- Sections
- Parashat Hashavua
30
We have demonstrated in the past that throughout Tanach, we find that davar is a reference to prophecies, and indeed Sefer Devarim means that it is the book of Moshe’s prophecies. So too regarding Yirmiyahu, the introductory p’sukim mean that these are the prophecies of Yirmiyahu.
There is a question we have to ask about prophets. What body part is key to their prophecy: the eyes, the ears, or the mouth? The following pasuk in Parashat Vaetchanan may help. "Hashem spoke to you from the midst of the fire; the sound of devarim you heard, and a picture you did not see, but rather a sound" (Devarim 4:12). Sound is stressed, so the important thing is hearing with the ears. After hearing, the prophet shares with the mouth. Seeing is of lesser value and is sometimes even negative. Therefore, we should not be surprised that after the story of the traverses through the desert from the time of the Exodus until soon before the entry to the Land, Moshe addresses the people with the words: "Now, Israel, listen …" (ibid. 4:1). This is followed a little later with the introduction to another important address: "Listen, Israel, to the statutes and the laws" (ibid. 5:1).
So we will posit that the ear is the most important organ, followed by the mouth and only afterward the eyes. Until recently, in order for someone to be able to speak properly, he must have had a functioning ear. With improvements in technology and medicine, in Hashem’s kindness, the situation of the hearing impaired has improved greatly.
One of the people who stressed the importance of hearing was King David, who said: "Ears You formed for me … then I said (with the mouth): Indeed I have come with the scroll of a book written about me" (Tehillim 40:7-8). One who expounded on this point is Rav Kook’s disciple, Rav David Cohen, who was known as The Nazir, in his work "The Sound of Prophecy."
We end off with a related matter that has been troubling us greatly – the inability of extremists on both sides of the political spectrum to listen and their takeover of the public discourse. The ear has another purpose, other than hearing. The ear is responsible for balance in the body. (Notice that Hebrew uses the same root for the ear and for balance.) Yes, the ear is responsible for that on a physical and on a social level. Let us pray for proper balance, which begins with people listening for the benefit of the needs of their counterparts.

The Desire to be Coerced
Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli zt"l | 5774

Parashat Hashavua: What Will Happen in the “End of Days”?
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Tevet 5785

Parashat Hashavua: “With a Strong Hand He Will Expel Them from His Land
Harav Shaul Yisraeli – from Siach Shaul, p. 205-6
Rabbi Yossef Carmel | Tevet 5785

Push Away with the Left Hand
Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli zt"l | 5773

Waking to the Call: Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | 5575

Pondering Passover
Part 1
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | Adar 5761

Making Dairy Bread
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff

Korbanot – The Passages of the Sacrificial Offerings
Chapter thirteen-part one
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | 5775

Orchot Tzaddikim class 55, "Forgetfulness" i
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Adar 5785
Daf Yomi Sanhedrin Daf 105
R' Eli Stefansky | 3 Nisan 5785
Daf Yomi Sanhedrin Daf 100
R' Eli Stefansky | 27 Adar 5785
