‘And your infants, that you said would be for prey…’. With these words G-d tells the people that as a consequence of the sin of the spies they will not enter the Land, but their children, whom they said would be destroyed, will. Yet the Seforno, using other biblical texts, sees this verse in another light. While literally a refutation of the parents fear for their children, it in fact historically becomes a curse. While indeed these particular children will not be for prey, and enter the Land; their more remote descendants will suffer for their lack of faith, and become a prey for their enemies. This idea, that the sin of the spies, had long term irreversible consequences, is known in Jewish parlance as ‘a weeping for generations’. Because the Jewish people wept for nothing on that first Tisha B’Av; G-d will give them reason to weep in the future. This idea is linked to another theme of this incident: the limits of repentance. Though the people seemingly repent and wish to proceed, G-d does not accept this. Indeed the Torah specifically states that G-d did not listen to their weeping and, as it where, turned His back on them. The same is true for Moses who is banned from entering the Land, despite asking repeatedly for a reprieve. It would appear that repentance is not always possible. This indeed is one of the themes of Tisha B’Av itself. Unlike other fast days, on Tisha B’Av we do not say Selichot or other penitential prayers. It is not a day for repentance, as such, but rather for mourning and remembrance. We are thus taught a very important lesson. The idea of repentance is a key doctrine in Judaism, and is in many ways the foundation of religious life. None of us could spiritually survive without it. Yet it is also dangerous. It can lead to the belief that whatever we do can be atoned for; whatever damage we cause can be fixed. The truth is, however, not so prosaic. As seen in the sin of the spies, not everything can be fixed and not every sin can be so easily forgiven. Some actions have consequences that simply have to be borne. The parents whose lack of faith caused them to declare their children would be for prey, placed a poison in the bloodstream of Jewish life that caused their prophecy to come true for their descendants. Those that wept for nothing on Tisha B’Av, caused their descendants generations of tears. No amount of saying sorry could change the events they set in motion. We cannot change that past; merely weep and learn for the future.. 

ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

 

Rishon	Moses begins his summary of the Torah before his death.
Sheni	How Moses set up a judicial system.
Shelishi	How the people sinned by with the spies and were forced to wander for forty years.
Revi’i	How the people tried to go forward anyway and were defeated.
Chamishi	The fortieth year: relationships with surrounding nations and their history.
Shishi	The conquest of Sihon and Og and their land.
Shevi’i	As G-d had conquered the Amorites so would He help them conquer the nations of Canaan.
Haftorah	Isaiah: 1;1-27: Isaiah‘s vision of the destruction of Jerusalem.

 

Sidra Statistics

Parshat Devarim

·               has 105 verses;

·               is the 1st in Deuteronomy,  44th  in the Torah

·               6th  longest in Deuteronomy, 33rd  longest  in the Torah   

·               has  2 pos  mitzvot.