Book Five – Devarim (“Words” in Hebrew) – Deuteronomy (“Second Law” in Greek)

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Mishnah HaTorah –משנה התורה (Copy or repetition of the Torah)

Parashat Devarim

פרשת דברים

דברים Deuteronomy 1:1 to 3:22

Devarim is the fifth and final book of the Torah, quite possibly added on at a later date to an earlier four-book Torah.

Devarim is arguably unique among the books of the Torah in that it possibly has a historical setting for its authorship. Many biblical scholars identify the Book of Devarim with the discovery of the “Book of Teaching” (Sepher HaTorah – ספר התורה ) referenced as having been found in the Holy Temple by Hilkiah, high priest during the reign of Josiah, the king of Judah (640 – 608 BCE) (Reference: II Kings, Chapter 22). The finding of this book heralded a (short lived) reformation of Jewish life in the Kingdom of Judea, ending idolatrous practices (such as astrology) and firming up the centrality of Jerusalem for worship and the offering of sacrifices.

Devarim includes a repetition (more of an “executive summary” in contemporary terms) of the exodus and the laws as laid out in previous books with some new laws thrown in. Devarim is not a mere repetition or clarification of the first four books of the Torah. Rather it is a later attempt to modify or subtly transform or clarify parts of it, perhaps to respond to more contemporary needs. In addition, Deuteronomy introduces seventy new laws    or commandments.

Traditional Jews tend to see all five books of the Torah as an integral whole and harmonize and rationalize any apparent contradictions. Some non-orthodox rabbinic commentators made the bold assertion that Deuteronomy is not as sacred as the rest of the Torah as it is not directly dictated by G-d but does include human interpretation.

It should be noted that Parashat Devarim is always read on the Shabbat preceding Tisha B’Av (תשעה באב), the date in the Hebrew calendar when tradition tells us that both temples were destroyed, and other tragedies have befallen the Jewish people. And indeed, Moses’ retelling of the 40-year sojourn through the desert reads in large part as a summary of misadventures and missteps. The Shabbat when this parashah is read is known as Shabbat Hazon (שבת חזון), sabbath of vision as Moses is preparing the Israelites for a future without their leader.

Chapter 1, Verses 1 through 5 – Moses begins his farewell address

Setting: After forty years of schlepping through the Sinai, the older generation had died out and the new   generation  is camped east of the Jordan in the land of Moab waiting to cross over and begin their conquest of the Promised Land.

Unlike the earlier books of the Torah that are primarily narrative and written in the third person, the book of Devarim (except for this brief Introduction to set the stage) is written in the first person; the voice of Moses addressing the Israelites. The voice of G-d is silent in Devarim.

Moses knows he is about to die (he is 120 years old after all) and this is his farewell message to the children of Israel. It is both a promise of rewards for observing the commandments and a dire warning of consequences for neglecting the commandments. He is assessing his life and defining his legacy.

Verses 6 through 8 – Israelites are commanded to take possession of the land

Moses relays G-d’s command to take possession of the land that was promised to the patriarchs. Note the geography. This goes beyond the boundaries as described in previous chapter (Numbers Chapter 34, verses 1 through 12) that roughly describes the extent of the Kingdom of Israel at its peak during the reigns of David and Solomon, before the inevitable split into the Northern and Southern kingdoms, decline, destruction, and exile. Some traditional scholars explain this inconsistency by claiming that the boundaries described here (up to the Euphrates River no less!) are the borders that were previously promised to the patriarch Abraham (Genesis Chapter 15, verse 18) that the Israelites would have reached if they were not mislead by the spies (Numbers Chapter 13, verses 1 through 33).

Verses 9 through 18 – Retelling of the appointing of judges

The appointing of Judges is here modified in the retelling. Recounting from the Book of Exodus (Shemot), but Jethro (whose idea it was for the appointment of the judges} is not acknowledged here. Is Moses being petty, wanting to claim the credit for himself?   Or, more likely, we see an aged man whose memory and recollection have faded. Perhaps this book is more nationalistic and wanted to remove the embarrassment of elevating a non-Jew, especially one from a people who have recently been vanquished. Also, Moses stipulates that Judges must be wise and    experienced; there is no requirement to be god-fearing. Also, in this version, the people, not Moses, choose the Judges. Note that in Numbers, the judges and Moses are to take their direction from G-d.  Here in Devarim, it is Moses and the Judges who must find the answers on their own, although the law is acknowledged to be of divine origin (Verse 17: “…. judgement is G-d’s – המשפט לאלקים הוא”). That is, Judgement now is a matter of human discernment, not seeking “divine truth”.

Verses 19 through 36 – Retelling of the story of the scouts

The story of the scouts and the consequences is here modified in the retelling. In the Book of Numbers, G-d instructs (or possibly just permits)  Moses to dispatch  twelve  spies or scouts.  Here, the Israelites hatched the plan. In Numbers, ten of the scouts gave a frightening report, but that fact is not recalled here. Now Moses places the blame solely on the Israelites. Recall that by now the generation that was frightened and deterred by the scouts’ report had all died off during the intervening 38 years. Here Moses appears to be transferring the blame (or perhaps the responsibility?) to the generation that grew up after the incident. Why is he laying this guilt trip on them? Perhaps to emphasize that the covenant entered into at Sinai applies no less to, and obligates, the future generations yet unborn.

What to make of the “giants” (Anakites – בני ענקים) that so intimidated the people? Were these really giants? One possible explanation is that the Israelites, both the generation that came out of Egypt and those that grew up in the wilderness had a subsistence diet that was lacking in nutrients vital for growth so they were generally short in stature. Confronting the people settled in Canaan, farmers who had a more wholesome diet rich in fruits and vegetables, grew to full height and were strong in stature. For that reason, they appeared intimidating to the Israelites, even gigantic (even if that was a bit of hyperbola).

Verses 37 through 45 – Moses apportions blame for being barred from entering the land

In Moses’ retelling in Deuteronomy, Moses is G-d’s faithful and long­ suffering servant, bearing the brunt of G-d’s frustration and anger at his wayward people. Recall that Moses is barred from entering the promised land because he struck the rock. Here, in Moses’ retelling, the people are to   blame.

Verse 46 and Chapter 2, Verses 1 through 25 – Retelling of passage through Edom and Moab

Recalling the passage of the Israelites through the lands of Edom and Moab (inhabited by the descendants of Esau and of Lot respectively). Summary here differs from the narrative in Numbers where the Israelites were denied permission to pass through the territory of the Edomites and the Moabites were vanquished.

Verses 26 through 37 and Chapter 3, Verses 1 through 11 – More warfare along the way

Description of ancient warfare in all its horrifying inhumanity.

Questions for discussion: Does the Torah condone or command such behavior or is this acknowledgment that this is the common practice of the time?

The Torah speaks to us on several levels. Perhaps the hidden message is that war is a nasty business. By presenting us with the horrific consequences with any hint of glory or romanticism stripped away, we are being warned to think long and hard before engaging in conflict (or, in this instance, am I guilty of “harmonizing”?).

Verses 12 through 22 – Assigning lands east of the Jordan to Gad, Reuven and Menasseh

Moses here assigns the conquered lands east of the Jordan to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half tribe of Menasseh. No mention is made that this was a compromise measure, reluctantly granted to by Moses in response to the reasonable request of these  tribes.