Seder Yomi

Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה

In this aliyah, Moshe Rabbeinu is giving the Yidden a powerful and comforting nechamah, looking ahead to the end of days. After all the klalos and the tzaros of the tochachah have come upon us, and we find ourselves scattered among the goyim, the Torah promises that a deep awakening will happen from within the darkness of the galus.

All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.

פָּסוּק א

Pasuk 1

וְהָיָהAnd it shall beכִיwhenיָבֹאוּthere comeעָלֶיךָupon youכָּלallהַדְּבָרִיםthe thingsהָאֵלֶּהtheseהַבְּרָכָהthe blessingוְהַקְּלָלָהand the curseאֲשֶׁרwhichנָתַתִּיI have setלְפָנֶיךָbefore youוַהֲשֵׁבֹתָand you take backאֶלtoלְבָבֶךָyour heartבְּכָלamong allהַגּוֹיִםthe nationsאֲשֶׁרwhereהִדִּיחֲךָhas banished youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godשָׁמָּה׃there

פָּסוּק ב

Pasuk 2

וְשַׁבְתָּand you shall returnעַדuntoיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godוְשָׁמַעְתָּand you shall obeyבְקֹלוֹHis voiceכְּכֹלaccording to allאֲשֶׁרthatאָנֹכִיIמְצַוְּךָcommand youהַיּוֹםtodayאַתָּהyouוּבָנֶיךָand your childrenבְּכָלwith allלְבָבְךָyour heartוּבְכָלand with allנַפְשֶׁךָ׃your soul

פָּסוּק ג

Pasuk 3

וְשָׁבand He will returnיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godאֶת—שְׁבוּתְךָyour captivityוְרִחֲמֶךָand have mercy on youוְשָׁבand He will returnוְקִבֶּצְךָand gather youמִכָּלfrom allהָעַמִּיםthe peoplesאֲשֶׁרwhereהֱפִיצְךָscattered youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godשָׁמָּה׃there

רַשִׁ״י

ושבAnd He will returnה'Hashemאלהיךyour Godאת—שבותך.your captivityהָיָהit wasלוֹfor Himלִכְתֹּבto write"וְהֵשִׁיב"and He will bring backאֶת—שְׁבוּתְךָ,your captivityרַבּוֹתֵינוּour Rabbisלָמְדוּlearnedמִכָּאןfrom hereכִּבְיָכוֹלas if it were possibleשֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָהthat the ShechinahשְׁרוּיָהdwellsעִםwithיִשְׂרָאֵלIsraelבְּצָרַתin the distress ofגָּלוּתָם,their exileוּכְשֶׁנִּגְאָלִיןand when they are redeemedהִכְתִּיבHe made writtenגְּאֻלָּהredemptionלְעַצְמוֹfor Himself—שֶׁהוּאthat Heיָשׁוּבwill returnעִמָּהֶם.with themוְעוֹדAnd furthermoreיֵשׁthere isלוֹמַרto sayשֶׁגָּדוֹלthat great isיוֹםthe day ofקִבּוּץthe gathering ofגָּלֻיּוֹתthe exilesוּבְקֹשִׁי,and with difficultyכְּאִלּוּas ifהוּאHeעַצְמוֹHimselfצָרִיךְneedsלִהְיוֹתto beאוֹחֵזholdingבְּיָדָיוby his handsמַמָּשׁliterallyאִישׁeach manאִישׁeach manמִמְּקוֹמוֹ,from his placeכָּעִנְיָןlike the matterשֶׁנֶּאֱמַרthat is saidישעיהוYeshayahuכ"ז27"וְאַתֶּםand youתְּלֻקְּטוּshall be gatheredלְאַחַדoneאֶחָדby oneבְּנֵיO children ofיִשְׂרָאֵל",IsraelוְאַףAnd evenבְּגָלֻיּוֹתin the exiles ofשְׁאָרthe rest ofהָאֻמּוֹתthe nationsמָצִינוּwe findכֵןsoירמיהוYirmeyahuמ"ח48"וְשַׁבְתִּיAnd I will returnשְׁבוּתthe captivity ofמוֹאָב":Moav

פָּסוּק ד

Pasuk 4

אִםIfיִהְיֶהwill beנִדַּחֲךָyour banished oneבִּקְצֵהat the end ofהַשָּׁמָיִםthe heavensמִשָּׁםfrom thereיְקַבֶּצְךָwill gather youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godוּמִשָּׁםand from thereיִקָּחֶךָ׃He will take you

פָּסוּק ה

Pasuk 5

וֶהֱבִיאֲךָAnd He will bring youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godאֶלtoהָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatיָרְשׁוּpossessedאֲבֹתֶיךָyour ancestorsוִירִשְׁתָּהּand you shall possess itוְהֵיטִבְךָand He will do good to youוְהִרְבְּךָand He will multiply youמֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ׃more than your ancestors

פָּסוּק ו

Pasuk 6

וּמָלAnd will circumciseיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godאֶת—לְבָבְךָyour heartוְאֶתand —לְבַבthe heart ofזַרְעֶךָyour offspringלְאַהֲבָהto loveאֶת—יְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godבְּכָלwith allלְבָבְךָyour heartוּבְכָלand with allנַפְשְׁךָyour soulלְמַעַןso thatחַיֶּיךָ׃your life

Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם

The pesukim describe the beautiful process of teshuvah, where the Yidden will return to Hashem with all their heart and soul, and Hashem in His great rachmanus will gather every single outcast from the furthest corners of the earth. Hashem will bring us back to the Eretz Yisrael possessed by our avos, make us even more prosperous than them, and ultimately remove the barriers from our hearts so that we can love Hashem completely and live.

לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home

The Torah is revealing a tremendous yesod here about the power of teshuvah. The pesukim describe a Yid who is completely lost, scattered to the ends of the earth, and buried under the weight of the klalah. Lichoira, how can someone so far away ever find the strength to make it back? The chiddush of the Torah is that you do not need to have it all figured out to start. The pasuk says "v'hashevosa el levavecha" and "v'shavta ad Hashem Elokecha", you just have to turn your heart back to Hashem and take the first step from exactly where you are.

Once you make that small, sincere move, the whole picture changes. The Torah tells us "u'mal Hashem Elokecha es levavecha", Hashem Himself will then step in to open up your heart and help you love Him. We often wait to do teshuvah or improve our avodas Hashem because we feel too blocked, too cold, or too far gone. We think we need to feel a massive spiritual awakening first. But the Sifrei Kodesh teach us that the awakening from Above only comes after we make our own small effort below. Hashem is waiting for your first move, and then He promises to do the rest of the heavy lifting for you.

Today, do not wait for inspiration to strike or for your heart to suddenly feel completely open. Take one small, concrete step toward Hashem, whether it is learning one extra halachah, saying a single perek of Tehillim with real kavanah, or holding back from an angry reaction, and trust that Hashem will see that opening and help you with the rest.