This week we begin the final book of the Torah: D’varim (Deuteronomy). This also happens to be the name of the parsha (weekly Torah portion). It is the beginning of the end, and like all good endings, it recaps and summarizes what came before it. In a nutshell, here is what it says:
We start by being told that this is Moshe (Moses) speaking to the people at a very specific location (no I won’t give that location, it is too long – sorry), and time (40th year, 1st day of the 11th month since leaving Egypt, after defeating the Emorite kings: Sichon and Og). Moshe is explaining the Torah and he starts with haShem (god) telling him that it is time for the tribes to leave Mt. Sinai and go to the promised land. By now, the tribes are too big for him to guide them by himself.
This leads to the creation of a leadership/judicial system based on leaders of 10s, 50s, 100s, and 1000s. Then the people travel through the wilderness to Kadesh-barnea and are told to take possession of the land promised to them.
Spies are sent and after they return, the camp convinces itself that god is out to get them – to destroy them. God gets angry and tells them that because of their lack of faith, not one man will enter the promised land (with 2 exceptions: Caleb and Yehoshua).
Their children, however, will enter. The people, after hearing this news, try to go up and take the land – even though Moshe warns them not to because haShem is not with them. They get routed, and the nation then goes back into the wilderness and around Mt. Se’ir.
God eventually tells Moshe that they have circled the mountain enough and it is time to head north, past Esav and Moav. After a small history lesson of the region, and after the generation dies off, the people travel past the Ammonites and get another history lesson. Finally they cross the brook of Arnon and are told they will fight and defeat king Sichon.
The children of Yisrael, defeat Sichon, and then fight and defeat Og, king of Bashan, and take all their land.
The parsha ends with Moshe describing how the conquered land gets divided, a reminder that even though the tribes of Gad and Reuvan are settling east of the Jordan, they still have to come and help the others fight and acquire the land promised to them, and how he told Yohoshua that he will lead the people to succeed in battle because god fights for them.
Quite and opening chapter to Moshe’s final words to the people, their history and future efficiently explained.
But what’s the point?
Let me clarify my question. Moshe is giving his farewell speech to the people he has led for 40 years. The majority of them were born on the journey. He starts this address by talking about their travels since they received the Torah. However, this introduction is only about 10% of what he is going to say. So, his purpose cannot be to tell them their history, because if it was, we would be finished with the book. Besides, he leaves out the whole bit of how they got started on the trip by leaving slavery and Egypt.
On the other hand, if the purpose of his final talk is about something else, why bother starting with the history lesson?
The purpose of the history lesson introduction, I believe, is to give context and perspective to what is to follow. They first need to know that there is a system in place of law and governance and it is based on righteousness and should not be influenced by a person’s position in society. Then they need to know that land distribution belongs to haShem and is not arbitrary and that they should not mess with it. Each nation has its land, given to them by haShem. Go ahead and take the land that is given to you, but don’t take the land god gave to somebody else.
Along with this is the idea that success depends on following god’s wishes because that is the only way that god will provide them with success and with the acquiring of the land. They also need to be aware that haShem’s wishes can change in the short term, even if the long-term goal remains… and they need to pay attention to both.
This last piece is crucial, for it sets up everything that is to follow. If we want the land, we need to follow haShem’s wishes and not rebel against them, because the only way we can live on the land is if haShem is with us. Now that we know that, it is time for us to hear what haShem wishes from us – the other 90% of the book of D’varim.
Given that this parsha precedes Tisha b’Av (the day that we lost the holy temple – twice), and the current events in Israel, I think this lesson is a very important lesson for us to hear at this time. What do you think?
If you care to read what I wrote about this parsha last year, click here.
About the Author
Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.