The final section, Vizos Habracha – And This Is The Blessing, is read on the Yom Tov of Simchos Torah according to all customs. It is the final blessings that Moshe gave before his death. They are beautiful blessings. They come after we have celebrated Yom Kippur and Succos. Thus being forgiven for our sins and filling our basket, so to speak, with the mitzvos found in the Yom Tov of Succos.

In the Torah Reading we find that Dan is described as a lion. This is in part because the Tribe of Dan lived close to the border. What we see from here that border places need to present a strong front, like a lion. Thus nations will be hesitant or frightened to attack.

The Torah is indeed our guide to life in every way. Today we are in the midst of a difficult time. We suffered a great loss by the borders of Gaza. We need to always present the strength of a lion at our border places.

Now indeed we need to act as strong lions and see to it that our borders will be safe and none will think of harming the Jewish people.

This is the Torah Reading that Moshe gave us all special blessings. We need to march forth with the blessings until the final blessing of Moshiach and the building of the 3rd Holy Temple will be fulfilled.

May it be very very soon.

The Torah reading Ha’azeenu – “Give Ear” is the last weekly portion read on Shabbos.  The final portion, Vizos Habracha – “This is the Blessing”  is read on Shmeenee Atzeres – Simchas Torah.  Ha’azeenu is also often read on Shabbos Shuva, the Shabbos before Yom Kippur, as is the case this year.  It is a special song, which is recommended to learn by heart. (good for the businessman).  It was sung by Moshe (look out American Idol), before the Jewish nation enter Israel and just before Moshe will pass away on Mt. Navo.  Thus it was meant to have a powerful impact on the Jewish Nation.

The song contains very powerful ‘threats’ if we do not follow the Torah and very powerful and beautiful promises if we do the commandments in the land promised to us.  This is a very appropriate portion for Shabbos Shuva, the concept, to return to the correct path in life. Each verse is filled with interpretation, either for the good or for the negative.  Our actions can have a similar impact in life.  This song is certainly a reminder that we should try to select the action that will produce the positive result and thus the blessings that come with it.

Moshe stresses that Torah is our very life. Success is dependent on our attachment to Torah. Moshe tells the people that they will remain in Israel as long as they show a strong connection to Torah.

Indeed, as the Jewish nation weakened their connection, they were defeated, the Temple was destroyed and they were exiled.

We need to work on our attachment to Torah. Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur helps us very much in this direction. Let as enter Shabbos Shuva and then Yom Kippur with the proper desire to fulfill the will of the Al-mighty. We will then merit Moshiach and the building of the 3rd Holy Temple.

The Torah Reading for this week is a double portion, Nitzaveem – Vayailech
Standing – And He Went. It is read before Rosh Hashona – the New Year.

The Torah portion of Nitzaveem is always read before Rosh Hashona, sometimes with Vayailech, as is this year.

In the Torah Reading Moshe announces that he will not be going on any further and that Yehoshua will be taking over.

The Jewish Nation has lived with Moshe and all the miracles he helped perform for many years.

Moshe was concerned that they would be concerned and worried. He now works to set their fears aside and let them know they will have a great leader and things will be good.

We in our day to day lives may also have concerns to how will we succeed in overcoming the various obstacles our lives will encounter. Moshe is saying we need not fear.

We need only to march forward and do what the Al-mighty wants of us and He will then do all the wonderful things we need in our lives.

May we indeed march forward in a positive way and as we enter the New Year may it be the year of our redemption with the coming of Moshiach and the building of our 3rd Holy Temple.

This week’s Torah Reading is called Key Savo – When You Will Come (into the promised land of Israel).

In this Torah Reading we are again given a view of all the blessings we will receive by doing the will of the Al-mighty. There are indeed many blessings. There are also later given the long list of negatives if we do not listen.

The Torah describes the enemy coming to battle us as approaching in one group but they will break up and flee from us in seven groups.

In life we face an obstacle that seems to be very powerful and unable to overcome. Torah is telling us that if we remain firm in our commitments to the Al-mighty and do that which we should, then the obstacle will shatter in to 7 pieces and flee. We will have succeeded in overcoming the challenge.

We need to march forward with the proper faith and see to it that we carry out the will of the Al-mighty and thus very very soon we will merit the final redemption with the coming of Moshiach and the building of our 3rd Holy Temple.

This week’s Torah Reading is Key Taitzai – When You Will Go Out, (to do battle). The Parsha contains 27 Positive Commandments and 47 Negative Commandments. It is fully packed.

In the Torah Reading we read, a very nice and interesting concept. When a man gets married he has a very positive obligation to dedicate his first year of marriage to making his wife happy. This is a very nice concept. This will strengthen their bond with each other during the many years they will be together.

It is very important to indeed have a strong bond as there may be later in life difficult obstacles that this bond will help to overcome. This powerful and beautiful bond helps build a wonderful Jewish home.

We can learn from this that it is indeed important that each of us dedicate some special time to strengthen our bond with the Al-mighty. This can help carry us through some difficult times we may face.

By applying our energy to creating a strong and pleasant bond, hopefully this will bear fruit with the coming of Moshiach and the building of our Holy 3rd Temple. May it indeed be very very soon.

This week’s Torah Reading is called Shofteem – Judges. We also have entered the special month of Elul, the month before Rosh Hashona, the New Year. We begin to add prayers and also blow the Shofar after the morning prayers. This is a special time to renew our connection to the Al-mighty and to receive a positive judgement for the New Year.

In the Torah Reading we read a very interesting concept. When we go to war Moshe says we should not worry even knowing that the enemy we face is far greater in numbers and in skills.

We are doing the will of the Al-mighty and we are thus His messengers carrying out the Al-mighty’s will.

If we are doing the things we are suppose to do in life, the Mitzvos, the Commandments, then we will be very successful and no harm will befall us.

In our own personal battles, if we are fulfilling Torah and Mitzvos we will succeed in our endeavors. We need to judge ourselves and see to it that our actions are indeed fulfilling the Al-mighty’s will.

With this type of approach we will very very soon merit to have Moshiach and the 3rd Beis HaMikdosh.

This week’s Torah Reading is Ri’aih – See. We also bless the New Month of Elul. Elul is the month that we review all our actions of the past year and prepare for Rosh Hashona – The New Year.

In the Torah Reading we read that “We are G-d’s children”. Thus we as a nation have to act in a special way. How we look after ourselves physically and the foods we eat.

Simply put all our activities and actions have to be proper, “kosher”.

We need to remember that our body is so to speak on loan from the Al-mighty. As such we have an obligation to see that it is properly looked after. We cannot carve it up with permanent decorations.

We need to feed the body the proper kosher food.

By a person being concerned about the body in a Torah way this will also help the person in a spiritual way to fulfill the Mitzvos – Commandments.

With this proper approach we will very very soon merit the coming of Moshiach and the building of our 3rd Holy Temple.

This week’s Torah reading is called Aikev – “The Heel”. It is given this name because there is a tendency to ‘step’ (not to do) those commandments that seem unimportant. They sort of get stepped on by the ‘heel’. The Torah tells us that they are also important and should be observed.

ln the Torah Reading we find several times that we are reminded not to think that because we are so great and holy that is why we are so very successful.

The Al-mighty made a promise to our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yakov that we would be given the promised land. Moshe is telling them that now has come the time to fulfill the promise.

In life, it is important not to let our egos get the better of us and cause us to think we are so great and successful due to our superior intelligence. We need to recognize that we are being blessed by the Al-mighty.

When we live a Torah life, obeying the Giver of the Torah, the Al-mighty, then we are indeed very blessed. It was with this attitude that the Jewish Nation, led by Yehoshua, was able to conquer the mighty nations in the land of Israel.

With a humble attitude and doing what the Al-mighty asks of us, we will very very soon merit the coming of Moshiach and the building of our 3rd Holy Temple.

This week’s Torah Reading is called Vaeschanan – And I Pleaded. This week also has the historical event of the destruction of the Holy Temple on the 9th of Av, this year on Thursday. This Shabbos is also referred to as Shabbos Nachamu, the Shabbos of Comforting – the destruction and loss of the Holy Temple, may it very very soon be rebuilt.

In this Torah Reading Moshe reminds us that we personally experienced the events at Mt. Sinai with the giving of the 10 Commandments. There we saw no physical image and we realized that there is only the Al-mighty and no other gods.

This Moshe stresses we need to maintain. In our daily lives we tend sometimes to blow up things to almost a G-d like level.

We need to quickly realize that this is not so. We are being misled.

This week we saw that if we go off the Torah path the end result is the destruction of our Holy Bais HaMikdash. We need to get back on the Torah path and work hard in fulfilling the will of the Al-mighty.

This will very very soon lead us to the coming of Mosheach and the building of our 3rd Holy Temple.

This week’s Torah Reading begins the 5th book called Devoreem – Words. This week is also the beginning of the month of Menachem Av. This is the month that our Temples were destroyed and our exiles, including this one, began.

In the Torah portion we read, that Moshe begins this section on the 1st day of the 11th month. This is the month of Shevat. He will pass away just over 5 weeks, on the 7th of Adar. Thus the Book of Devoreem will be given over in a very short time.

The month of Shevat is the New Year for trees. We are compared to a tree. We need proper nourishment. The Torah is our nourishment and we will be healthy and have healthy fruit, children.

By focusing on the final book in the Torah and seeing to it we indeed learn, this will help bring about the positive result of our final redemption and the building of our 3rd Holy Temple.