Vayeilech
Rabbi Schapiro on the Parshah: Vayelech
Asks why the mitzvot of Hakhel and writing a Sefer Torah, the last two of the 248 mitzvot aseh, were given only in Parashat Vayelech at the very end of the forty years, rather than earlier when other land-dependent mitzvot were already taught. Shows from the Rambam that both mitzvot recreate the experience of standing at Har Sinai, hearing the king read Torah at Hakhel or writing a Sefer Torah as though receiving it anew, and argues this timing was deliberate: as the Yidden left the desert and Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, these two mitzvot would keep the impression of Matan Torah alive. Distinguishes the two mitzvot as corresponding to the two components of Matan Torah itself, Hakhel strengthening kabbalat hamitzvot and yirat Shamayim, and Sefer Torah anchoring the ongoing limud haTorah.
Parshas Vayeilech
A short class on Parshas Vayeilech exploring how the Four Species continue to model the unity of the Jewish people even in the absence of the Beis Hamikdash.
Parshas Vayeilech
A vort on Parshas Vayeilech exploring the mitzvah of Hakhel and why the king's Torah reading took place on a specially built wooden platform in the Temple courtyard.