Slow down (Deauts 28:2 )

Right before the 63 pasuk long aliyah and Tochachah--or rebuke--Bnei Yisrael first learns what happens if they do, indeed, follow God's commandments. A strange occurrence is described as a result of performing mitzvot and that is:
"וּבָאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל-הַבְּרָכוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְהִשִּׂיגֻךָ כִּי a תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ" (Deuteronomy 28:2) "These blessings will come to you and overtake you because you have listen to Hashem your God." The Netziv points out the interesting word "overtake" and wonders what is meant by the peculiar word. The Netziv explains that usually, most people are running around and seeking after the great fortunes they dream they can obtain. The Netziv says that there is an important lesson to be learned from here. These people, who are running around seeking great fortune, do not take into account that, perhaps, if they stopped for a while, fortune would catch up with them. Sometimes, our destiny is close by, and if we slow down, it will overtake us. The Netziv explains that if one follows the commandments of the Torah, the blessings will catch up with him and he will not have to chase around looking for them. And, even if one decides to go looking, the blessings will, nevertheless, pursue him and overtake him. If we take things slowly and walk in the ways of the Torah, blessings and great fortune will find their way to us.

Amalek

Rashi, in an interesting midrash, says that the reason Amalek attacked Bnei Yisrael shortly after they exited Egypt was for one odd--very odd-- reason. Rashi says that Bnei Yisrael was dealing dishonestly with weights and measurement (the passage immediately preceding this one) in the desert and that is why God had allowed Amalek to attack. The Netziv, being the realist that he is, asks the obvious question: "They had weights and measurement in the desert?" "Were there actually business dealings in the deserts?" How is it that sinning in this capacity historically provided the impetus for an attack by Amalek? 

The Netziv provides an understanding of weights and measurements that can be applied to the attack of Amalek. Cheating  by way of weights and measurements is the easiest way to steal because the customer does not know that he is being cheated. The only thing preventing someone from dealing dishonestly with weights and measurements is an awareness of God. Even though people won't notice, nothing escapes Divine Omniscience. Cheating in weights is not meant to be taken literally as the cause for Amalek. The sin is merely a symptom of a deeper, more inherent sin--lack of faith and awareness of God. The ultimate paradigm of this sin is the person who is more afraid of people seeing him as a thief but gives  no heed to the fact his actions are being noted by God himself. 

The Netziv goes further and addresses another puzzling Pasuk.

 "אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל-הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים" (Deuteronomy 25:18).

The end of the Pasuk reads that someone was "not God fearing." However, the ambiguous phrase does not tell us who is not God fearing. Rashi reads it as Amalek not being God fearing while the Netziv reads it as Bnei Yisrael who are the ones not fearing God.  The real fault was lack of faith in God. For a people sustained so miraculously through Divine Providence to not believe in God is a true blow to God's name and, indeed, warrants an attack by a godless people such as Amalek. The Netziv explains that the one belief, above all, which a Jew must fight to preserve in this world is belief in God.

Parshat KI Tavo

In the midst of the big rebuke that goes on in Parshat Ki Tavo, we find an interesting Pasuk: 
"יְקִימְךָ יְהוָֹה לוֹ לְעַם קָדוֹשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע-לָךְ כִּי תִשְׁמֹר אֶת-מִצְוֹת יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ בִּדְרָכָיו"
(Deuteronomy 28:9). "God will make you a holy nation just like he promised if you safeguard his Mitzvot and you walk in his ways." What is the phrase of "Walking in his ways" telling us that's not included in "safeguard his Mitzvot?" The Netziv comes along and offers a tremendous answer. The Netziv explains that it is a common misconception that the proper way to become holy is to fully disengage oneself from all worldly matters. One becomes holy by doing Mitzvot for God and God alone. Any contact with anyone else besides for God is unnecessary and damaging to one's holiness. This is the person that the Netziv is speaking to. What Moshe is really saying, says the Netziv, is that the way for one to become holy is to involve himself in all Mitzvot, whether they pertain to heavenly obligations or simply obligations to one's fellow man--Mitzvot ben adam l'chavero. Just like God, who involves himself in worldly things, so, too, we must do the same. Mitzvot ben adam l'chavero are not secondary to our obligations to God--they are part of our obligations to God.  In short, holiness in Judaism is not setting oneself above daily life and avoiding contact with others but rather living with people and acting towards them in the way the Torah prescribes. Go Netziv.