Wednesday, July 26, 2017

With Its Words Of A Life That Could Almost Be True (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Black Throated Wind")



An incredibly powerful and teachable moment came and went this week in, of all places, West Virginia. West Virginia was the sight of the Boy Scouts quadrennial jamboree. In the past, it is been an opportunity for the Presidents to speak to 40,000 boys (all of whom are below the voting age) to speak to young people about the importance of civic responsibility, the role of Boy Scouts in developing boys to become good citizens, and affording these boys a common bond that transcends regional, ethnic, cultural and socio economic positions. For the past 80 years it has been an opportunity for leaders to transcend politics, transcend partisanship, and offer words that inspire, educate and guide a future generation towards the importance of law, country and responsibility. Needless to say, parents of boy scouts were not very pleased by the words spoken earlier this week. Rather than words that inspired, educated, and gave powerful meaning to the role of the Boy Scouts as vital part of the fabric of civil behavior, rather than hear words about the importance of what the Boy Scouts were doing at the Jamboree, they listened to leader of the free world talk about himself, his election victory, and the lack of loyalty in his cabinet. Words that were supposed to be for the Boy Scouts, became words about and for the President.
This week’s Parsha is Devarim, which is the first Parsha of the Book of Deuteronomy or Sefer Devarim. Moshe recounts in very wide brushstrokes, the experience of the generation that fled Egypt. Very few details are given. In fact Moshe begins the story at the foot of Sinai; however, the name is changed from Sinai to Horev. In his recounting, Moshe speaks as a participant in this national experience not in the third person, as was presented in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. This is quite different from the Moshe we have seen. Until now he spoke as a prophet. God spoke to him and he spoke to B'nai Yisroel. Now Moshe displays a certain amount of freedom as he shares the experiences of past from his perspective. Parsha Devarim is the introductory Parsha to Moshe’s formal teaching of the Torah to this new generation. Moshe begins with a history lesson beginning with the most recent events and working backwards to the Exodus. Moshe Rabeinu, now only a few weeks from the moment of his death, imparts his teaching and his wisdom upon B’nai Yisroel like a dying grandparent or parent would to his/her children.  This re-telling or repetition of history and laws to a new generation inspired the Talmudic Sages to call Sefer Devarim (The Book of Words- Deuteronomy) the Mishnah Torah or the repetition of the Torah.
The Parsha, and the Book of Devarim begins with a narrative statement.  Eilah HaDevarim Asher Diber Moshe El B’nai Yisroel B’Eiver Yarden-These are the words that Moshe Spoke to all Israel, on the other side of the Jordan…(Deut. 1:1) For the next 5 versus, the Torah’s text is in the third person narrative form in which a time and place are clarified. Finally, beginning with verse 6, the third person narrative shifts to Moshe’s words.  What follows in Moshe's teaching and Moshe’s repetition of the Torah embodies tradition. Moshe’s teaching and his repetition of the Torah, exemplifies every parent’s responsibility to strengthen the child’s connection to Judaism, to Torah, and to God. Why do we need to be told that for five verses, Moses’ words will be arriving shortly? Since there are no wasted words in Torah, why don’t the words Eilah Devarim appear immediately before Moshe begins speaking? The Or HaChaim, Chaim Ibn Attar (1696-1743), was a leading Moroccan Rabbinic Commentator of his day, explained that the word Eilah implies “only” and is therefore restrictive and separates that which came before from that which follows. The words that came before this are God’s the words that follow this Eilah are Moshe’s and are of his own volition.  Citing the Talmud in Tractate Megillah 31, we are reminded that Moshe personally recorded the curses and admonitions in this book and even the legislation which he repeats he does so voluntarily; not because he was commanded to do so.  The first five narrative verses clarify time and space  as Moshe’s words are about to follow because we might conclude that just as Moshe felt free to say what he wants here in Devarim, he might have felt free to say what he wanted in the previous books of the Torah. “Only these words” that Moshe spoke of his own volition. Here was Moshe Rabeinu, the elder statesman, the individual that unquestionably had the closes relationship with God, speaking before the younger generation. He speaks to them about their connection to their past, he speaks to them about their ancestors, their heroic deeds and their backsliding. He speaks to them about a covenant, he speaks to them about the inheriting the land of Canaan.  Moshe begins the process, with his words, to connect the present generation to past generations and to connect this present generation to the original covenant that God made with the Patriarchs, Moshe, and B’nai Yisroel at Sinai.

One of the roles of leadership is to speak to people in a way that binds the people and the community together. They can be bound together through a common experience (either positive or negative), a shared history, or a common purpose. All of “these words” would transcend differences and make individuals part of something much bigger and more meaningful. So when a leader is afforded the opportunity to present Eilah HaDevarim only these words to young people that could inspire, educate and motivate and instead uses “Eilah HaDevarimonly these words; words about himself and serve himself. Such a lost opportunity teaches us the power and the importance of words.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

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