Kaisipang Hudyo sa Isaias 65:6: Akeidat Yitzchak, Duties & Derashot HaRan

In describing the Jewish people as a nation lacking counsel, Moses underscores the obvious. Only utter fools forget that the achievements of a numerically so inferior nation who have risen to such elevated status, could only have been possible due to supernatural assistance. Survival of the Jewish nation after the commission of a cardinal sin such as that of the golden calf, was only due to G'd not wanting to create the impression of His impotence. Verse thirty two "for the vine of Sodom is their vine," means that even when on the outside Jewish actions appear inspired by worthwhile motivations, "their grapes are grapes of gall." When you taste the fruit, i.e. examine their true motives they will be found to be rotten. Only when the nations of the world will mock Israel in ever increasing volume, will G'd defend His reputation. This period will coincide with a time when Israel will have recognised that it has no one else to turn to but G'd. The entire "song" that we read here in Parshat ha-azinu, is further proof that the course of Jewish history was indeed foreseen by G'd, that it does not represent either impotence or lack of foresight by the Creator. Ramban points out correctly, that had all these predictions starting with Deut. 4,25 "when you will beget children," been based merely on astrology, we would have believed in astrology, seeing that all these predictions have become true. How much more then must we believe in G'd who has recorded all these prophecies in the Torah so many years in advance of their happening. No doubt the as yet unfulfilled parts of the prophecies will come to pass in due course. When Moses refers to the fact that observance is not "a vain thing" (verse 47), he reiterates that nothing is preordained, and would therefore make the Torah meaningless, inconsequential in terms of history. The exercise of our will both individually and collectively, shapes our fate and determines the timing of events forecast in G'ds plan. "Through this thing you will prolong your days." (verse 47) Regardless of the need of the human condition to be perfected through the undergoing of experiences that will help refine and mature it, observance of Torah at any given time, ensures for its adherents prolonged periods of well being on their own soil.

Do not rejoice that others cannot recognize your hidden bad deeds, but rather it is proper to mourn because the Creator knows that which you are concealing, sees your hidden thoughts and revealed acts, and that He will remind you of them, more than you will remember of them, because you forget, but He does not forget. You will ignore them, but He will not ignore them, as written: "Behold, it is written before Me [I will not keep silent, but will repay, even repay into their bosom]" (Yeshaya 65:6), "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond" (Yirmiya 17:1).

And it is likewise intimated in the Midrash that what Moses requested he requested within the framework of grace and not because he saw himself worthy of it, viz. (Sifrei, Deuteronomy 26): "'And I supplicated the L-rd at that time' — This is as the verse states (Proverbs 18:23): 'The poor man speaks entreatingly.' Two goodly leaders arose for Israel — Moses and David, king of Israel — and they could have attributed the existence of the world to their good deeds. Yet, they asked of the Holy One Blessed be He only a gift of grace." The reason for this is that when the righteous man reflects upon his sin against the Blessed One, in point of His majesty and exaltedness, he feels within himself that his sin can in no way be atoned, knowing a sin to be severe in proportion to the greatness of the one sinned against. It follows from this that if His greatness is infinite then the sin is of infinite severity. This is the intent of the statement of our sages (Shabbath 88b): "They [the righteous] act out of love and rejoice in afflictions," regarding their afflictions as naught in proportion to their sins. This is also alluded to in the words of the prophet (Hosea 5:13): "When Ephraim sees his sickness and Yehudah, his wound, then Ephraim will go to Ashur and send to King Yarev. But he will not be able to heal you, and he will not cure you of your wound." The analogy here is to a sick man who is ignorant of the cause of his illness and unable to be cured so long as his ignorance persists. It is thereafter written (Ibid 15): "I the L-rd will go and return to My place until they are guilty and seek My face." That is, until they acknowledge themselves as guilty, this being the prerequisite for repentance and correction of deed. For one's averting his eyes from his sins will not conceal them from the eyes of the Tester of reins and heart, as it is written (Isaiah 65:6): "Behold, it is written before Me; I will not be silent, but will repay," and (Ibid 7): "Your sins and the sins of your fathers together, says the L-rd." That is [(on the stylistic level)], their denying their sins will not cause them to be hidden from Me. They are written down before Me; how, then, can I not remember them? Even the sins of their fathers are exposed before Me. How, then, can they think that because they forget Me I will forget them!