Shabbos Parashas Va'eschanan - 5779

Shabbos Parashas Va'eschanan - 5779

Rabbi Hal Miller

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor shall you subtract from

it, to observe the commandment of Hashem, your God, that I command you.

[Devarim 4:2]

Our verse seems pretty clear, yet it spawns much debate. Why is there confusion?

It seems that we add commandments of all kinds all the time, so where do we get

the permission? Both Rambam and Ramban say that it applies to changes to

existing mitzvos, not just adding new ones. Nechama Leibowitz tells us that, "Not

the slightest deviation in the manner of observance is permitted, even out of the

best intentions." So how do we justify the mitzva of reading the Megillah on Purim?

King Yeravam was punished for adding a holiday, so what about Yom Yerushalayim

or Yom HaShoah?

Rashi, from Sifrei, defines for us what is prohibited: "For instance, five passages

into the tefillin, five species in the lulav, five fringes." Ramban expands this to

include sleeping in a succah on the eighth night. From this we understand that we

are not allowed to change details. So how did the Sages get away with adding the

Megillah reading on Purim? They found various allusions to the Purim story in the

text of the Torah, and using the process of "asmachta", found it to be a mitzva.

In Yevamos, the Sages bring Vayikra 18:30, "You shall safeguard My commandments"

as meaning that the Torah grants us permission to do whatever is necessary to keep

ourselves from violating its laws. This is the "fence around the Torah". Virtually all of

the 'additions' claimed by doubters throughout history fall into this permitted area, not

changing the mitzvos, just adding protections to ensure we don't violate the ones there.

If Yeravam was punished for adding a holiday, what about Yom Yerushalayim and the

others we have added to the calendar? Certainly there was serious debate on this at

the time each was added, in particular as to whether we could say the Hallel. Chizkuni

explains that not adding or subtracting only applies to matters of Divine service. Unlike

Yeravam, we do not bring sacrifices for these new holidays, but the question is

unresolved regarding the upcoming time of the Third Temple. Fortunately, at that time

we will be given clear Divine guidance on all our questions.

Malbim gives us a fairly obvious answer. "One cannot add to or subtract from

something that is perfect. The commandments are from God who is the ultimate

perfection, thus the commandments themselves are perfect." But this does not

satisfy the person who is not yet a believer in that Perfection.

Nachshoni brings the Talmud Yerushalmi [Shekalim]. "If a person says to his fellow,

why do you need so many mitzvos?, he can answer him, why do you need such

long intestines? We do not understand the composition of the body and its different

organs, and it is all the more impossible for us to understand the nature of the Torah

and mitzvos. We know only that the Torah is complete, and that whoever adds to it

subtracts." But again, this answer works for those who already believe. How about

someone who is on the fringe?

Talelei Oros addresses such a person directly, "One should never say to himself

that if we would subtract some of the mitzvos it would be easier to observe the Torah."​

The Torah is a complete, integral system. To remove any part is to end its ability to

function, and to add any part is to throw a monkey wrench in the works. It may be

that a given person does not know all the laws, and does not yet even follow the

ones he does know, but we must explain that the system is complete, and it is our

job to learn it. Anything else would not be Judaism.