"Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the name of the Lord is called upon you; and they will fear you." (Devarim 28:10)
What does the pasuk mean when it says that they will "see the name of the Lord"? What exactly are they seeing and why does this arouse a fear?
Risk/Reward Analysis
R' Shalom Shvadron from Jerusalem was a tremendous Jewish orator, a maggid. Like any maggid of his caliber, R' Shalom would travel from town to town, speaking before Jewish audiences of all sizes. R' Shalom was once delivering a brilliant and inspiring sermon, a drashah, about the importance of keeping the Torah, observing the Mitzvos, and adhering to Jewish laws and customs. The massive audience consisted mostly of unaffiliated and unobservant yidden.
When the maggid finished his drashah, one of the men in attendance approached him and said: "I appreciate the drashah. However, I want you to know, that I have no intention of becoming observant. I cannot bring myself to keep the Torah or perform the Mitzvos. I am simply not convinced that the Torah is true, that there is punishment and reward for observing the Mitzvos."
The maggid replied: "You learned and became convinced that the entire Torah is a lie?"
"Well, of course not," the man replied, "It might very well be true, but since I am not convinced that the entire thing is true, I cannot observe the Mitzvos. I have my doubts. Why would I change my entire lifestyle based on a doubt?"
The maggid responded: "Let me share a story with you: A professional went to travel by a bus to a critical business appointment. This was such an important meeting that every detail of his itinerary was carefully planned.
"As he was boarding the bus, he noticed someone hastily trying to gather their belongings and get off the bus. Confused and concerned that he was missing something, the businessman asked this passenger, "Why are you getting off the bus? Is something wrong?"
"I think the driver might be tipsy," whispered the man, "the way he was walking onto the bus…I just think he might be drunk and everyone on this bus is risking their lives!"
"The businessman thought about getting off for a moment. But, this meeting was too important to risk missing. After all, he reasoned, there is only a possibility that the driver is drunk. He didn't know for sure."
The maggid then asked the man: "So, what do you think about this person's decision to stay on the bus? What would you have done?"
"Seriously?! Why would any reasonable person take that risk? Even if it was only a possibility that the driver was drunk, why would anyone risk their life?"
"Listen to yourself!" the maggid said. "When there is a risk to your life, even a remote risk, even a risk that is only a possibility and not a certainty, you would do whatever you could to avoid that risk and keep yourself safe. That is extremely logical and understandable. Why is your risk analysis of the laws of the Torah any different? The Torah clearly outlines commandments and laws that we must keep. Some of them, if violated, carry the punishment of death, of eternal suffering. On the other hand, the reward for performing the positive commandments is immense. You admit that there is a possibility that the Torah and everything it describes might be true. Yet, you are reluctant to change your life's itinerary, so to speak, because of a possibility. How is your reasoning any different than that of the businessman who decided to risk his life by remaining on the bus?"
Simple Logic
There is a fundamental insight from this story. Keeping the Torah, observing the Mitzvos and adhering to the laws and customs of Judaism, is simply the logical choice, even for those who haven't learned and haven't seen yet the beauty and the trueness of the Torah and our Tradition.
When a yid finds himself doubting the authenticity of the Torah, he might use those doubts to justify a lifestyle void of Torah and Mitzvos. It might feel it's easy and even logical to say, "Why would I keep the Mitzvos? I doubt the Torah is truly godly." Some yidden might even feel that their doubts are rooted in true intellectualism. However, this is far from logical.
If someone doubts the authenticity of the Torah that inevitably means that he doesn't know for sure. Doubts exist when there is a lack of true clarity. If there is a possibility, even if he feels that that possibility is far and remote, that the Torah is true, that there is a World to Come, that there is a system of reward and punishment for the mitzvos, that violating some of those commandments will place his life - both physically and spiritually - in danger, why would he risk his life by ignoring that possibility? That possibility should suffice for the logical person to align their behavior with the Torah and Mitzvos. It is a simple risk versus reward analysis. When in the fog of doubt, it is sensible to behave with prudence. This is truly logical.
Deceived by Doubt; Revived by Realization
Unfortunately, the Yetzer Harah deceives us and convinces us to defy this logic. The Yetzer Harah instead leads some yidden to believe that a lifestyle defined by Torah and Mitzvos is archaic, antiquated and out of step with reality. It might be charming, but it is a relic of the past, no longer relevant in the modern-day world.
We have heard this criticism before. Torah observant Jews are described by the messengers of the Yetzer Harah as a thing from the past; as simple minded and naive. They say that these traditions and laws, this lifestyle, has no place in the modern world.
However, this cloud of deceit and this false narrative is quickly dispelled when these yidden meet Torah observants Jews; yidden living a vibrant Torah lifestyle. They see that these yidden are not simple-minded or naive. That they are successful and accomplished individuals living in the modern world but through the parameters outlined by the Torah.
Seeing and meeting these normal, levelheaded, intelligent people adhering to the traditions and laws of yiddishkeit causes them to rethink and reimagine the possibility that the Torah is authentic. It pierces through the cloud of deceit created by the Yetzer Harah. They are revived by the realization that there is a possibility that the Torah and Mitzvos are true as are its rewards and punishments. The clear line of logic mentioned above is awakened.
Many times, these yidden who have been distant from a life of Torah and Mitzvos, who have felt lost, begin to explore their heritage, to learn a bit of Torah and to begin observing Mitzvos. They slowly but steadily grow arousing a commitment to Hashem and His Torah, inspired by love and true faith which they find through learning Torah and Judaism.
Sometimes, all it takes to alleviate the deceitfulness of the Yetzer Harah is the gentle reminder that the Torah might be authentic, that there is a possibility, and that possibility alone is enough to inspire someone to rethink and adjust their behavior. Simply seeing a Torah observant Jew can be that gentle reminder.
They Will See and Know
In describing the mitzvah of Tefilin, the Torah in Devarim (11:18) says: "And you shall set these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand and they shall be for ornaments between your eyes"
Rashi explains that even after you have been exiled, make yourselves distinctive with My commandments: Put on tefillin and make mezuzoth, so that these will not be new to you when you return. Similarly, it is said, "Set up markers for yourself" (Jer. 31:20).
The Mitzvos that are done in public, that are visible to all, serve as markers throughout the exile. They sustain the Jewish people and keep Yiddishkeit alive despite the hardships of the exile.
The Belzer Rebbe, R' Yisocher Dov z"tl, expands this definition and explains that this is true of any of the Mitzvos that are done in public, whose observance is clearly visible, like wearing a yarmulke or dressing modestly for women. These Mitzvos serve as reminders to those around us in exile. They keep us distinct. They serve as markers.
What does this mean? Why do these Mitzvos have this unique capability to sustain the Jews throughout exile?
We see this idea emphasized in the mitzvah of Tefilin. Many of the commentators and teachings of Chazal explain that the mitzvah of tefillin has the capability of helping yidden connect to unique powers, in particular with helping protect the physical well-being of a person from various ailments. We see this in our times when we hear stories about yidden who begin observing the mitzvah of tefillin and merit a unique redemption or a miraculous recovery. Why is this the case?
When a yid keeps a mitzvah, he obviously merits the rewards connected with that mitzvah, tapping into that mitzvah's unique blessings and z'chusim, merits. However, when you keep a mitzvah that is visible by all, like tefillin, wearing a yarmulke or dressing modestly, you also receive the z'chusim from anyone who sees you performing that mitzvah and is inspired to begin their own path back to the Torah and Hashem. These Mitzvos enable you to live and to lead by example. By simply putting on Tefilin, walking with a yarmulke on or dressing modestly, you might be planting the seeds in someone's heart to return to Hashem and His Torah. That reminder, that reawakening of the realization of logic, that desire that you spark by performing visible Mitzvos, is all in your merit as well.
This is the deeper meaning of the pasuk in our parsha:
"When all the peoples…" is referring to all the people who are distant from Hashem, who have been deceived by their Yetzer Harah to abandon the Torah and Mitzvos, and never learned the holy Torah. When they "see the name of the Lord" refers tefillin which has the name of Hashem written on them (as the Gemara explains in Brachos 6), as well all the other Mitzvos that are done in public view. "They will fear" means that seeing those Mitzvos will arose a Fear of Heaven in their hearts. "From you..." means that they will get from you this Fear of Heaven, this decision to grow in in Yiddishkeit is from seeing you and the Mitzvos that you are performing.
With the help of Hashem, we should all have the strength to grown in our avodas Hashem, to continue to live lives that are permeated by a love for Hashem and His Torah. We should have the strength to be true to ourselves, and to lead by example. By doing so, not only bring blessings and merits into our own lives but inspire others to recommit themselves to the Torah and Mitzvos, infusing their lives with more light, blessings and merits as they draw closer to Hashem through His Torah and Mitzvos.
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