Last Saturday there was a mass shooting in an El Paso Walmart. More than twenty men women and children were murdered and dozens were wounded. The murderer was arrested. It turned out that he posted a racist screed upon a website that is utilized by White Supremacists, Neo-Nazis throughout North America and Europe. The perpetrator of the Christchurch, New Zealand, mass shootings, also posted a similar racist, anti-immigration screed on the same website. Also this week, a man Florida man who had been arrested for sending pipe bombs to those politicians and wealthy Jewish liberals who oppose the President's immigration policy and rhetoric was sentenced to 20 years.
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 the 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 backward 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 begin 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 verses, 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 preceded this Eilah were God’s the words, and the words that proceeded this Eilah were 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 communities that are grieving, it is an opportunity for words to inspire, educate and motivate instead of using “Eilah HaDevarim” only these words; words of moral relativism, words that absolve self responsibility, words of blame and words that lack sincerity and integrity when taken in the context of all the words of hate and vitriol. Such a lost opportunity teaches us the power and the importance of words.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
No comments:
Post a Comment