(9) You stand this day, all of you, before your God יהוה —your tribal heads, your elders, and your officials, every householder in Israel, (10) your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to waterdrawer— (11) to enter into the covenant of your God יהוה, which your God יהוה is concluding with you this day, with its sanctions;
Moses is speaking to the entire congregation of Israelites, telling them that they all stand before Adonai to enter into God's covenant, including every single person--adults and youth, and the non-Israelites with them; everyone regardless of age, status, or profession. Adonai makes the covenant with every single person present on that day as well as with every single person who is not present.
The text continues with a very strong theological statement: Adonai will invoke His Divine wrath of devastation upon any person who violates that covenant, including all of that person's future descendants. Foreign nations and future generations will ask what caused such devastation; they will know who violated the covenant. Targum Yonatan teaches that overt acts are our responsibility to address, while the hidden ones are addressed by Adonai. Moses then informs the congregation that when they repent and atone, Adonai will restore them to their former condition.
(19) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live—
Moses concludes that the law is not too complex for anyone, and is within every person's reach. He tells them that Adonai has set before them a choice of life and prosperity, or death and adversity. "Choose life", he says, and adhere to Adonai's commandments.
What does this mean? How are we to interpret the myriad of laws in the Torah? Are we really capable of diverting Divine wrath? Furthermore, how do we even understand the concept of Divine wrath?
Chasidut focuses on Adonai's benevolence--His desire to be kind and generous to us. The implication is that God does not want to invoke Divine wrath. Kedushat Levi teaches that God is not just God, but our God. By positioning ourselves face-to-face with Him, we have the opportunity to turn in the right direction at an auspicious time of Divine benevolence.
Moses continues:
Or HaChaim explains the first two verses: The covenant is made not just with those standing here today, but also those not here. This means that not only do we have an obligation today to fulfill the covenant, but we are also obligated to teach our children to ensure that they too will fulfill the covenant. This must continue throughout the generations to come.
ולא אתכם לבדכם וגו' כי את אשר וגו'. קשה למה הוצרך לומר ולא אתכם וגו' ולא הספיק באומרו את אשר ישנו וגו' שהם אותם שהיה מדבר עמהם ואת אשר וגו' ומובן הדבר שלא אתם לבדם הוא כורת וגו'. אכן כוונת הכתובים הוא שבא לחייבם לקבל עליהם הברית והאלה ועל זרעם הבאים אחריהם עד עולם, והוא אומרו ולא אתכם לבדכם פירוש לחייב אתכם לבד אני כורת אלא בין אותם שהם עמנו בין אותם וגו', ומעתה אם לא היה אומר אלא את אשר וגו' ואת אשר וגו' אנכי כורת לא היה נשמע אלא שה' מחייב גם הבאים אחריהם אבל אינו מחייב את אשר ישנו עומד שם על זרעם אחריהם, ומאומרו לא אתכם לבדכם גילה כוונתו שבאלה עצמה שכורת עם העומדים שם מוסיף לחייבם על הדורות, ושיעור הכתוב הוא לא אתכם לבדכם אני מחייב על האמור אלא אף על דורות הבאים אחריכם, וזה לא היה נשמע אם לא היה אומר אלא את אשר וגו' ואת אשר וגו' אנכי כורת ברית, שהייתי אומר שהם דברי ה' על הבאים אחריהם לא שיתחייבו העומדים שם לקבל עליהם בעד הבנים:
Sforno looks at the next several verses and understands the instruction differently. Every single person must be vigilant against seduction by the members of other nations who live in close proximity. God has insisted that every person be present in order that they understand there is no way to deceive Him.
Eכי אתם ידעתם את אשר ישבנו ולפיכך ראוי לחוש פן יש בכם איש או אשה פן נפתח לבם לחבלי המואבים בשבתם עמהם ויחשבו לבטל קבלת הברית בלבב' ולכן אמרתי שכולכם נצבים לפני ה' בוחן כליות ולב שלא תוכלו להטעותו:
The key theme of Deuteronomy is the theology of Adonai--the teachings are of Divine origin and we are beholden to Adonai to fulfill them. The traditional commentators pick up on this. Our actions--whether transitive or passive--are known to God. While we are required by Divine dictate to make amends to our fellow human beings, we are obligated to atone to Adonai. The theological component is challenging for many. We need to step away from the theological dispute and address the message at our own level--what we do, or don't do today, will impact our descendants for all generations. That is the fact that underscores the theological component. That is where we need to be today.