The Talmud (Brachot 8) records that there is a mitzvah to review the weekly Parsha twice and to read its “Targum” (translation) once. This weekly rabbinic mitzvah is referred to as “Shnayim Mikra”. The Maharal explains that the reason why there is an obligation to review the weekly Parsha three times is because the Chumash records that the Torah was taught three times: At Har Sinai, at the Ohel Moed, and at Arvot Moav. The mitzvah of Shnayim Mikra is codified in Shulchan Aruch (OC 285). Here are a few of the halachot associated with this mitzvah: One can fulfill their obligation to read the Parsha a second time by reading along with the Baal Koreh on Shabbat morning. Instead of Targum Onkelos, one can review Rashi on the Parsha instead. According to the Taz, one may fulfill their mitzvah of “Echad Targum” with a traditional and authoritative English translation of the Parsha. Not all Poskim agree to this, and many require either Rashi or Onkelos (or both). Today one can use an English translation of Rashi on Chumash as their Targum. The timeframe for reviewing the Parsha begins on Sunday. Ideally one should finish reviewing the Parsha by the time one sits down to eat Shabbat dinner on Friday night. If one is not done by then, there are different opinions as far as the deadline for Shnayim Mikra. Some say it is Shabbat afternoon (when we begin reading next week’s Parsha), some say it is Wednesday of the next week, and some say that you have until Simchat Torah to complete the task (ie it’s viewed as an annual obligation and just must be completed before we start again from Bereishit). Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 5:17) notes that the obligation of Shnayim Mikra applies even to those who learn Torah over the course of the week. Part of everyone’s Torah study schedule should include Shnayim Mikra. Rabbi Feinstein goes on to lament the fact that Shnayim Mikra is a mitzvah that has been neglected even by those who make Torah study a priority.
One of the benefits of Shnayim Mikra is that it affords us an opportunity to see new things in the Parsha and learn new lessons each year. For example, as I was reading Parshat Behaalotecha this past week I was struck by something that I had never noticed before. Soon after Bnai Yisrael left Har Sinai, they began to complain. Moshe turned to Hashem and expressed his feelings of exasperation of being overwhelmed by the needs of the people. Hashem tells Moshe to appoint 70 men to serve as religious leaders and to help lighten Moshe’s load. As I read about this episode I was reminded that this is not the first time Moshe was encouraged to delegate and to empower others who could help lead the nation. In Parshat Yitro we read that Moshe’s father-in-law was concerned about the system that existed at Har Sinai, whereby Moshe was the last and first address for all of the people’s problems and questions. Yitro encouraged Moshe to appoint many leaders and to establish a system of sharing the burden of serving the people. As I read about the appointment of the 70 elders I wondered: What happened to the system that was established by Yitro? The answer I believe (though I never noticed it before) is found at the end of Chapter 10. As he is leaving Har Sinai, Moshe invites his father-in-law to join the Jewish People as they travel to Israel. According to the pesukim, Yitro declined. We can imagine that once Yitro left, his recommendations for Moshe on how to delegate went by the wayside. That’s why it was necessary to create a new system of 70 Zekeinim to replace Yitro’s system of delegating. From here we can learn the challenge of maintaining change for the long term, especially when the initial impetus for that change is no longer present. Let us always be ready and willing to learn the Parsha each week with fresh eyes and a willingness to learn new lessons.
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