parshat Va'etchanan

Why was Moshe Rabbeinu so insistent?

If all 613 commandments are included in the Ten Commandments ... where is the Land of Israel?

What has happened to all the promises of Bereishit, that Abraham’s children would be numerous, uncountable, as many as the stars of the sky, the dust of the earth, and the grains of sand on a seashore?

Am I required to stand up anytime I see a senior citizen walking down the street? I give a daf yomi shiur. Many of those who attend are old enough to be my grandfather. Am I required to stand up for them when they arrive at the shiur? Does one older person need to stand up for another older person?

Although our teacher Moshe figuratively tears down the gates of heaven with his prayers and supplication to be allowed to enter the land of Israel, his wish is not granted. The question itself remains a vexing one, even thousands of years later.

Parashat Vaetchanan returns us to the Ten Commandments. We also read the parasha of Shema, which we recite twice a day, thereby accepting Hashem’s sovereignty over us. One thing that unites these special Torah portions is the matter of shemi’ah (hearing).