The book of Deuteronomy is different from the rest of the Torah. While the other four books are regarded as the direct word of G-d, Deuteronomy is the speech of Moses; given with Divine approval. The book’s traditional Hebrew name is Mishneh Torah, or the repetition of the Torah. It is an exposition of what is in the rest of the Torah. It consists not only of historical reminiscences and moral exhortations, but of mitzvot. Some of these are restatements of laws found earlier; some new laws designed for the settlement in the Land. In, this way, Deuteronomy can be seen as a exposition of the Torah, restated and reinterpreted for the new generation. To a certain extent Deuteronomy is thus the beginning of a tradition of Torah exegesis that culminated in the Talmud, Moses being the first Rabbi. The inclusion of this book in the Torah, thus teaches us the importance of interpreting and explaining the Torah to each new generation, as Moses did for the children of those that experienced the original revelation on Sinai. As he explained the mitzvot to his generation in light of their impending entrance to the Land, so to must those who follow in his footsteps to their generation. In this respect, it is interesting to note that Moses begins and ends his introductory historical overview with the issue of leadership. He begins by recounting the appointment of judges to administer and interpret the Torah. He ends, at the beginning of next week’s Parshah, by being refused entry to the Land and having to appoint Joshua as his successor for the new generation. This also has much to teach us. It is not only the interpretation of the Torah that must be suited to each generation but also those doing the interpreting. Moses had finished his mission on the borders of the promised land, and it was now for Joshua to carry forward the message to a new generation in new conditions. A Rabbi needs not only to understand the Torah but to understand his generation. The greatest scholar that fails to perceive the needs of his time and place, may make decisions that lead to disaster. That, indeed, is the lesson that cries out to us from the stories surrounding the destruction of the Temple. Great sages who failed to understand the situation, led the Jewish people into tragedy. That is a lesson we should heed today. We need great Torah scholars. But above all we need sages that understand our generation and can, like Moses, make the Torah newly relevant to us. 

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.