Matos

The Gemara brings: A person should always complete his Parshiyos, saying the pesukim two times and Targum Onkelos one time, and even with the words Ataros and Divone, which were from the cities across the Yarden. One who fulfills this mitzva will be blessed with extended days and years to live. The Mechaber in Shulchan Aruch brings that one is obligated to fulfill this mitzva.

Why is there a requirement to say pesukim two times and Onkelos one time? What is unique about Ataros and Divone that they are singled out to be said a third time?

The Machatzis HaShekel brings: the Magen Avrahom explains that the reason to say the pesukim twice is so every person should go through the entire Torah and learn it from beginning to end. The Haga’os Maimoniyos however brings from the Rabeinu Chananel that the reason is so a person should be familiar with the parsha that the tzibbur will be reading on Shabbos. This will help a person be prepared in case he will be called up for an aliyah and need to lein the Torah.

The Pri Migadim brings from the Mateh Moshe that three times corresponds to the three times that the Torah was given and reviewed. 1-on Har Sinai; 2-by the Ohel Mo’ed; 3-Mishneh Torah, by which it states באר היטיב, “explained well.” So too, we say the pesukim twice and Targum Onkelos once, which translates and explains the Torah well.

Rashi explains that although there is no translation on the words Ataros and Divone one still needs to say them three times in lashon hakodesh. Tosfos asks: Reuven and Shimon are also not translated by Onkelos with different words. If so their names could have been mentioned as an example? Tosfos explains that although Atoros and Divone do not have Targum Onkelos, they do have Targum Yerushalmi, which one will need to say.

HaRav Hutner zatzal brings the Bi’ur HaGra explains: Targum Onkelos, in Aramaic, was given to explain the Torah, and therefore the language of Aramaic gets kedusha from the Torah itself. Ataros and Divone are similar, in that these cities were added from across the Yarden outside Eretz Yisrael, to become part of Eretz Yisrael, receiving kedusha from Eretz Yisrael.

May Hashem help us complete the parshiyos, each passuk twice and Onkelos one time, and be zoche to lengthen our days and years!