The Ramban says as stated above, we tell the questioners all details about יציאת מצרים, and this, as the Ramban explains, will answer all these questions! Amazingly, this seems to be a jaw dropping insight, and a "Secret of the Torah", how to approach this common question!! Try it, it worked for me! Another possible reason the response should be pertaining to י צ יא ת מ צ ר י ם, is because all of י צ יא ת the answers to the questions of the 4 sons in the Hagada, begin with something about It is also one of the.ז כ ר ל יצ יא ת מ צ ר י ם Many mitzvos are.מ צ ר י ם (in this week's parsha)begin with: I am Hashem who took you ע ש ר ת ה ד בּ רוֹת The ש ש ז כ ירוֹת. out of.י צ יא ת מ צ ר י ם also contain תפילין of the פרשיות The...מ צ ר י ם I heard, in the name of HaRav Yaakov Weinberg, זצ"ל,explaining the posuk, (ב) שמות-פרק י-פסוק וּל מ ע ן תּ ס פּ ר בּ א ז נ י ב נ ך וּב ן בּ נ ך א ת א שׁ ר ה ת ע לּ ל תּ י בּ מ צ ר י ם ו א ת א ת ת י "...א שׁ ר שׂ מ תּ י ב ם Rabbi זצ"ל, Weinberg, points out, the posuk doesn t say--tell your son--; it says, tell into the ears of your son, which means even if the child is not old enough to understand the story of ears! you still should say the words into his,יציאת מצרים This seems to imply if the account of יציאת מצרים can have a positive effect on a child who does not even understand it, certainly it can have a positive effect on older students and adults! Also, in parshas יח-פסוק ח-- Yisro,פרק Rashi says Moshe Rabeinu told Yisro about Torah! lekorvo--kiruv!...to bring him closer to "ל ק ר בוֹ ל תּוֹר ה -- Rashi quoting --י צ יא ת מ צ ר י ם The Sifsei Chachomim explains even though Yisro already knew about Moshe Rabeinu wanted to bring closer to Torah, by just discussing,יציאת מצרים would יציאת מצרים about the events of יתרו. Telling עמלק.. and the war with יציאת מצרים bring Torah! closer to יתרו Moshe Rabeinu had successful results with Yisro! It seems from all this, there are tremendous benefits and very positive effects in discussing יציאת מצרים with those are having difficulty with yiddishkeit!
An amazing Ramban, giving us an incredible insight how to answer questions about Emunah and Bitachon, also a very basic tool for Kirov rechokim, and kerovim, which is very possibly one of the "Secrets of the Torah." 3) Also, the Ramban says in parshas ki sovo, Perek 27, posuk 26, and also shulchan aruch, with Mishnah Berura: Hagbah, must be done only with the following method: a full, slow, 360 degree revolution, 3 columns open,with the stitching in the middle,turning left to right, in a total circle, not quickly, but slowly, so everyone can see the letters of the Torah. (This is a sign posted in Rabbi Gissinger's Shul in Lakewood, as the correct way to do Hagbah). I have seen many people do hagbah incorrectly, therefore I think this halacha should be on every bima, as in Rabbi Gissinger's Shul, for all to read before hagbah is done! Also, since this is one of the ארורים -curses-of the Torah, according to the Ramban, we must be extra careful for Hagbah to be done correctly! Suggestion : place sign on Bima detailing correct method to do Hagbah. (Also, the famous Igeres HaRamban, which is a must read every day! It is very brief, but so much mussar! Read what the Ramban says at the end of it!!) These methods-- Discussing yetzias mitzrayim,igeres HaRamban, and just looking at the letters of a Sefer Torah during Hagbah, will bring people closer to Torah. ש נ י ם מ ק ר א ו א ח ד תּ ר גוּם "כּ ל ה מּ ש ל ים פּ ר ש יוֹת יו ע ם ה צּ בּוּר מ א ר יכ ין לוֹ י מ יו וּ ש נוֹת יו " Name(s): Grade and amount: Parent signature 1st grade until 1x --שני 2nd grade until 2x -שני 3rd grade until 2x -שלישי 4th grade until רביעי -2x 5th grade until 2x -חמישי
6th grade until, 2x -ששי with Targum 1x 7th grade until, 2x -שביעי with Targum 1x 8th grade-whole Parsha-2x, with Targum 1x! I did NOT talk during Chazoras HaShatz! I said ק ר יא ת ש מ ע ע ל ה מ ט ה every night