By Rabbi Steven Gotlib
This week’s Torah portion is Devarim: Deuteronomy 1:1 – 3:22
On its surface, the Book of Deuteronomy appears to be little more than a restatement of stories and laws that were already covered in the preceding four books of the Torah. This is, however, far from all that it is. Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen Rabinowitz of Lublin explains what makes Deuteronomy unique in his book of parsha commentaries, “Pri Tzadik.” While the example below focuses on the repetition of the Ten Commandments, the point is relevant for the entire Book:
“The latter version of the Decalogue, that in Sefer Devarim, was said by Moshe, on his own account. Nonetheless, it is part of the Written Law. In addition to the mitzvot themselves that Moshe had already received at Sinai, by the word of God, these words as well [in Sefer Devarim], which were said on his own account, which are not prefaced with the statement, “And God said … ,” these, too, are part of the Written Law. For all of his (i.e. Moshe’s) are also a complete “torah,” just like the dialogues of the patriarchs and other similar passages are considered part of the Written Law. But the material that begins “And these are the things” (i.e. the first verse of Sefer Devarim and the rest of the book that follows), material that was said on his own account, represents the root of the Oral Law, the things that the sages of Israel say of their own account.”
This teaching needs a bit of unpacking: Many believe that the Torah contains the words of God in a significant way, though it should go without saying that the specific way it does so is a matter of significant debate across Jewish thinkers and denominations. Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen points out that even the most traditionalist believer in the divine dictation of the Torah ought to understand that the Book of Deuteronomy reflects Moses’ own words, his own subjective retelling and interpretation of events, rather than the words of God. In some sense, then, the Book of Deuteronomy can be said to be the very first rabbinic sermon in our recorded history.
One might ask, though, why the events recounted in the Book of Deuteronomy need to be retold at all. If this material was already taught in the Torah and attributed to God, isn’t this entire section of the Torah superfluous? Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman, a biblical scholar at Bar-Ilan University, explains the purpose of the Book of Deuteronomy in conversation with treaties made between sovereign nations and their vassals throughout the Ancient Near East:
“When the vassal has been unfaithful, we saw, the reworking of history reflects that. Episodes that once had been narrated in a relatively positive light now are retold with a more reproachful bend, reflecting the needs of the moment, and the current state of the relationship between sovereign and vassal. … Sefer Devarim calls upon its readers to access accounts that we find in the other books of the Torah. … The accounts in Sefer Devarim are changed in many ways. But they do not supplant the earlier accounts. They only make sense if the reader is familiar with those earlier accounts. It is therefore eager to instruct the reader to reread those earlier accounts.”
The Book of Deuteronomy is thus like the treaties of old, which began with subjective retellings of history in order to highlight contemporary relationships rather than present objective facts of the past. It is a human presentation of past events meant to encourage proactive participation in the present. Berman writes that the book’s sole purpose is “to present an updated version and application of God’s commands on the eve of the entry into the land” in order to inspire the Israelite people to embrace becoming the light unto nations they ought to be.
The Book of Deuteronomy as a whole, and Parshat Devarim in particular, emphasizes that whenever we engage with the Torah, we must evaluate it not only as a document read in synagogue but also as an invitation to live as better Jews wherever we are. Each word should be met not only with the question of what it meant to our ancestors, but also what it means to us here and now.
Steven Gotlib is the associate rabbi at Mekor Habracha/Center City Synagogue and director of the Center City Beit Midrash.