Parasha Devarim
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
SAN DIEGO — Let’s begin at the beginning of this week’s parasha, which we read on the Shabbos before Tisha B’Av every year, and look at the first words of the Torah reading, “These are the words which Moshe spoke unto all of Israel across the Jordan…” Yes, Moshe spoke his words to ALL Jews, not just those alive then, but to all, including us today. When we read this parasha, Moshe is speaking directly to me and you. This makes Devarim a particularly human parasha, one in which Moshe establishes a quite personal relationship with each of us.
And he speaks his words of rebuke and critique with unconditional positive regard for all. He demonstrates mussar [a code of ethics] in showing us how to preserve the dignity of human beings, kavod ha beriyot, by building up the sinner, as it says in Proverbs (9:8), “Do not rebuke the scoffer, for he will hate you; Reprove a wise man and he will love you.” Rashi also teach us that Moshe only hinted at the serious sins of that generation to avoid shaming and embarrassing others.
Oh, if we all only abided by this example, what a wonderful world it would be. But alas, we are all simply human. In this parasha, we are given exhortation and warnings. We are taught that as a society striving to be at a certain level of moral behavior, with each other and for each other, will help insure our survival.
The Shelah HaKdosh, Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz, zt”l, tells us that Moshe wisely and carefully gave rebuke while building up the esteem and respect of what Moshe called the “wise, discerning, and known among your tribes…” And we see that Moshe even offers a blessing, “May the Lord G-d of your forefathers add to you a thousandfold as many as you are, and may He bless you, as He spoke concerning you!” The words, “…as many of you are…” hints at how Moshe wanted the people to know he thought of them, not as evil sinners, but as they were, with unconditional positive regard and acceptance – not approval, but acceptance.
Moshe’s lesson of mussar, it appears, is that he went far to accept people unconditionally, with all of their human foibles and imperfections, and still showed respect for them, fallible as they – and we all – are.
Do you see the clear mussar lesson in this? Want to lead others, to impact others for the good? Want to help affect positive change in others? Follow the path of Moshe and provide unconditional positive acceptance of your fellow human being. No one is, after all, better than another. Moshe knew that, and wants us to know that too.
Yes, Devarim is indeed a superb source of mussar. Perhaps one of the best. A bit of gematria [numerical value of words, based on their letters] may also support this notion. The word, devarim, meaning “words,” when written with different vowels, may mean “bees.” This is of interest since the words of the Torah are analogous to bees, a source of sweet honey. While Torah words may at times be a bit prickly like bees, the gematria of mussar is 306, the gematria of honey is also 306, and the gematria of Av HaRachamon is also 306. What’s the lesson here? Mussar may irritate us, sting us, but like words of honey, they can bring us closer to our Av HaRachamon. Perhaps this is one reason sefer Devarim is such a superb mussar source.
It appears we can learn mussar from many contemporary books, from stories that engage us to hearing Moshe rebuke us straightforwardly as he did. In today’s quick-paced world, it seems people want to hear inspiring stories more than facts. Every pop magazine today knows this well. While so many of us may prefer hearing these stirring parables aimed at elevating our lives, Moshe believed the Israelites, living on a higher level in Devarim than those living in earlier books in the Torah, were ready to hear a direct, properly given, message on how to live life, so says Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchov, zt”l, the Kedushas Levi.
One master story teller of our principles and ideals was the Dubno Maggid, Rabbi Yaakov Krantz, zt”l. The story goes that he was asked about his common use of folktales, and he of course chose an allegory to explain his reliance on moral tales. It seemed that the son of a king was quite ill, according to the Dubno Maggid’s parable, and the youngster refused to take his necessary medication. So the local town joker was called upon to step in and try to help the youngster take his medicine. Instead of telling the boy why it was important, what he must do, ordering him, he simply began telling the lad a bunch of jokes! When the young prince was laughing so hard that his mouth was wide open, the jester tossed the medicine in and the child began the process of healing. The Dubno Maggid compares this to how he brings difficult, stinging messages to people through his meshalim (parables). He uses his allegories and tales to engage people, and when their hearts are receptive, and their minds are open, he tosses in his mussar message.
We read many books today of self-help, “how-to’s,” and are more open to growing from jokes, stories and anecdotes of our Torah teachers. “One must,” “One should,” “Refrain from,” “One is obligated to,” may be bitter pills to swallow, but through warm-hearted parables instead, today’s generation, like the generation who had just left Egyptian slavery, grow more readily through life. Indeed, we learn from Moshe that true caring, respect, acceptance, and concern help us reach one another. As it says in the Likuttei Amarim, “Words which come from the heart enter into the heart.”
Senseless, baseless, hatred led to the destruction of the Second Temple. Have we truly learned? Two thousand plus years of hating other’s religion, lifestyle, faith, make it clear we have a way to go. We still have a great deal to learn. “Derech Eretz Kadma L’Torah” (be a mentsch above all) is a true statement. Perhaps if we, like Moshe, were able to look beyond the outside to that which lies within, to feel acceptance for all, to see the preciousness of all of our fellow Jews, to deem all Jewish life sacred, we might look forward to a time of celebration, not a day of sitting on the floor weeping in mourning for the destruction of the Temple.
Moshe, we learn from the Shvilei Pinchas, arranged Sefer Devarim to be comprised of 955 verses, corresponding to the 955 gates, barriers, between us and Hashem. We read this parasha on the Shabbos before Tisha B’Av to remind us of how far we are from Hashem, and to increase our mourning over the destruction of the Holy Temples. Reading the 955 verses of Sefer Devarim initiates the process of unsealing those gates, those barriers in our hearts, with the hope that we will succeed in doing so and become close to Hashem when the Beis Tefillah, the Third and final Temple, will be rebuilt in our time, and when Tisha B’Av will no longer be a day of mourning, but, IY”H, be celebrated as a festival.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun. He may be contacted via michael.mantell@sdjewishworld.com