From the archives:
Chazal say that Yehoshua had a special connection to Sefer Devarim.
אמר רבי שמעון בן יוחאי ספר משנה תורה היה סגנון יהושע. בשעה שנגלה עליו הקב"ה מצאו יושב וספר משנה תורה בידו
Said Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai: Sefer Mishna Torah [Dvarim] was the "signon" [style - some interpret "flag"] of Yehoshua. When Hashem appeared to him he found him with a Sefer Mishna Torah in hand [Breishis Rabba 6/9].
What is the unique relationship between Yehoshua and Sefer Devarim?
Maran HaRav Hutner ztz"l [Shvuos Maamar 45 - see also Zeev Yitrof Neviim Rishonim Simman Beis and Hagadas Marbeh Li-saper P. 162 for different approaches] explained beautifully by first calling our attention to a gemara in Brachos [8]: The gemara cites one source that says that a person should live near his Rebbi and another source that says that he should NOT live near his Rebbi. The gemara resolves the contradiction by saying that if one is subordinate to his Rebbi - כייף ליה - he should live in his vicinity. Otherwise- לא כייף ליה - he should not.
That explains the parsha of Sarah and Hagar. Hagar was not willing to accept Sarah's authority so Sarah compelled her to leave in order to prevent her from transgressing the sin of not listening to your teacher.
Torah must be learned in such a way that one's deeds exceed one's learning [מעשיו מרובה מחכמתו] as it says in Pirkei Avos. If one is willing to accept rebuke from his Rebbi then his מעשים exceed his חכמה. If one doesn't accept the authority of his Rebbi to tell him what to do and how to act then he lacks the quality of מעשיו מרובה מחכמתו which CORRUPTS THE VALUE OF HIS LEARNING. Such a person must leave town and not be near his Rebbi.
The צורה - proper form of kabbalas talmid mi-rabo is through willingness to accept criticism. That is part and parcel of the transmission of the Torah from generation to generation.
In Brachos [5] it says that Neviim and Ksuvim were passed down from Sinai. Sifrei Neviim, explains Rashi [beginning of Maseches Megilla], were words of rebuke that were needed for the generations.
That means that part of the kabbala from Sinai was to accept rebuke from a Rebbi.
Back to Yehoshua and Sefer Devarim.
Devarim is essentially a loooong mussar shmooze from Moshe Rabbeinu where he exhorts the Jews to keep the Torah when they arrive in Eretz Yisrael. Yehoshua was talmid par excellence. It follows naturally that he would feel a special link to Sefer Devarim where he could learn the rebuke of his Rebbi.
משה קיבל תורה מסיני ומסרה ליהושע - Part and parcel of the kabbala mi-sinai from a Rebbi MUST include rebuke.
This is what our generation lacks in the worst way. A willingness to have a Rebbi and to seek his advice, counsel and admonishment. A true ben aliyah LOVES rebuke. He wants to become a better person and he realizes that he is biased about himself and his avodah and that he is also lacking the knowledge that would enable him to extricate himself from the spiritual mud in which he is mired. He also needs a Rebbi to tell him when he is doing the RIGHT thing which he often may not realize.
As the Navi says - at times when אין מלך בישראל then what happens is איש הישר בעיניו יעשה- people do and say whatever they want. That is the source of many problems we see today. People live lives of איש הישר בעיניו יעשה. No bittul. No being subordinate. No humility. I know it all. NO כייף ליה.
Some people decided that it is time for women rabbis. Others decided that it is really ok to give every 8 year old an iphone. So many problems and so little acceptance of authority. It is almost like authority died when Rav Moshe and Rav Soloveitchik died.
Sweetest friends!!! I call out to you to continue growing and to firmly plant yourself in the chain of Torah transmission through acceptance of a Rebbi and tzadik to guide you.
