Va’eschanan 4:4 · unit 1

TT #7 · Parashas Va’eschanan · First Aliyah · Passuk 4:4

The Complete Passuk

וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חַיִּ֥ים כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃

But you who cling to Hashem your God are all alive today.

Chabad.org — 4:4

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Kesubos 111b (how is it possible to “cling” to the Shechinah?).

Sefaria — Kesubos 111b

E-Daf image — Kesubos 111b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם — וּכִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהִדָּבֵק בַּשְּׁכִינָה? וְהָא כְּתִיב כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה הוּא! אֶלָּא כָּל הַמַּשִּׂיא בִּתּוֹ לְתַלְמִיד חָכָם, וְהָעוֹשֶׂה פַּרְקַמְטְיָא לְתַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, וְהַמַּהֲנֶה תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מִנְּכָסָיו, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ מִתְדַּבֵּק בַּשְּׁכִינָה.

English: “But you who cling to Hashem your God” — is it possible to cling to the Shechinah? Behold it is written “for Hashem your God is a consuming fire”! Rather, anyone who marries his daughter to a talmid chacham, or who does business for talmidei chachamim, or who benefits talmidei chachamim from his property — Scripture accounts it to him as if he clings to the Shechinah.

On the daf / in context: The Gemara resolves the paradox of devekus to a consuming fire by translating the mitzvah into concrete support of Torah scholars. Practical acts of enabling Torah study become the vehicle of attachment to Hashem.

Type of Learning

Custom (aggadic resolution of the impossibility of literal devekus).

What Is Learned

True clinging to Hashem is realized by supporting talmidei chachamim — marrying one’s daughter to them, conducting their business, or sustaining them from one’s property.