Parashat Devarim: Respecting All as Human Beings

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

Dr. Michael Mantell

This Shabbat, traditionally known as Shabbat Hazon, “Sabbath of Vision,” we begin reading the Book of Deuteronomy. This is the Shabbat directly before Tisha b’Av, beginning on Saturday night, August 6, a day of collective communal Jewish mourning. This day solemnizes some of the most overwhelming losses in our history from the destruction of our Temple to the vicious displacement of our people. Following this day, we have seven weeks of nehemta, comfort, in which we ideally come closer to Hashem and to comfort each other. This of course brings us to the High Holidays when, through teshuva, we mend and heal our devoted relationships.

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.

When we look at the first words of this Torah reading, “These are the words which Moshe spoke unto all of Israel across the Jordan…” we see that 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 to 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 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 teaches us that Moshe only hinted at the serious sins of that generation to avoid shaming and embarrassing others. Why did Moshe speak of only some of the serious sins of B’nei Yisrael? Rashi tells us that he did so to preserve the dignity of the people. Instead of shaming and embarrassing them, he took into consideration the value of preserving their dignity. Oh, if we all only abided by this example, what a wonderful world it would be. But alas, we are all simply human.

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 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 for yourself? 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 he wants us to know that, too. We obviously need to prolong our hearing that sinas chinom caused the churban and the final redemption will not take place until we learn the lesson Moshe is teaching us.

We would be wise to find a cure and be cleansed from the disease of hatred that seems to be with us wherever we are. No, you are not better than the next person. Somehow, there is always conflict stirring. For some reason, we have not learned how to disagree without creating a battle and belittling, ridiculing, sneering, and denigrating one another. When is enough, enough? Do we really think that by sitting on the floor and fasting for 24 hours but continuing to divide ourselves into different factions, that the final redemption will appear? Yes, we have many shevotim that follow different customs, but that does not mean one is better than another. Isn’t it time to unite rather than divide? Do you really think that by not doing laundry during the nine days, not swimming, not listening to music but deriding another Jew, that you are truly “religious?”

Yes, Devarim is indeed a superb source of mussar. Perhaps one of the best. A bit of gematria 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.

Senseless, baseless hatred led to the destruction of the Second Temple. Have we truly learned? Two thousand plus years of hating other’s religions, lifestyles, faiths, make it clear we have a way to go. We still have a great deal to learn. “Derech Eretz Kadma L’Torah” (be a mensch 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 our fellow Jews, to deem all Jewish life sacred regardless of the stream one observes, 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. Despite the fallibilities that all — all — humans have, the ones Moshe saw, he demonstrated a respect for all as human beings. See the lesson?

Let’s all turn towards our loved ones, members of our community who may look and observe differently than we, let’s welcome and bring nehemta to those struggling with pain and stress, and bring refuah sheleimah to all. Can we not work together, in a united Kehilla, to raise the levels of kedusha and overcome the kochos hatumah and allow Moshiach to reveal himself? Learning Chovos Halevavos and Mesilas Yeshorim will go a long way to helping you remind yourself that your judgmental mindset is preventing Moshiach from appearing.

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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