B"H

Thursday, Menachem Av 2, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / July 20, 2023

This Shabbat we begin the last Book of the Torah, the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy). 

The Book of Devarim begins with, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel."  The entire Book of Devarim are the words which Moshe spoke to the Jewish people before his passing.  Moshe began the last Book of the Torah on Rosh Chodesh Shevat and finished one month and one week later, when he passed away on the seventh of Adar.

In this last Book of the Torah, Moshe reprimands the Jewish people for all the past mistakes, reminding them that when they enter the Promised Land, they shouldn’t make the mistakes their parents made. As a result of those mistakes, they stayed in the desert forty years and didn’t come into the Land of Israel.

Our sages say that the difference between the Book of Devarim and the rest of the Torah is that previously Moshe spoke to them whatever G-d told him to say. But now much of what he spoke to them were, “his own words.” As a true shepherd, he wanted to make sure that when he is gone, they should continue following the ways of the Torah.

The Midrash asks, "How is it that here the Torah says, "These are the words that Moshe spoke," But in the Book of Exodus, when G-d tells Moshe to go speak to Pharaoh and to the Jewish people in Egypt, Moshe replies, "Oh G-d, I am not a man of words..." Moshe claims that he cannot speak!

The Midrash replies: "Rabbi Tanchuma said, this is compared to a peddler who was going around selling material.  Wherever he went he would call out, ‘I have special wool to sell.’"

Once he passed by the palace.  The king called him over and asked him, "What are you selling?" The peddler replied, "I have nothing to sell."  "But I just heard you announce that you have special wool to sell," asked the king.

The peddler replied: "It is true that I announced I have good wool to sell.  But this is for the ordinary person.  For you, my king, who is so mighty and who has the most expensive materials that can be found, for you I have nothing to sell and nothing that you would buy!"

The same says Rabbi Tanchuma was with Moshe.  At The Burning Bush, in the presence of G-d, Moshe claimed that he was not a man of words.  But now in front of the Jewish people, he was indeed a man of words.  Thus, the Torah says, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel."

Parshat Devarim is read on the Shabbat before the fast of the 9th of Av, when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temples.  The very first words of the Parsha, "These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel," emphasize an important point, which is very appropriate for this time.

The destruction of the Second Temple came as a result of strife amongst Jews. It is important at this time to correct this and strive for unity amongst us.  The words "to all of Israel," alludes to this point.  It reminds us that at this time we especially need to emphasize and practice unity amongst us.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY