Empty Jews

At the end of the שירה in פרשת האזינו, Moshe Rabbeinu gives a final charge to the nation, as to the importance of observing the commandments.

He says, כי לא דבר ריק הוא מכם, that this (Torah observance) is not something empty from you. That extra word, מכם, from you, seems superfluous. The Pasuk should simply have said that the observance of Mitzvot, is not something empty. Why add the word, מכם?

The answer is a kind of play on words. The Rabbis add a few words with a change in punctuation. They say, ואם ריק הוא, and if he is ריק, empty, then it is מכם!

It is telling us that if an individual, himself, is empty of the intellectual capacity to see just how rich our heritage is, and how special it is to be a Jew, then it will elude him. He will be blocked from being able to see what should be obvious.

This is a sad commentary of the state of the Jewish world today. While there is a rebirth on the one hand of the Jewish nation, incredible ignorance abounds through so many of our Jewish brethren. May Hashem open their eyes so that they realize that Judaism is not something empty.