This morning we did something that is done 5 times each year. We finished a Sefer of the Torah. And we know, the minhag is, as quoted by many
achronim, that when we finish a sefer the community says “Chazak Chazak
V’Nischazeik” “Be strong, Be strong, and
be strengthened!”
This morning I would like to explore with you WHY we have such a
minhag. What is this phrase all about,
and why is it said upon the completion of a book of the Torah? And I want to share THREE PERSPECTIVES with
you this morning:
This idea emanates from a gemara in Brachos 32b:
תנו רבנן, ארבעה צריכין חזוק ואלו הן: תורה, ומעשים טובים, תפילה ודרך
ארץ.
There are 4 things that need CHIZUK: Torah, Tefillah, Good Deeds, Derech Eretz
(profession).
תפלה מנין – שנאמר קוה אל ה’ חזק ויאמץ לבך וקוה אל ה’;
How do we know Tefillah needs chizuk? Because the pasuk in Tehillim says, “Call out
to Hashem, strengthen your heart, and then call out to Hashem again.
Rashi there explains:
קוה – והתחזק, ולא תמשוך ידך, אלא חזור וקוה.
Daven, then strengthen yourself, DON’T LET GO, rather daven again.
Says Rav Soloveitchik, you see from here that the idea of CHIZUK
means that even though you have already finished something, a section of
learning, a tefillah, you should go back and do it again.
And with this, he writes, we can explain a number of minhagim we
have:
1)
Whenever
some makes a siyum, the minhag is to begin the next masechta right at the
siyum!
2)
On
the same Shabbos when we finish a sefer of the Torah, we begin the next sefer
at Mincha. On Simchas Torah, we finish
V’Zos HaBracha and immediately begin Breishis.
3)
And
this is also the reason behind the minhag to recite the tefillah of Adon Olam
at the END of davening. Why? Because really the tefillah of Adon Olam is
supposed to be said at the beginning of davening, and so, as we complete
tefillah for the morning, we “BEGIN AGAIN” with Adon Olam. As if to say, that even though we finished,
we’re ready to start again because tefillah always needs more chizuk.
So, when we approach the end of a sefer of the Torah, we say
“Chazak V’Chazak V’Nischazeik” to remind ourselves that our journey through
Torah is not finished. We are only just
beginning. So, we have to give ourselves
the chizuk to start again.
But I want to share with you a different approach that I saw in a Sefer
called ‘Divrei Tova’, authored by Rabbi Avraham Taub:
He points out that there is a fourth item on the list of things
that need chizuk and are often overlooked:
Derech Eretz.
What is Derech Eretz? Rashi
explains it means one’s profession:
אם אומן הוא – לאומנתו, אם סוחר הוא – לסחורתו, אם איש מלחמה הוא – למלחמתו.
If he’s a professional, a salesman, or a CHAYAL, a SOLDIER. Each of them need CONSISTENT CHIZUK. And this comes from a different source:
In Shmuel II, when Yoav, David HaMelech’s General is going out to
war against a collection of multiple nations, approaching from multiple
fronts. And the TANACH writes:
שמואל ב פרק י
(ט)
וַיַּרְא יוֹאָב כִּי הָיְתָה אֵלָיו פְּנֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה מִפָּנִים וּמֵאָחוֹר וַיִּבְחַר
מִכֹּל בְּחוּרֵי בישראל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲרֹךְ לִקְרַאת אֲרָם:
Yoav saw that that the war front was approaching them from multiple
fronts, and he called upon all of young men from Am Yisrael, and they prepared
to fight Aram.
And as he sets up the plan, he tells those who are fighting with
him:
(יב)
חֲזַק וְנִתְחַזַּק בְּעַד עַמֵּנוּ וּבְעַד עָרֵי אֱלֹקֵינוּ וַיקֹוָק יַעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב
בְּעֵינָיו:
Chazak, Strengthen yourselves, and also Nitchazeik, we should also
be strengthened on behalf of our nation, the cities of Hashem, and Hashem will
do what is good in His EYES.
Explains Rav Taub, that what Yoav was saying to his soldiers was,
of course, we need to strengthen ourselves over and over. War is such
a difficult, draining exercise, and we have to everything at the same
time. But our real chizuk that we will receive is when we do so on behalf of Am
Yisrael, on behalf of Eretz Yisrael, knowing that WHATEVER HASHEM DECIDES HE
WILL DO.
We have to strengthen ourselves practically in war, but the real
strength comes when we know that ultimately we place our faith in HKBH, NOT
that all will be fine – there is so much pain and loss and suffering – but that whatever happens is part of His
plan, and will lead to the ULTIMATE GOOD.
This has been a message we have heard from so many soldiers for
months now. That they are doing their
part, but they need us to daven for them, and that all of us need to remember
that ultimately it isn’t the strength of our tanks, our aircraft, the iron
dome, or any government officials that will determine the outcome of this
war. It is the Ribbono Shel Olam.
Answer #2 as to why we say Chazak, Chazak
V’Nitchazeik is to remind ourselves every time we accomplish something
meaningful in our Avodas Hashem, like the completion of a Sefer of the Torah,
that when we put in our efforts we recognize it is ultimately HKBH who helps us
find that success.
And I want to share with you one more explanation as well:
The language of the pasuk is Chazak V’Nitchazeik, which
grammatically is translated as be strong, and we will be strengthened
together. Chazak is the ACTIVE language
and Nitchazeik is the REFLEXIVE, something that happens to us as a result.
Yoav is telling his troops that if they show strength, if each of
them is willing to find the strength within themselves to push forward, that
effort will multiply and reinforce itself within the group.
The more CHAZAK, the more we each strengthen ourselves, we don’t
LOSE OUR STRENGTH, we don’t become WEAKER!
Rather, V’NITCHAZEIK, WE ALL BECOME STRONGER!
And I would like to suggest that this is another reason we say
Chazak, Chazak, V’Nitchazeik when we finish a sefer of the Torah. We declare out loud, Chazak Chazak, the more
we continue to push forward in our dedication to a life of Torah, no matter the
pressures from the outside world and horrors that at times our people face,
V’NITCHAZEIK, we are sewing the seeds of even greater strength for all of us an
AM, as a Nation.
One of my friends, who is also a community rabbi, told me he was
meeting with a certain Talmid Chacham, and the rav asked him how things have
been going. My friend responded that
things are going well, but he is just so tired.
And this rav, who is not a young person and is constantly running around
and doing for others, quoted him a pasuk in Yeshayahu (40:31):
וְקוֹיֵ ה’
יַחֲלִיפוּ כֹחַ יַעֲלוּ אֵבֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִים יָרוּצוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ יֵלְכוּ
וְלֹא יִיעָפוּ
Those whose
faith is in Hashem will have renewed strength.
They will grow wings like Eagles, they will run and not grow tired, they
will walk and not grow weary.
When we strengthen ourselves to do the things we know we can do on
behalf of Am Yisrael, when we are pushing ourselves l’shem shamayim, not only
will we not lose strength, we will be reinvigorated with the koach to do more.
This Chazak is a challenging one.
The war began as we began sefer Breishis. Today we finished the sefer, but the war is
far from over, and we need more chizuk.
It’s hard to find the strength to keep doing the things we know we
need to do on behalf of Am Yisrael. The
news each day of more chayalim losing their lives, hostages still not released,
and an uncertain destination in terms of the war can cause us to feel depressed
and down. And yet, Yoav reminds us:
(יב)
חֲזַק וְנִתְחַזַּק בְּעַד עַמֵּנוּ וּבְעַד עָרֵי אֱלֹקֵינוּ וַיקֹוָק יַעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב
בְּעֵינָיו:
When we can find the strength to do what we can on behalf of our
Am, on behalf of the cities of HKBH, to give HKBH more reasons to do that which
is GOOD in His eyes, we don’t just give ourselves strength, but NITCHAZEIK, we
ALL feel that strength together.
At the end of the story in Shmuel II, we are told that Yoav and the
young men he had gathered to fight the enemy approach the front lines,
(יג)
וַיִּגַּשׁ יוֹאָב וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ לַמִּלְחָמָה בַּאֲרָם וַיָּנֻסוּ מִפָּנָיו:
and when they see this strong, unified Jewish army, they FLEE.
So, yes, there are at least 3 reasons for saying Chazak Chazak
V’Nischazeik:
1)
To
remind us that no matter how much we have accomplished in our Avodas Hashem,
there is always more we can accomplish.
2)
To
remind us that even as we put in our own efforts, our greatest chizuk is in
knowing that HKBH has some kind of plan for us.
3)
To
remind us that when we are willing to strengthen ourselves as individuals, we
end up strengthening each other, and that strength only grows and gives us more
energy.
And, of course, they can all be true. May we find that strength within ourselves to
keep pushing forward, to keep giving strength to ourselves and to others, and
may that strength result in V’Nishchazeik, a community and an Am that remains
stronger than ever.