Parsha Summary:
- This parsha, at the end of Devarim, tells of the blessings Moses gives to each of the twelve tribes of Israel before his death. The verses echo back to the blessings Jacob gave to his twelve sons (five generations earlier).
- Moses recounts each tribe's role within the community of Israel.
- Moses ascends Mount Nebo from where he sees the entirety of the Promised Land.
- The Torah concludes with: "There arose not a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom G‑d knew face to face... and in all the mighty hand and the great awesome things which Moses did before the eyes of all Israel."
- It is customary, immediately upon reading these verses, that the first chapter of Genesis is read describing the creation of the world.
(יט) שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן אוֹמֵר, (משלי כד) בִּנְפֹל אוֹיִבְךָ אַל תִּשְׂמָח וּבִכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ, פֶּן יִרְאֶה ה' וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ:
(19) Shmuel Hakatan said: “If your enemy falls, do not exult; if he trips, let your heart not rejoice, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and avert his wrath from him” (Proverbs 24:17).
Simcha means the inner joy that has nothing to do with laughter and music and everything to do with knowledge that you’re connected to something bigger, something that really counts.
It doesn’t mean things will always be easy or go smoothly, but it does mean you’re living reality – and there’s no better feeling. ~ R’ Chaim Rosenfeld
Ronald R. Garet, “Meaning and Ending”, in Yale Law Journal 96:8 (1987)
“The ending of a story completes not only the story, but its meaning. For narrative, the cruelty of the ending – the fact that the ending sets a term to the story, brings it to a close – is redeemed by the breath of life that the ending breathes into the story’s meaning. The ending makes the meaning possible, and the meaning in turn makes the ending no ending at all, but instead a beginning.”
(א) וְזֹ֣את הַבְּרָכָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בֵּרַ֥ךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לִפְנֵ֖י מוֹתֽוֹ׃
(1) This is the blessing with which Moses, God’s agent bade the Israelites farewell before he died.
וזאת הברכה אשר ברך משה, after G’d had shown him the whole Land of Israel before he died, in order that he should be able to pronounce a blessing both over the land and over the people who were going to live in it. Both Moses‘ plea to see the land by crossing the river Jordan (Deut. 3,25) אעברה נא ואראה, and G’d’s purpose in granting him this part of his prayer (Numbers 27,12) were intended for this purpose, i.e. for him to bless the people after viewing the Land of Israel would inspire him to do so. Here we have the text of this blessing.
(2) He said: יהוה came from Sinai,
And shone upon them from Seir;
[God] appeared from Mount Paran,
And approached from Ribeboth-kodesh,
Lightning flashing at them from [God’s] right. Lover, indeed, of the people,
Their hallowed are all in Your hand.
They followed in Your steps,
Accepting Your pronouncements,
It’s not one’s circumstances that determines one’s mood; it’s one’s mood that determines the circumstances. ~ The Baal HaTanya zt”l
The Torah is called "light," because it enlightens. It is also called אש, fire. Just as one benefits from its warmth when keeping a certain distance from it, but becomes burned when approaching too closely, so it is with the "secrets" of the Torah. If someone approaches too closely to the Temple, over and beyond what his station in life entitles him to, he is liable to be hurt or even killed when he beholds what is not his to behold. We have explained this in connection with the death of two of the sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, who were described as having approached the Presence of G–d (Leviticus 16,1). The Torah did not choose to say בהקריבם, which would have meant "when they offered a sacrifice." The expression the Torah uses, indicates that these sons entered an area that was beyond their station in life. As a result, they died....We should learn from this that one must not attempt to occupy the position of someone who is greater than oneself in the presence of that personage. You would not be able to maintain such a posture; you are therefore well advised not to abandon your present place.
(טו) רַבִּי יַנַּאי אוֹמֵר, אֵין בְּיָדֵינוּ לֹא מִשַּׁלְוַת הָרְשָׁעִים וְאַף לֹא מִיִּסּוּרֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים. רַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶן חָרָשׁ אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מַקְדִּים בִּשְׁלוֹם כָּל אָדָם. וֶהֱוֵי זָנָב לָאֲרָיוֹת, וְאַל תְּהִי רֹאשׁ לַשּׁוּעָלִים:
(15) Rabbi Yannai said: it is not in our hands [to explain the reason] either of the security of the wicked, or even of the afflictions of the righteous. Rabbi Mathia ben Harash said: Upon meeting people, be the first to extend greetings; And be a tail unto lions, and not a head unto foxes.
(ד) תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃
(4) When Moses charged us with the Teaching
As the heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
As has been discussed, of the three forms in which transfer of property can take place—inheritance, sale, and gift—inheritance is the most absolute: its effectiveness and validity are not at all contingent upon the suitability of the inheritor to receive; even a newborn can inherit his father’s estate. In fact, an inheritance is so intrinsic to the inheritor that it may be considered to have always belonged to him in potentia, as an irrevocable birthright. Thus, by referring to itself as the Jewish people’s inheritance, the Torah is informing us that every Jew, even a newborn baby, is a bona fide inheritor of the entire Torah. The Torah becomes ours not only once we have matured sufficiently to study it and understand it, but immediately upon birth....it is clear that the aspect of the Torah that is referred to here is not its intellectual content, for a newborn lacks the tools with which to take possession of that aspect of the Torah. Rather, the aspect referred to here is the essence of the Torah—the Torah as the essential bond between God and us—which is the natural corollary of the Torah’s being God’s will and wisdom. Since intellect is not the “tool” through which the Torah’s essence is grasped, its acquisition is not dependent upon the intellectual development of the individual; therefore, even a newborn can possess it in its entirety. ~www.chabad.org
ברש"י מ"ט פתח בבראשית כו'. והרמב"ן ז"ל הקשה כי יש בו צורך להאמונה. אך לבאר הענין נראה כי בתורה יש כמה מדריגות שכל התורה שמותיו של הקב"ה. ובדרך זה מתפרשת למעלה. ולנו מתפרשת כפי הדינים והמשפטים אשר לפנינו בתורה. גם כל הדברים שנעשו בעולם וכל הבריאה הכל מהתורה. כמש"כ ז"ל הביט בתורה וברא העולם. וכי לא הי' יכול ח"ו לברא הכל בלי אמצעות התורה. רק כ"ז הי' בשביל ישראל שכל הבריאה יתמשך אחריהם. ואיתא כי החזיר הקב"ה התורה לבני עשו וישמעאל וכו' ובוודאי לא הי' שייך למסור להם התורה כמו שניתנה לבנ"י. רק כנ"ל שהתורה אין לה סוף וכמו שיש עומק רום כן עומק תחת. וז"ש ה' מסיני בא כו' משעיר כו' מהר פארן כו' מרבבות קודש כו' אש דת למו. שניתנה לישראל בכל המדרגות אשר בה וכמו שהיא אש דת כך ניתנה לישראל ומצידנו לא היתה צריכה להתלבש בכל אלה המעשים רק כדי לתת להם נחלת גוים. כמ"ש בזוה"ק אמור שנקראת עץ חיים. כמו אילן שיש בו פירות ועלין וקליפות ושרשים וגוף האילן. כך התורה. ולכל דבר יש אחיזה בתורה. זה בקליפה זה בעלה כו'. ובנ"י דבוקים בגוף האילן ע"ש. ואע"פ שעתה גם לפשוטי בנ"י אינה מתפרשת רק בהתלבשות. כ"ז נעשה כדי שיוכלו בנ"י לקרב כל הברואים והמעשים להקב"ה ע"י התורה. לכן זה באמת קצת נחות דרגא לבנ"י. אבל הוא ירידה שצורך עלי'. כי עומק רום תלוי בעומק תחת כמש"כ במקום אחר. וכמו שגוף התורה נמשכת מראש עד סוף. כמו כן בנ"י צריכין לירד עד תהום ולעלות עד איגרא רמא. ובדרך זה נתיישב קושית הרמב"ן כי וודאי עתה נצרך אמונה. אבל עצם בנ"י לא הי' צריכין לאמונה. כי הם דבקים בגוף התורה שהוא בחי' אמת רק עתה צריכין לבוא לאמת ע"י האמונה. וכ"ז כדי לתת להם נחלת גוים כנ"ל והדברים ברורים למבין:
Rashi explains that the Torah begins with Bereishis to give Bnei Yisrael the heritage of the nations. The Ramban queries this, suggesting that the Torah starts with Bereishis to teach an important lesson in emuna—that Hashem created everything and is the purpose of everything. To explain, the Torah has multiple levels, being composed of Hashem's names. In the higher realms, the Torah is understood through these names, while for us, it is known through mitzvot and laws. Everything in the world, including its creation, comes from the Torah, as it says, “He looked in the Torah and created the world.” Hashem could have created the world without the Torah, but He used it to ensure that creation would follow Bnei Yisrael.
The Torah was offered to other nations before Bnei Yisrael, indicating its application to the entire world. The Torah is infinite, with deep levels applicable even to the nations. This is referenced in Devarim 33:2, “Hashem came from Sinai, and shone from Seir, He appeared from Paran among a chariot of myriads, from His right hand a fiery law for them.” The Torah was given to Bnei Yisrael on all levels....The Zohar (Emor 3:97a) likens the Torah to a tree of life with fruits, leaves, shells, roots, and the trunk. Everything has a connection to the Torah, with Bnei Yisrael attached to the trunk. Even though simple [p'shut] Jews may only connect to the external layers of the Torah, they are still attached to the trunk. This external connection helps draw all of creation to Hashem through the Torah. Bnei Yisrael [has to go down in order to reach] new heights, as the highest levels depend on the lowest. Just as the Torah spans from the beginning to the end, Bnei Yisrael must descend to the depths to ascend to the greatest heights. This [path responds to] the Ramban's query: [certainly, at this time, when] we now need emuna, the essence of Bnei Yisrael, who is connected to the [very body] of the Torah, inherently embodies truth. [We only need to come to this truth through emuna] fulfilling the purpose of [B'nei Yisrael giving other nations their inheritance, making clear their understanding]. [edits, Ruth Schapira]
דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: תּוֹרָה תְּחִלָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים. תְּחִילָּתָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּעַשׂ ה׳ אֱלֹקִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כׇּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם״, וְסוֹפָהּ גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים — דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּקְבֹּר אוֹתוֹ בַּגַּי״.
Rabbi Samlai taught: The Torah's beginning is an act of kindness and its end is an act of kindness.
Its beginning is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21) And its end is an act of kindness, as it is written: “And God buried Moses in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6).
(ה) וַיְהִ֥י בִישֻׁר֖וּן מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּהִתְאַסֵּף֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם יַ֖חַד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(5) Then [God] became King in Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people assembled,
The tribes of Israel together.
[T]he Baal Shem Tov—founder of the Hassidic movement in the eighteenth century—said that the Jewish people is a living Sefer Torah, and every Jew is one of its letters....I am a Jew because, knowing the story of my people, I hear their call to write the next chapter. I did not come from nowhere; I have a past, and if any past commands anyone, this past commands me. I am a Jew because only if I remain a Jew will the story of a hundred generations live on in me. I continue their journey because, having come this far, I may not let it and them fail. I cannot be the missing letter in the scroll. (R. Jonathan Sacks, Letter in a Scroll, p. 39, 47)
When G–d spoke of the Israelites being His witnesses in Isaiah 43,10, this was an allusion to the good G–d will perform for the Jewish people in the days of the Messiah when He will renew the covenant with us -one that will never be severed- and one which will symbolise that Israel has been totally refined, both the patriarchs and their descendants. At that time the השגחה will be based on the Israelites being צדיקים בני צדיקים, righteous people descended from righteous people. Our sages have stated in Avot 4,19: "Nothing is in our hands: we can neither explain the prosperity of the lawless nor the sufferings of the righteous."
(יח) רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, אַל תְּרַצֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ בִשְׁעַת כַּעֲסוֹ, וְאַל תְּנַחֲמֶנּוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמֵּתוֹ מֻטָּל לְפָנָיו, וְאַל תִּשְׁאַל לוֹ בִשְׁעַת נִדְרוֹ, וְאַל תִּשְׁתַּדֵּל לִרְאוֹתוֹ בִשְׁעַת קַלְקָלָתוֹ:
(18) Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Do not try to appease your friend during his hour of anger; Nor comfort him at the hour while his dead still lies before him; Nor question him at the hour of his vow; Nor strive to see him in the hour of his disgrace.
Rabbi Shai Held, "The Beginning and Ending of Torah"
https://www.hadar.org/torah-tefillah/resources/beginning-and-end-torah
Strikingly, say the Talmudic Sages, the Torah begins and ends in precisely the same way; this crucial fact, I would suggest, teaches us what Torah is really about and what it is ultimately for.
...
At some deep level, then, what Torah is about is “walking in God’s ways,” which the Sages understand to mean living a life of lovingkindness.2 “Walking in God’s ways” is a two-pronged obligation: We are obligated to cultivate certain character traits, like compassion and mercy (Midrash Sifrei, Eikev 49) and to engage in concrete acts of kindness, like clothing the naked, visiting the sick, comforting the mourners, and burying the dead (BT, Sotah 14a).3
...
Implicit in this remarkable statement is a spiritual litmus test: If we study Torah and it does not make us kinder and more able to be present in the face of sorrow and loss, then it is not Torah that we have learned. Perhaps it is Jewish culture, or academic Jewish studies; but it is not Torah. Torah leads to love, the midrash implies, or it is not Torah at all...
(א) וַיַּ֨עַל מֹשֶׁ֜ה מֵעַרְבֹ֤ת מוֹאָב֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר נְב֔וֹ רֹ֚אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֣י יְרֵח֑וֹ וַיַּרְאֵ֨הוּ יְהֹוָ֧ה אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֶת־הַגִּלְעָ֖ד עַד־דָּֽן׃ (ב) וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־נַפְתָּלִ֔י וְאֶת־אֶ֥רֶץ אֶפְרַ֖יִם וּמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וְאֵת֙ כׇּל־אֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיָּ֥ם הָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃ (ג) וְאֶת־הַנֶּ֗גֶב וְֽאֶת־הַכִּכָּ֞ר בִּקְעַ֧ת יְרֵח֛וֹ עִ֥יר הַתְּמָרִ֖ים עַד־צֹֽעַר׃ (ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו זֹ֤את הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֠שְׁבַּ֠עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֨ם לְיִצְחָ֤ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה הֶרְאִיתִ֣יךָ בְעֵינֶ֔יךָ וְשָׁ֖מָּה לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹֽר׃ (ה) וַיָּ֨מׇת שָׁ֜ם מֹשֶׁ֧ה עֶבֶד־יְהֹוָ֛ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מוֹאָ֖ב עַל־פִּ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ו) וַיִּקְבֹּ֨ר אֹת֤וֹ בַגַּי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֔ב מ֖וּל בֵּ֣ית פְּע֑וֹר וְלֹא־יָדַ֥ע אִישׁ֙ אֶת־קְבֻ֣רָת֔וֹ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (ז) וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה בֶּן־מֵאָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה בְּמֹת֑וֹ לֹא־כָהֲתָ֥ה עֵינ֖וֹ וְלֹא־נָ֥ס לֵחֹֽה׃ (ח) וַיִּבְכּוּ֩ בְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֛ה בְּעַֽרְבֹ֥ת מוֹאָ֖ב שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וַֽיִּתְּמ֔וּ יְמֵ֥י בְכִ֖י אֵ֥בֶל מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ט) וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן מָלֵא֙ ר֣וּחַ חׇכְמָ֔ה כִּֽי־סָמַ֥ךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־יָדָ֖יו עָלָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁמְע֨וּ אֵלָ֤יו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַֽיַּעֲשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (י) וְלֹא־קָ֨ם נָבִ֥יא ע֛וֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כְּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יְדָע֣וֹ יְהֹוָ֔ה פָּנִ֖ים אֶל־פָּנִֽים׃ (יא) לְכׇל־הָ֨אֹתֹ֜ת וְהַמּוֹפְתִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁלָחוֹ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְפַרְעֹ֥ה וּלְכׇל־עֲבָדָ֖יו וּלְכׇל־אַרְצֽוֹ׃ (יב) וּלְכֹל֙ הַיָּ֣ד הַחֲזָקָ֔ה וּלְכֹ֖ל הַמּוֹרָ֣א הַגָּד֑וֹל אֲשֶׁר֙ עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(1) Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Jericho, and יהוה showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan; (2) all Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; the whole land of Judah as far as the Western (3) the Negeb; and the Plain—the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. (4) And יהוה said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will assign it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross there.” (5) So Moses the servant of יהוה died there, in the land of Moab, at the command of יהוה. (6) [God] buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, near Beth-peor; and no one knows his burial place to this day. (7) Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. (8) And the Israelites bewailed Moses in the steppes of Moab for thirty days. The period of wailing and mourning for Moses came to an end. (9) Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the Israelites heeded him, doing as יהוה had commanded Moses. (10) Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses—whom יהוה singled out, face to face, (11) for the various signs and portents that יהוה sent him to display in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country, (12) and for all the great might and awesome power that Moses displayed before all Israel.
Who will stand up for me against wrongdoers?