5784/2023

Yehoshua Perek 1 is the perfect choice as the Haftara for

V’Zot HaBracha and Simchat Torah for numerous reasons.

Sefer Devarim’s Success

Parashat V’Zot HaBracha marks the conclusion of Sefer

Devarim. As such, Yehoshua Perek 1 showcases Sefer

Devarim’s success. As his life draws to a close, Moshe

Rabbeinu worries about how the nation will deal with his loss and the transfer of power to his successor Yehoshua.

Moshe Rabbeinu was the only leader we ever knew, and he led

us in an unparalleled miraculous manner for no less than forty

years. Whenever he encountered a problem he could not solve

(such as Pesach Sheini and the Bnot Tzlofchad), he leveraged

his twenty-four/seven access to Hashem to pose the problem

to Him to resolve.

Could Am Yisrael transition to a dramatically less

powerful leader? Moshe Rabbeinu invests countless energy in

Sefer Devarim in helping Bnei Yisrael transition to Moshe

Rabbeinu leaving them and Yehoshua taking over. Yehoshua

Perek 1 shows Yehoshua seamlessly taking control without

incident and calmly but firmly preparing for our colossal

crossing of the Yarden into Eretz Yisrael. As stated in V’Zot

HaBracha (Devarim 34:9), we followed Yehoshua’s every word.

Sefer Devarim is crowned with success!

Continuity

Rav Moshe Soloveitchik (cited on the concluding page of

Reshimot Shiurim to Masechet Sukkah) insists that the primary

aspect of Simchat Torah is not the completion of the Torah but

the beginning of reading the Sefer Torah anew. On this basis,

the Rishonim instituted (which Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews

follow) the reading of Breishit Perek 1 on Simchat Torah.

Yehoshua Perek 1 is an exquisite expression of Torah

continuity. Despite the death of such a towering personality

and Navi such as Moshe Rabbeinu, Torah life unremittingly

continues with Yehoshua at the helm. Hashem emphasizes to

Yehoshua that the Torah should not leave his mouth even for a

second, and he should incessantly study it. Despite entering a

new land, the Torah continues under dramatically differing

circumstances (e.g., Mahn no longer descends from heaven).

The Haftara’s penultimate Pasuk describes Reuven, Gad, and

half of Menashe’s deep commitment to honor Yehoshua’s word

as if it was Moshe Rabbeinu’s.

All Torah ideals continue unabated despite the

profound changes which Am Yisrael underwent. Simchat Torah

shares the same goal. Despite the changing generations, times,

and locations, the Torah ideals remain constant. No wonder the

emphasis on children on Simchat Torah. Our joy lies in the

successful transmission of the Torah from one generation to

the other, just as it did from Moshe Rabbeinu to Yehoshua.

A Different Style

Although Yehoshua is unflinchingly committed to following

Moshe Rabbeinu’s well-trodden path, he manages to craft a

style of his own. In his first major move, Yehoshua orders our

nation to prepare to cross the Yarden in three days.

Interestingly, Yehoshua does not assemble the entire nation to

communicate this message. Instead, he quietly orders the

nation’s Shoterim (policemen or enforcers) to spread the word.

Yehoshua’s strategy is utterly brilliant. Had he

assembled the entire nation as Moshe Rabbeinu did in Parashat

Nitzavim, he would have exposed himself to the risk of even a

small band of rebels leading an insurrection (as happened in

Parashat Shelach and Parashat Korach). Instead, a small group

of leaders, the Shoterim, quietly but firmly established

Yehoshua’s leadership and direction. The plan went off without

a hitch. We subscribed to Yehoshua’s path without a hint of

disobedience.

In Yehoshua’s second major step, he reaches out to

Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe. This group is potentially our

nation’s weakest link. The temptation for these tribes to flout

Yehoshua’s orders is great. They could have argued that their

agreement with Moshe Rabbeinu to serve as the front-line

soldiers to receive their land portion (Nachala) east of the

Jordan is no longer binding now that Moshe Rabbeinu has

expired. Had such insubordination occurred, it would have

spread panic to the rest of our people, now that the rest of us

would have to fight on the front lines.

Yehoshua tackles this potential disaster head-on.

Yehoshua proactively and directly faces Reuven, Gad, and half

of Menashe. He firmly informs them that they will not receive

their Nachala unless and until they thoroughly complete their

front-line mission.

After placing them on notice, these tribes eagerly

prove their loyalty. Not only do they not disobey, but they also

pledge more than full allegiance to Yehoshua. They even

threaten to kill anyone who disobeys Yehoshua. Yehoshua

emerges at the end of the Haftara, in firm control of the nation,

poising us for a successful transition to Eretz Yisrael.

Yehoshua’s leadership strategies differed greatly from

that of Moshe Rabbeinu. Never do we find Moshe Rabbeinu

employing a similar approach. Moshe Rabbeinu in Sefer

Devarim pays scant attention to the Shoterim, Reuven, Gad, and

half of Menashe. Despite being in the shadow of our greatest

Navi, Yehoshua confidently forges his path, and our nation fully

buys into it.

We find similar transitions in later generations. Rav

Hershel Schachter and Rav Mordechai Willig confidently and

competently filled the shoes of Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik at

Yeshiva University. Rav David Feinstein forged his path despite

being in the shadow of the greatest Posek of the second half of

the twentieth century (his father, Rav Moshe Feinstein). Hacham David Yosef and Hacham Yitzchak Yosef march ahead,

continuing to develop their father's legacy, Rav Ovadia Yosef.

Rabbeinu Tam, the Rashbam, the Rivam, and the Ri

magnificently continued the work of their incomparable

grandfather and great-grandfather, Rashi. Elisha, as we

describe at length in our work on Sefer Melachim, “From David

to Destruction,” continues the mission of the one-of-a-kind

Eliyahu HaNavi. In each of these examples, the succeeding

generation, although lesser in stature than their predecessors,

manage to develop a style that brings them and their

communities considerable success.

The continuity and eternity of the Torah are

guaranteed by the succession of leaders finding their style and

path even after losing a seemingly irreplaceable Torah leader.

Yehoshua sets the mold for Torah’s eternity. Not even Moshe

Rabbeinu is irreplaceable. Nonetheless, Torah life continues to

survive and even thrive no matter how steep the loss.

Moreover, each generation finds its leaders and style and

continues our unabated march to the complete Torah tune.

Conclusion

Yeshivat Har Etzion’s founding Rosh Yeshiva Rav Yehuda

Amital, in 2009, delivered a farewell address to the Yeshiva at

the age of eighty-five. He helped transition the Yeshiva from his

forty-one years of leadership to the next generation of Rashei

Yeshiva - Rav Baruch Gigi, Rav Moshe Lichtenstein, and Rav

Yaakov Meidan.

Rav Amital explicitly took a page from Moshe

Rabbeinu and remained as Rosh Yeshiva for a few months

when Rav Moshe Lichtenstein began his tenure. He stated his

desire to follow the example set by Moshe Rabbeinu, wherein

he, jointly with Yehoshua, served as the nation’s head during

the very end of his life. Following Sotah 13b, Rashi (Devarim

32:44) refers to this time as the “Shabbat Shel D’yozgi,” the

Shabbat of two leaders.

Rav Amital (Kol Yehuda page 408) stunningly

concluded his address by stating the following:

We asked Rav Medan if the Yeshiva would remain the

same, and he responded no. There will certainly be

changes – the Talmidim change, the Rabbanim change,

and, therefore, the Yeshiva changes. However, as we

said regarding Moshe and Yehoshua, the Yeshiva

continues on the same path with the changes.

The same applies not only to the seamless and

successful transition and continuity at Yeshivat Har Etzion but

to the successful transmission of Torah from generation to

generation from Moshe and Yehoshua until the arrival of

Mashiach Tzidkeinu. While there are always changes, we

continue to follow the same path.