As we begin this final book of the Torah and draw closer to the completion of the whole, let us bear Moshes method in mind. Pshuto Shel Mikra: From the Teachings of Rav Yehuda Copperman, 23 Minute Daf With Rabbi Hertzka Greenfeld, Rabbi Aharon Sorscher - 10 Min Iyun Highlights, Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Brodt - On The Mesechta, Reflections on the Daf with Rabbi Weinreb, Yerushalmi with Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Zev Ginzberg, Chumash Rashi by Rabbi Shaul Aryeh Rosenberg, D'rachim B'Parsha With Rabbi Mordechai Appel, Epilogues - Overview of the Weekly Haftorah, Haamek Davar - Netziv by Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph. While there is much technical information in the book concerning the commandments, much emphasis, elaboration and even innovation, the purpose of the lawgiver is not simply to review the known or else to introduce the novel. In both his main speech and finale, Moshe Rabbeinu addresses the new generation as though they themselves left Egypt and stood at Har Sinai. G. We noted the function of Torah as the 'Tree of Life', the means by which we 'return to Gan Eden'. The question arises, why would Moshe Rabbeinu pick this particular time to translate the Torah into many languages? Correspondingly, Sefer Devarim describes Eretz Yisrael as both a physical and spiritual environment where Am Yisrael can rebuild this spiritual connection with God. Listen now to the 15th episode on Parshiot Vayelech and Haazinu. the bet ha-mikdash] is the, This interpretation is supported by the famous pasuk in Mishlei, recited each time we return the, D. Different mefarshim have come up with different approaches to explain 29:3: ", Publications: Philosophy and Current Affairs, Revava - The Riva Koschitzky z"l Torah Enrichment Program, Studies in Parashat HaShavua with Rav Menachem Leibtag (en), Nitzavim | Back to Har Sinai and Gan Eden. For example, Parshat Ekev illustrates how the climate of Eretz Yisrael contributes to this environment: "always, God's eyes are upon it [the Land], from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.". Rashis explanation therefore relates to these place names and times as references to events, thus dispensing with the need to identify either obscure locations (Tofel, Di Zahav, etc.) A recent discovery has been leaked about the real Root cause of gum disease And tooth decay, and it has Continue reading A50. 2000) along with Orlinskys Notes on the New Translation of the Torah, The Jerusalem Bible (1966, also my source for topic headings), The New King James Bible; occasionally, esp. Parshat Devarim 5780: Beiver HaYardein and Beginning Moshes Final Address and Rebuke. Let's identify the precise definition of these expressions in the final two psukim: "I call Heavens and Earth to testify that I am presenting you the choice of chayim or mavet - the 'bracha' or 'klala' - and you should choose chayim in order that you live on this Land that I promised to your ancestors" (30:19-20). Even though that goal seems to have 'failed' in Sefer Bereishit, Sefer Devarim concludes with the possibility that the Nation of Israel can indeed return to such an existence, in the Land of Israel. This might be the most important video you ever watch (3 seconds). In both his main speech and finale, Moshe Rabbeinu addresses the new generation as though, 2) An individual (or possibly even a larger group) may decide that he doesn't want either side of the covenant - neither its reward, To emphasize upon this new generation that, Once this 'renewed' brit becomes necessary, Moshe Rabbeinu must disaffirm the possible conclusion that every generation and every individual has the option of accepting or refusing the terms of the covenant (as we explained above). It is therefore His to distribute among the nations at His will. its mandatory application to all future generations as well (see 29:9-14). He also lectures in Jewish communities and on college campuses throughout North America. Expanding the principles of Har Sinai to every aspect of our daily life, as exemplified by Sefer Devarim, forms the basis and foundation of our development into an am kadosh. But because you failed, He therefore caused you to circle round the environs of Mount Seir for a period of forty years! A Torah reading of Parashat Devarim in English translation, transtropilized. Thus, there is nothing 'new' about this covenant. While Rashi speaks of rebuke, what he means to suggest is more akin to constructive criticism. For example, in the WILDERNESS after crossing the Sea of Reeds they cried out impatiently for food (Shemot 16:3), and at the PLAIN they disastrously strayed after the daughters of Moav (BeMidbar 25:1), etcetera. Insights Into The Parsha - With Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro. WebIn our English Bibles, Devarim is known as Deuteronomy, a Greek word that means "repetition of the Torah," derived from the Hebrew phrase , mishneh haTorah One critical question we did not address concerns the 'legal' mechanism by which the covenant of Har Sinai becomes binding upon all generations. According to the Abarbanel, this eternal obligation evolves directly from Bnei Yisrael's privilege of settling the Land. WebA collection of thoughts on the parshiot from Sefer Devarim with different faculty members at Drisha. The purpose was to teach the Children of Israel the laws which they were to obey, and the spirit in which they were to obey them, when they settled in Eretz Yisrael. Even though Parshat Breishit may have left us with the impression that the Garden's gates (guarded by the 'keruvim' and a fiery sword / see Breishit 3:24) remain inaccessible to man forever, Parshat Nitzavim may allude to the possibility of 'return'. ), EXPLAINED WELL IN MANY LANGUAGES. This question was posed by the 'scholars of Aragon', as recorded by the Abarbanel. Similarly, the tochacha threatens that should Am Yisrael continue to sin they will driven from the land by their enemies (see 28:64-68) and remain in Exile until they perform proper teshuva (repentance / see Devarim 30:1-10). It was primarily copied, edited and distributed by a group of Jews known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries CE. Although this reasoning line adequately explains the overall structure of this unit (i.e. Bear in mind the Midrash that Hashem banished Adam from Gan Eden only after having first offered him the chance to do teshuva (Bereishit Rabba 21, Bemidbar Rabba 13). Why would God have to impress this notion upon Kayin particularly in the aftermath of Adam's banishment from Gan Eden? They haven't reached the land yet, and already they are being promised the ultimate gathering of the Diaspora? 1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on that side of the Jordan in the desert, in the plain opposite the Red Sea, between Paran and Tofel and Lavan and Hazeroth and Di Zahav. In fact, the spiritual environment of Gan Eden strongly resembles the spiritual environment that Sefer Devarim wishes to create in the Land of Israel. F. As we saw, the psukim in 30:11-14 remind the people that Torah observance is not as hard as it may seem. Explain how this, too, relates to this above shiur. those of the main speech) and some festivities. Moshe's opening statements in this 'parshia' raise numerous questions. On the other hand, what other difficulties does this Gemara resolve? Before you see his commentary inside (which I suggest you do), how does his punctuation change the meaning of the pasuk? That ceremony was to include both the teaching of the laws (i.e. ["ba-makom asher yivchar Hashem leshaken shmo sham"], (parallel to not saying God's Name in vain), The seven year Shmitta cycle and the holidays, The national leaders (shoftim, kohanim & levi'im, melech, and navi), Laws of war, murder, and capital punishment. Likewise, the mitzvot in the 'chukim u-mishpatim' section apply the underlying principles of the remaining dibrot to the realities of forming a nation in the Promised Land. Now, God has a nation that can truly know, see, and listen (see 29:3, Seforno and Rashi). He also prepared all future generations by translating the Torah, and informing us that its teachings are eternal and meaningful regardless of the language used to convey its everlasting lessons. Lo Taaneh B'Reiacha Eid Sheker (19:15-21). In soaring and often exhortative language, aged Moshe sketches out the indistinct features of his peoples future while lucidly recalling their past. For example, Abarbanel places a question mark at the end of the pasuk. In contrast, the focus of Parshat Ki Teitzei seems to shift from mitzvot related to the nation as a whole to mitzvot directed towards the individual. As you scan through the Sedra, note how virtually all of its mitzvot, despite their variety, all relate in one manner or other to the behavior of the individual within the framework of the society, and most all of them fall within the category of 'bein adam le-chavero'. Recall how chapter 27 described a ceremony that Bnei Yisrael are instructed to conduct on Har Eival, upon entering the land. Recall that Parshiyot Re'eh, Shoftim, and Ki Tavo present numerous mitzvot relating to ha-makom asher yivchar Hashem, the bet ha-mikdash, which will be built on the site chosen by God. (commentary to 2:2). However, if we take a closer look at its content, we can explain its function and the reason for its location. WebA few weeks before Moshe s physical parting with his beloved people he taught them the fifth book of Torah Sefer Devarim. There is no shorter route from Chorev to Kadesh Barnea than the route of Mount Seir, and it too takes eleven days. WebThree parshiot in Sefer Devarim are either read in conjunction with Tishah bAv and/or contain textual and thematic similarities with the fast-day. What 'choice' is presented in Re'eh, and which does Moshe present here, in the aftermath of sin? To understand these difficulties, let's take a look: "Moshe called together Bnei Yisrael and said to them: You have seen with your own eyes what I did to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt yet, until this day, God has not given you a 'heart to know,' 'eyes to see,' or 'ears to listen.' Moshe Rabbeinu, ever the master rebbi and leader, used his final days to deliver powerful and everlasting lessons. [See Yechezkel 20:32 and its context, where Bnei Yisrael in the Babylonian Exile raise this very possibility!]. WebIn our English Bibles, Devarim is known as Deuteronomy, a Greek word that means "repetition of the Torah," derived from the Hebrew phrase , mishneh haTorah ( Deut. To what could Moshe Rabbeinu possibly be referring? [Recall as well that the first two dibrot are recorded in first person, while the remaining eight are in third person. See Ramban's explanation for this in his commentary on Shemot 20:4 (i.e. Nevertheless, there were always certain principles, such as that the portions of the curses in sefer Vayikra (meaning parshas Bechukosai) and in sefer Devarim (meaning parshas Ki Savo) should be read before Shavuos and Rosh Hashana, respectively; this practice is attributed to the Biblical Ezra (Megillah 31b Tosfos there adds that parshas Using a Tanach Koren, note as well how it contains five distinct 'parshiot': 29:1-8; 29:28; 30:1-10; 30:14 & 30:15-20. Sefer Devarim begins with Moshe Rabbeinu addressing the Bnei Yisroel As Rashi quotes the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai concerning a number of the more obscure geographical references: We have reviewed the entire text of the Torah and have found no mention of places by the names of TOFEL or LAVAN. ", Yechezkel responds (20:32-33), "That which came to your mind shall not be at all; in that you say, 'We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.' The weekly Torah portion Note that the Heavens and Earth -, Recall how the Gan Eden narrative described a special environment between man and God, with an emphasis on 'sachar va-onesh' [reward and retribution]. Leviticus. Many mefarshim address the problematic word 'ki' (translated here as 'because') in this pasuk. Speech #2 details the laws that Moshe taught, while speech #3 explains how these laws were to be taught once again when Bnei Yisrael enter the land, at a special ceremony that concluded with a public warning of both the reward and punishment should Bnei Yisrael obey / or disobey these laws. Publications: Philosophy and Current Affairs, Revava - The Riva Koschitzky z"l Torah Enrichment Program, Studies in Parashat HaShavua with Rav Michael Hattin (en). What is the final word read by the king at Hakhel? God's original intention may have been for man to enjoy a close relationship with Him in Gan Eden. In fact, this final speech actually began at the end of Parshat Ki Tavo (see 29:1-8, noting how 29:1 forms the introduction to this speech). Let's use a table to show how our analysis works: [Before analyzing this structure in detail, a word of clarification is in order. The fact that the dibrot create the framework for the entire speech does not mean that there can be no digression whatsoever from this general arrangement. The dibrot merely establish a general pattern; this does not constrain the internal structure of the individual parshiot. We may (and should) find isolated exceptions to this structure, but they in no way undermine or violate the general pattern.]. ], Similarly, the laws of "mikra bikkurim" in chapter 26 complete the topic of "ha-makom asher yivchar Hashem" and hence close the entire chukim & mishpatim section which now forms a chiastic structure. [This parsha will be dealt with iy"h in next week's shiur.]. It is therefore quite logical that Moshe would begin to translate the Torah to all languages at the time that the nations of Ever HaYardein were defeated in order to pronounce in all native tongues that the stewardship of Eretz Yisroel is our birthright. Recall the usage of the terms 'chayim and tov' and 'mavet and ra' in 30:15, cited earlier. In halacha 6, why does the Rambam emphasize that davka the 'ger' must feel as though he is standing at Har Sinai during the hakhel ceremony? Finally, why does Moshe conclude these comments by once again reminding Bnei Yisrael of the 'brit' (see 29:8)? D. Different mefarshim have come up with different approaches to explain 29:3: "Yet, until this day, God has not given you a 'heart to know,' 'eyes to see,' or 'ears to listen.'" PDF | ODT (with Hebrew). As explained in our shiur on Parshat Re'eh, Sefer Devarim demands that every Jew frequent that site regularly, be it for 'aliya la-regel' on the holidays, to offer korbanot or bikurim, to eat 'ma'aser sheni', to appear in court, etc. There too, the words bair heitev (explained well) are used. With this in mind, we can now explain the need for the second parshia. Cholim Prayers for Those in Need, Make a Donation Pay careful attention to the literary style from chapter 31 onward. Copyright Torah.org Project Genesis. 1st Portion: (Deuteronomy 1:1 15 Jul 2021 Parshas Devarim: Like Stars and Sand Posted at 08:01hin Divrei Torahby Michal Horowitz2 Comments 0Likes With this weeks parsha, Parshas Devarim, we begin the fifth and final book of Chumash, also known as Mishneh Torah. They will soon enter the land and face the challenge of establishing God's special nation, and they must therefore bring with them the Sinai experience and covenant. The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Karaite and Rabbinic Judaism. WebParshat Devarim. You, however, traversed it in three days timefor God was so anxious to bring you into the land. C. The Sifrei in the beginning of Parshat Re'eh (54:27) associates the psukim there (as we cited in B.) The Midrash Tanchuma in Parshat Nitzavim relates that during the time of Yechezkel, a delegation of 'elder statesmen' came to Yechezkel and challenged the obligation to abide by the Torah. 2:15-17). ), a more suitable environment will exist to facilitate and encourage the fulfillment of the numerous mitzvot bein adam le-chavero that relate to the daily life of each individual. Without an organized court system and a functioning political entity, it would be quite difficult to establish a society characterized by 'tzedek u-mishpat'. Why is the wrong 'choice' in our context called 'death' (perhaps more accurately, the 'curse' translates into 'death') while in Re'eh it's merely a 'curse'? Furthermore, it is a most fitting Rashi to study in preparation for Rosh HaShana - the day marking God's creation of shamayim va-aretz. But being successful in achieving that transformation is very much a function of the approach utilized. WebIn this sense, each group of mitzvot in Sefer Devarim could be understand as an 'expansion' upon the underlying principle of each dibbur. PDF | ODT (sans Hebrew) In this beautiful finale, the Torah equates the concept of bracha & klala, as detailed by the tochacha (see 28:1-7,15-20! Recall, however, that the concepts of chayim & mavet as well as tov & ra were first introduced in the story of Gan Eden: "And God brought forth from the ground every tree and the etz ha-chayim. Other mefarshim explain this pasuk as a continuation of Moshe's 'mussar'. Note the difference in terminology: bracha and klala as opposed to chayim and mavet. Note how it begins at the end of Parshat Ki Tavo in 29:1 and concludes at the end of Parshat Nitzavim (as indicated by the sudden shift to third-person narrative right at the beginning of Parshat Vayelech (31:1). This is an English translation of Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22, the Torah reading for Parashat Devarim, transtropilized. the warnings against those who encourage idolatry (chapter 13) and the dietary laws (14:3-21), may also relate to this general theme. The worship of other gods by definition detracts from God's Name and honor, and the dietary laws involve the general obligation to be an am kadosh (14:2,21). In the shiur on Parshat Kedoshim, we connected this topic to the mishkan, as well.]. What about the previous sections of the sefer? To what does 'mitzva ha-zot' (30:11) refer? The Torah relates at the onset of Parshas Devorim (1:5) how Moshe began explaining the Torah to the Jews in Ever HaYardein after defeating the nation of Emori and Og, the King of Bashan. Wont he later exclaim with exasperation, before going on to describe the sin of the golden calf in great detail, that you are a stiff-necked people! As Parshat Ki Teitzei is located towards the end of the main speech of Sefer Devarim, we begin our study with a quick review of the overall structure of that speech in order to appreciate its location: Therefore, Parshat Ki Teitzei (chapters 21 thru 25) forms an integral part of the chukim & mishpatim section, and continues the laws found in Re'eh (chapters 12 thru 16) and Shoftim (chapters 17 thru 20). Emor. [Even though this pasuk seemingly refers to wisdom in general (see 3:13), in the overall context of the perek 'wisdom' refers specifically to Torah (see 3:1-8!). Select a portion: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Haftarah Complete. Tazria. E. Moshe describes the potential attempt by an individual or group to breach the covenant as follows: "Perhaps there is among you some man or woman When such a person hears the words of these sanctions, he may fancy himself immune [JPS translation; note the difficulty in interpreting these words] thinking, 'I shall be safe, because I follow my own willful heart'". Once this 'renewed' brit becomes necessary, Moshe Rabbeinu must disaffirm the possible conclusion that every generation and every individual has the option of accepting or refusing the terms of the covenant (as we explained above). Recall how the Gan Eden narrative described a special environment between man and God, with an emphasis on 'sachar va-onesh' [reward and retribution]. In an epic Rash"i, the 1st one on Breishit 1:1, he says that technically, the entire book of Breishit would be unnecessary if we assume that the purpose of the Torah was to be a mitzvah guide and not a history book. Doesnt he say concerning their role in the affair of the spies that you did not want to enter the land, and you rebelled against the word of God you Lord and did not have trust (1:26,32)? The root is Davar which means, word, speech, or thing. After a whirlwind of parshiyot, chagim, global pandemics, and rallying for justice, we have arrived at the beginning of the last stretch, Sefer Devarim, Moshes book. Might this unit be considered a continuation of Sefer Bamidbar? It was not [only] with your fathers that God made this covenant, but with us, those of us who are here, alive today" (see Devarim 5:1-3). Others understand 'ad ha-yom ha-zeh' as meaning, 'even until'. G. Note the difference between the simple reading of 30:12 and that of the Gemara in Eruvin, as cited here by Rashi. Why would Moshe, while addressing the people prior to their entry into the land, prematurely inform them of their return to the land from exile? - cute?) Explain how this enhances our association between these psukim and the return to Gan Eden.
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