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 HaDevarim” only 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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