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Vayeilech: Finding the New in the Old

One of the final Mitzvos on the Torah is the mitzva of Hakhel – on the Sukkos of the year following Shemittah, the king read all of Sefer Devarim in the Beis HaMikdosh.

R’ Aaron Lopiansky sees a beautiful message in this mitzva. Devarim is the Sefer that was written by Moshe – but its content is not truly new. It is Moshe’s understanding of the things that Hashem had previously said, and his application of those Divine principles to the upcoming life of the nation in Ererz Yisroel.

Explains R’ Lopiansky, this is symbolic of the job of a Jewish king. He is not to make up new ideals, but he can’t just repeat old ideals either. Rather, his job is to see the new within the old, to find the application of the old ideals that his generation needs to hear.

R’ Lopiansky further explains that this is one of the messages that Chazal intended when they said that the reason that the children are brought to Hakhel is “to give reward to those who brought them”. This doesn’t just mean that shleping kids is a pain, so you get reward for it. It means that the truest success a parent can have is to impart to their children the ability to find the new messages within old wisdom.

לע״נ דוד חיים בן ישראל דוב הכהן
לע״נ ר׳ חיים דוב בן ר׳ בןציון שלום