~ One Hundred Words on the Parsha- Devarim

רב לכם סב את ההר הזה, פנו לכם צפונה. (דברים ב:ג)

“Enough circling the mountain (referring to Har Seir, the home of descendants of Esav), now turn north.”

As a rule, Rav Shach did not approve of demonstrations. He would say that the damage is definite while the benefit is doubtful. He felt that there is both a physical and spiritual danger for the demonstrators. He also believed that demonstrating enflames the hatred of chareidim on the part of the average Israeli. Rav Shach would point to the medrash (Devarim Raba 1:19) on this verse, “If you see Esav trying to fight with you, don’t stand up against him, rather hide (צפונה) from him. … If you see that he is confronting you, flee to the Torah, which is called צפונה.”

Rav Shach would point out that there are two messages in this medrash. First of all, don’t stand against Esav, rather hide. And second of all, our response to threats (either physical or spiritual) should be to increase our Torah learning. The amount of light that we bring into the world will cause much darkness to dissipate.

~ One Hundred Words on the Parsha – Devorim

“עד בלתי השאיר לו שריד”

משה רבינו is celebrating victory. “We wiped out עוג and his nation and none were saved.”

Contrast this with פרשת לך לך where עוג was called the פליט, the one who was saved from the מבול. This shows the greatness of משה רבינו and the Jew’s war with עוג and his people. Even this giant, who survived the מבול in which everyone else was killed, was able to be destroyed by them to the point that this time nobody was left.