The mitzvah of Hakhel comes alive

Crowds, trumpets, kohanim. Singing and dancing along the roads to the House of Hashem. The joyous culmination: The king ascending the bimah and reading  sefer DEvarim to the gathered nation. A look into the Hakhel of old

“Hakhel es ha’am”

The sun set over Chevron, shedding its last rays of light on the terraces built into the ribs of the mountain.

A woman wrapped in a shawl sat under the olive trees, anxiously watching a youth as he skipped over the rocks in pursuit of his flock. She emitted a strangled cry when her son slipped off a large rock.

“Don’t fall, David,” she called out. “Your job is to care for the flock, not to scatter them.”

David laughed brightly. “But Ima, how can I be a shepherd if I don’t know the sheep by name?”

“Be that as it may, the shadows are lengthening, and it’s time to go home.” Tzofia gathered her things. “There is much work to be done, and your father awaits our return.”

“What do you want me to do?” the boy griped. He pulled at the straggling hairs budding on his chin. “I wanted so badly to stay home and help Abba prepare for our journey, but the sheep don’t understand any of that.”

“We’ll soon set out for the holy city,” Tzofia said quietly, ignoring his complaints. “We should save our energy for the journey.”

David brightened. “We’ll finally go up and appear before Hashem,” he sang out, hitting his stick on a rock to return a stray sheep to the fold. “I’ve been waiting for Succos again since we put away the arba minim last year.”

“Patience isn’t your strong suit.” Tzofia adjusted her shawl. “The autumn winds are chilly. We’ll have to bring warm clothes to Yerushalayim — it’s a mountainous area, too.”

Last year Tzofia had been shortly after birth and hadn’t been able to travel. “I’m so happy you’re coming with us to Yerushalayim, Ima.” David slipped his arm through hers and led her onto the path home.

“This year, I wouldn’t miss the aliyah l’regel for anything,” Tzofia said firmly. “Even your baby brother will join us — we’re all obligated to fulfill this rare and special mitzvah.”

“Hakhel,” David agreed.

Tzofia paused to breathe in the fresh air. “Exactly. The year of shemittah has concluded, and the date of the mitzvah of Hakhel is rapidly approaching.”

“Last time I went up to Yerushalayim for Hakhel, I was only eight.” David opened the gate to the animal pen. “I remember moments of great splendor on Motzaei Yom Tov on the first day of Succos.”

Tzofia helped her son guide the animals toward the gate. “That’s right. All of Klal Yisrael are commanded to ascend to Yerushalayim, to the Mikdash, to hear selected passages from sefer Devarim. And the highest official in the land is the ba’al korei. If there’s a king, the king reads, and in times when there’s no king in Israel, the holder of the highest office in the land is the korei.”

“But Ima, small children and their mothers aren’t obligated to fulfill the mitzvah of aliyah l’regel and appear before Hashem,” David objected. “So why did you say that we’re all obligated to go up to Yerushalayim?”

“Before his passing, Moshe Rabbeinu commanded Yehoshua bin Nun to gather together all the people, even the women and small children and strangers, to listen. From this, we learn that the mitzvah applies to every Jew. Men, women, and children, talmidei chachamim and geirim — all are commanded to go up and fulfill the mitzvah of Hakhel,” Tzofia explained, her eyes glistening with emotion. “The men go up to learn the Torah, the women go up to hear the Torah, and all are commanded to listen with concentration, because the inyan of the mitzvah is to inspire and reinforce the nation in the true faith.”

“So why are small children obligated?” queried David. “Isn’t baby Yaakov more likely to prevent the holy assembly from hearing the words of the king?”

“Infants indeed have no understanding, and one might think there’s no purpose in bringing them to Yerushalayim,” Tzofia agreed. “But the Torah commands us to bring them regardless, because there’s no greater reward for the parents who bring them than that their sons will learn the straight and just path. And now that the flock is safely gathered in the pen, it’s time we hurried home to help with the preparations.”