Shabbat Table Talk

Parashat Devarim – Erev Shabbat 20 July 2018

Week of 15-21 January 2018

Torah portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22   Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1-27

Theme: To listen or not to listen …

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Devarim is the Hebrew title for the whole book of Deuteronomy and for this particular parashah and it means, among other things, ‘words’. Although written after Moses was alive, the book contains various speeches attributed to him, spoken in the final stages of his life as he looks back over the years since leaving Egypt. Devarim recounts, with some variations, much of what has happened in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, and revisits the commandments of God and the importance of obeying them.

 

The title, Devarim, forms an interesting thread around which this parashah might be explored. It begins, ‘These are the words which Moses spoke’ (Dt. 1:1) and his words are fluent and determined. Yet, Moses had previously indicated to God, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”’ (Ex. 4:10) Rabbinic sources suggest that Moses himself may be slow of speech but when God speaks through him he develops a new fluency and eloquence. For example, Rabbi Jacob Emden, commenting on BT Sanhedrin 99a says, ‘It is certain that all of the Book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ words, as he clearly explained at the beginning of the book. But the Shekhinah spoke from within his voice box, as we shall clearly see from several passages, including even the book’s admonitions, such as, ‘in forsaking Me’ (Dt 28:20), and many other instances.’ (Heschel, p474)

 

Much of what Moses says is God’s command and the people indicate that they have heard God’s word by obeying it. However, throughout our parashah, we have people listening and not listening. We have Moses listening to the people (e.g. 1:22, 23), the people listening to Moses (e.g. 1:9-14) and God listening to the people (e.g. 1:34). We also have the people not listening to Moses who is speaking God’s word (1:43) and God refusing to listen to Moses’ wish to enter the promised land (3:25-26). People seem ambivalent towards the words of others. In our haftarah, Isaiah 1:1-27, we find a reason for this. Here we have a link between words and actions as behaviours ‘tell’ whether or not a person listens to God’s word. If they do not listen to God, then God will not listen to them because they do not obey God’s word (Is. 1:15). Listening has consequences but not listening clearly has consequences also.

 

Moses reminds the people that they were frightened when faced with the Amorites and so they did not obey God’s words and Moses had asked them to trust God in this situation (1:26-33). Trust lies at the heart of every relationship and the words which offer opportunities to trust contain within them the seeds of the actions required to further build trust. In Isaiah 1:21, ‘righteousness’ no longer dwells in city as it is no longer ‘faithful’ (from the root אמן  also meaning trusty, reliable). This situation can only be changed when God returns their judges (Is. 1:26)’. ‘Righteousness’ (from the root צדק) contains layers of meaning including justice, charity, integrity, equity and fairness. A people who want to have such judges are a people who wish to hear and obey God’s word.  In Dt. 1:16-18, a clear link is made between how we ‘hear’ and the quality of our ‘judgement’. ‘Judges must exhibit seven qualities: they must be wise, discerning, and experienced (verse 13); they must be capable, fear God, be trustworthy, and spurn ill-gotten gain (Exod 18:21). Maimonides [9]’ (Plaut p1324) An interesting frame of reference for any of us today.

 

For Reflection and Discussion: [1] Listening and not listening may be familiar in our own lives. Why might it be difficult to listen? [2] What would support me in hearing God’s word more clearly? [3] How does my hearing affect my judgement of others?

 

Bibliography:  Heschel, Heavenly Torah (New York, 2006); BT Talmud in sefaria.org; Plaut, The Torah: A Modern Commentary (New York, 1981)

 

This week’s teaching commentary is by

Thérèse Fitzgerald nds, Ireland, Bat Kol alum 2015
Email address:theresefitzgerald7@gmail.com

[Copyright © 2018]

 

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