At the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy,
Moses is no longer the lawgiver, for the law has already been given. He is now
the law’s interpreter. This is the source of his title Moshe Moreinu, Moses our
teacher. Here in this book which has been called his last will and testament, Moshe
is no longer imparting wisdom and knowledge to which he alone has access. His
new role is to teach, to repeat, explain, expound, rephrase and interpret the
traditional material contained in the Torah to make sure it is understood by
the next generation.
He is giving an historical account of having led their parents. He is asking Israel to remember its history. These people were not at Sinai, they are the next generation. They must be taught the Torah.
He is giving an historical account of having led their parents. He is asking Israel to remember its history. These people were not at Sinai, they are the next generation. They must be taught the Torah.
An important lesson is
being learned here, No one becomes a Jew without being taught how to be a Jew. That’s
why we stress Torah, avodah and gemilut hasadim, Study, Worship and Acts of
Generosity. Jewish ancestry may be one of the conditions for Jewish identity
but it is not sufficient in and of itself. What is necessary is the daily
activity of keeping faith with our ancestors, and emulating them, their study,
their worship and their acts of generosity, those things about which Moshe
reminds the children of Israel.
Why does Moshe remind them? Because the Jewish past demands a continual response from the present generation. In our prayers, we thank God for freeing US from Mitzrayim, from Egypt, for giving US the Torah. US not THEM. WE were not there, but we are responsible for and to the consequences of what transpired there. We are part of that legacy and tradition. In parashat Devarim, Moshe begins the repetition of the Torah by teaching the children of Israel that the new Jewish life in the Promised Land begins with accepting the Jewish past and building on it, according to God’s commnndments.
Why does Moshe remind them? Because the Jewish past demands a continual response from the present generation. In our prayers, we thank God for freeing US from Mitzrayim, from Egypt, for giving US the Torah. US not THEM. WE were not there, but we are responsible for and to the consequences of what transpired there. We are part of that legacy and tradition. In parashat Devarim, Moshe begins the repetition of the Torah by teaching the children of Israel that the new Jewish life in the Promised Land begins with accepting the Jewish past and building on it, according to God’s commnndments.
In
commenting on why Moshe must repeat the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the
nation’s travails in the desert which have brought them to this spot in history
listening to Moshe, Rashi writes that the people needed to understand the Torah
in order to accept it. We are defined by our attachment and devotion to the
Torah and it forms a basis for Jewish tradition. There can be no Jewish people
without it. Therefore they must understand it.
This reminds me of a story.
Some poor man has been stranded alone on an island for years. Finally he sees a boat in the distance and starts a fire and signals the boat. A sailor rows ashore with a pile of newspapers and magazines and says to the castaway... ‘The captain sent these newspapers for you to read so that you can decide whether you want to be rescued.’
This I think is the purpose of this week’s parasha, and of the entire book of Deutoronomy. Moshe is recounting the tale of our relationship with God. This is what has happened. And the children of Israel need to decide whether they want to be rescued.
No body becomes a Jew without being taught how to be a Jew and that is what we do as we read the Torah each week, teaching ourselves about the past so that we can build a Jewish future.
Shabbat Shalom
This reminds me of a story.
Some poor man has been stranded alone on an island for years. Finally he sees a boat in the distance and starts a fire and signals the boat. A sailor rows ashore with a pile of newspapers and magazines and says to the castaway... ‘The captain sent these newspapers for you to read so that you can decide whether you want to be rescued.’
This I think is the purpose of this week’s parasha, and of the entire book of Deutoronomy. Moshe is recounting the tale of our relationship with God. This is what has happened. And the children of Israel need to decide whether they want to be rescued.
No body becomes a Jew without being taught how to be a Jew and that is what we do as we read the Torah each week, teaching ourselves about the past so that we can build a Jewish future.
Shabbat Shalom
