Devarim - July 18, 2026 / 4 Av 5786
This week’s parsha, the first of the last of the five books of the Torah, in English is known as Deuteronomy. The word Deuteronomy comes from a Greek word meaning “repetition of the law.” In Hebrew the book is called Devarim – “words,” and the book is commonly called the Mishnah Torah which signifies an expounding of the Torah. Not mere repetition, but a significant teaching.
When we get to the book of Devarim, it feels like the true study begins. The Kedushas Levi (18th-century Hasidic master, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev) points out that this is because the Torah no longer lays out its teachings in stories that pique our interest. At this point the Jewish people are ready to enter the land and are able to hear the message as is without the interesting package of a story.
When it says in verse (1:5) that Moses began explaining the Torah, Rashi states that this means that he explained the Torah in 70 languages. So, we see that while the Hebrew language retains a particular holiness, it is also important that we delve into the meaning of our prayers, the Torah, and our laws (Mishnah, Talmud, Halachah, etc.)
This is why we explore a little of each Aliyah before reading, why we have our weekly Halachah mini-class, and why we host virtual lectures, but it actually starts with you. As Moses begins explaining, he recounts what the people experienced in the wilderness. Not that they don’t know what they themselves experienced! It is that they needed to understand their place and their role in carrying forth a Living Torah into the Land that they are about to inhabit. It doesn’t always come easy, passed down through interesting stories, fun parables, or obvious answers. So too, we need to place ourselves in the Torah and make the study of Torah a part of our daily (or hopefully at least weekly) lives. It too may not come easy, but as it usually goes with challenges it is well worth it!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh
