Parshas Ki Savo

“And now write for yourselves this song!” (Devarim 31:19)

It is a positive commandment that each man of Klal Yisrael should have a Torah Scroll. If he writes it with his own hand, it is the most loved and praised, as Chazal said that one who does this is considered as if he had received the Torah at Mount Sinai. One who is unable to write with his own hand should hire someone to write for him. About this it says “And now write for yourselves this song and teach it to the children of Yisrael!”. This means to say that you should write the Torah for yourself as it contains this song.

Amongst the roots of this commandment are that since it is well-known amongst people that they do each action according to the preparation that is available to them, it follows that Hashem commanded that each person should have a Torah Scroll available for him that he can always read and will not need to go to his friend’s house so that he will be able to learn to fear Hashem and to know and understand his commanded which are cherished and more precious than gold or much treasure. We have been commanded that each member of Klal Yisrael should try to do this and even if his father left him a Torah Scroll he should still write one for himself so that there should be many scrolls amongst us and we can lend them to those who do not have enough money to buy them and so that every member of Klal Yisrael should read in the new scrolls, lest their souls become disgusted with reading the old scrolls which their fathers left them.

Even though the main biblical obligation is only applicable to a Torah Scroll, there is no doubt that each person should do whatever he can for all other holy books which have been written to explain the Torah for the reasons that we have said and all of this true even if his fathers bequeathed many to him.

This commandment applies in all places and at all times, to men who are obligated to learn the Torah. One who does not write a Torah Scroll when he has the opportunity has transgressed this commandment. Anyone who fulfils it will be blessed and he and his sons will become wise, as it says “And now write for yourselves this song and teach it to the children of Yisrael!”.