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Etz Hayim Torah and Commentary EH FM i-x for printer.cou 6/12/01 9:44 M Page 4 ohhj .g ETZ HAYIM TORAH AND COMMENTARY THE RABBINICAL ASSEMBLY THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM Produced by THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary Copyright © 2001 by the Rabbinical Assembly EH FM i-x for printer.cou 6/12/01 10:14 M Page Corrected for the 4th printing. —DS Etz Hayim, 6th printing — REPLACEMENT PAGE — Jan. 2006 Page iv Copyright © 2001 by The Rabbinical Assembly Hebrew text, based on Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, © 1999 by The Jewish Publication Society English translation © 1985, 1999 by The Jewish Publication Society First edition. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, except for brief passages in connection with a critical review, without permission in writing from: The Rabbinical Assembly 3080 Broadway New York, NY 10027 Blessings for the Torah and haftarot have been adapted from Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals, © 2000 by The Rabbinical Assembly. Maps © by Oxford University Press, supplied by Oxford Cartographers. Used by permission of Oxford University Press. Illustrations of the tabernacle and its furnishings by Joe Sikora. Composition by VARDA Graphics, Skokie, Illinois Design by Adrianne Onderdonk Dudden Manufactured in the United States of America 09 10 10 9 8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bible. O.T. Pentateuch. Hebrew. 2001. Etz Hayim: Torah and commentary / senior editor, David L. Lieber; literary editor, Jules Harlow; sponsored by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. p. cm. Text of the Pentateuch in Hebrew and English; commentary in English. Includes the haftarot and commentary on them, p’shat and d’rash commentaries, comments on Conservative halakhic practice, topical essays, and other material. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-10: 0-8276-0712-1 ISBN-13: 978-0-8276-0712-5 1. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch—Commentaries. 2. Haftarot—Commentaries. 3. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch—Theology. 4. Conservative Judaism—Customs and practices. I. Lieber, David L. II. Harlow, Jules. III. United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. IV. Rabbinical Assembly. V. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch. English. Jewish Publication Society. 2001. VI. Title. BS1222 .L54 2001 222 ’.1077—dc21 2001029757 Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary Copyright © 2001 by the Rabbinical Assembly D’VARIMd’varim íéøáã 1 -χ¤ ƉLÓ¤ Ÿ ¯ac¦¤³ ¯L¸ ‡£¤ Ìȯ·c‰À ‰l‡¥´¤©§¨¦ à These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan.— Á‰·¯Úa¨«£¨¨ ¯a„na¿ Ôc¯i‰ ¯·Úa§¥−¤©©§¥®©¦§¨ χ¯NÈ-Ïk½ ¨¦§¨¥ Through the wilderness, in the Arabah near Ô·Ï ÏÙz-ÔÈ·e¤§¨¨¬ Ÿ Ô¯‡t-ÔÈa¥«¨¨¯¥«² ÛeÒ ÏBÓ¸¹ Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, ·¯ÁÓ½¥Ÿ ¥« ÆÌBÈ ¯NÚ¨¨¬ „Á‡¸ 2 :·‰Ê Ȅ§¦¬¨¨«©© ˙¯ˆÁŸ ©£¥− Hazeroth, and Di-zahab, 2it is eleven days from A UNIQUE BOOK (1:1–5) never crossed over to the western side of the Jor- dan, this is written from the point of view of one The first five verses give the time and place of the already in the Land. delivery of Moses’ farewell address. the wilderness The text locates this wilder- 1. These are the words that Moses addressed ness in the long narrow depression, or rift, that to all Israel Apart from some connecting pas- continues the Jordan Valley south of the Dead Sea sages and the narratives about Moses’ last days, down to the Gulf of Elat. This rift is known as the speaker in Deuteronomy is Moses, not an the ‘Arabah to this day. anonymous narrator as in the previous books of 2. It was an 11-day journey from Horeb the Torah. Even the narratives and laws appear (Mount Sinai) to Kadesh-barnea, the gateway to as parts of addresses in which Moses reviews the the Promised Land (see vv. 19–20). If the Israel- past 40 years and prepares the Israelites for the ites had trusted in God, this verse tells us, they future. could have entered the land immediately, without on the other side of the Jordan In Transjor- wandering in the wilderness for 38 years. dan, east of the river Jordan. Although Moses CHAPTER 1 words.” The change is not due to improved rhe- torical skills but to his enthusiastic commit- Some of Deuteronomy’s passages, ranging ment to his message (Deut.R.1:1). from the Decalogue to setting aside cities of The Midrash, noting the similar sound of refuge, duplicate contents found elsewhere in d’varim (words) and d’vorim (bees), comments the Torah.But 70 of the approximately 100 that Moses’ criticisms of the people are like the laws in Deuteronomy are not found in the ear- stings of a bee.A bee’s sting hurts the person lier books.These laws deal mostly with ar- stung but it hurts the bee more, causing its rangements for living in the Land and with the death.Moses dies at the end of Deuteronomy new emphasis on a central sanctuary to be des- because criticizing Israel has taken so much ignated by God.Moses is telling the Israelites out of him (Deut.R.1:6).This would imply things they will need to know when they settle that we should judge the validity of criticism the Land, things they had no need to know be- not only by its factual accuracy but by how fore. much it pains the critic to say it.The harsh crit- One way of viewing this book is to see it as icisms of Moses are spoken with love, in con- divided into three parts.In the rst part, Moses trast to the praises of Balaam, spoken as at- reviews the history of the people’s wandering, tery. emphasizing Israel’s lack of delity and grati- to all Israel Including Moses himself.His tude.This is followed by a legal section, and criticisms gain credibility because he criticizes nally by Moses’ farewell address.Hirsch de- his own behavior as well. tects a tone of urgency throughout Moses’ re- 1–2. Why list all these place-names? To marks, prompted, he suspects, by the concern avoid shaming Israel excessively, lest they lose that when the families of Israel are no longer all hope of ever pleasing God.For Moses had camped around the tabernacle but are living been inclined to remind Israel of all the times each on its own property, the benign inuence they exasperated and disappointed God; in- of God’s Presence will be lost. stead, he referred only to the locations where 1. Moses began his career by pleading that those events occurred (Rashi).Or perhaps Mo- he was not “a man of words” (ish d’varim, ses is recalling all the places God and Israel Exod.4:10).After 40 years of teaching Torah, have been together, as reminiscing lovers however, he has become an eloquent “man of might do. 981 Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary Copyright © 2001 by the Rabbinical Assembly DEUTERONOMY 1:3 ’ Ìȯ·„ ‡ Ìȯ·„ 982 Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by the Mount Seir ÆȉȦ§©3 :Ú¯a ©«¥§© L„˜ ¬¥¨ „Ú −© ¯ÈÚN-¯‰ ®¦¥ © C¯c ¤−¤ route.—3It was in the fortieth year, on the first L„Á¤Ÿ − ¯NÚ-ÈzLÚa ¬¨ ¨ «¥ § © § ‰L¨½ ¨ ÌÈÚa¯‡a ´¦ ¨ § © § day of the eleventh month, that Moses ad- χ¯NÈ¥½ ¨ § ¦ Èa-Ï ´¥ §‡ ¤ ƉLÓ¤ Ÿ ¯ac³¤ ¦ L„ÁÏ ¤Ÿ ® © „Á‡a ´¨ ¤ § dressed the Israelites in accordance with the in- ȯÁ‡´¥ £ ©4 :Ì‰Ï «¤ ¥‡ £ B˙‡ − Ÿ ‰Â‰È²¨ § ‰eˆ ¯¨ ¦ ¯L¤¸ ‡ £ ÏÎkŸ §Â structions that the L had given him for ·LBÈ−¥ ¯L ¬¤‡ £ ȯӇ‰½¦Ÿ ¡ «¨ CÏÓ ¤ ´¤ ÆÔÁÈÒŸ ¦ ˙‡ ¥µ B˙k‰À Ÿ © them, 4after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and King Og ·LBÈ-¯L¬¥ ¤‡ £ ÔLa‰¨½ ¨ © CÏÓ ¤ ´¤ ‚BÚ µ ˙‡Â¥À § ÔBaLÁa ® § ¤ § of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth [and] Edrei. ı¯‡a¤´¤§ Ôc¯i‰ −¥§©© ¯·Úa ¤¬¥§5 :ÈÚ¯„‡a ¦«¤§¤§ ˙¯zLÚaŸ §©§¨− 5On the other side of the Jordan, in the land ‰¯Bz‰-˙‡¬¨ © ¤ ¯‡a ²¥ ¥ ‰LÓ¤½ Ÿ ÏȇB‰´¦ ·‡BÓ ®¨ of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this :¯Ó‡ÏŸ « ¥ ˙‡f‰Ÿ ©− Teaching. He said: ¯Ó‡ÏŸ ® ¥ ·¯Áa ´¥Ÿ § eÈÏ −¥‡ ¥ ¯ac ¬¤ ¦ eÈ‰Ï ²¥Ÿ ‡¡ ‰Â‰È ¯¨ § 6The L our God spoke to us at Horeb, 6 saying: You have stayed long enough at this eÚÒe´§ | et ´§7 :‰f‰ «¤© ¯‰a ¬¨¨ ˙·L ¤−¤ ÌÎÏ-·¯ ¬¤¨ © mountain. 7Start out and make your way to the ¼ÂÈÎL-Ïk-Ϩ ¥ § ¨‡Â ¤ § »È¯Ó‡‰¦Ÿ ¡ «¨ ¯‰ ¬© e‡·eŸ ¸ ÌÎÏ À ¨¤ Horeb Deuteronomy’s name for Mount Si- were twin seats of government for Og, king of Ba- nai. Situated somewhere in the Sinai peninsula, shan. Both places are mentioned in Egyptian doc- its precise location remains unknown. uments and in a Ugaritic text. Kadesh-barnea Sometimes called simply 5. in the land of Moab In the steppes of Kadesh, it was near the western border of Moab, so called because the area belonged to Seir-Edom, on the southern boundary of the Moab before it was conquered by Sihon (see Num. Promised Land, in essence the gateway to it. 21:29), from whom the Israelites wrested it. by the Mount Seir route Seir, or Edom, the this Teaching Hebrew: ha-Torah, derived southernmost of the Transjordanian kingdoms, from “horah” (teach, instruct). “Torah” refers to extended westward into the highlands of the east- rules of civil and ritual procedures, moral exhor- ern Negeb. “(Mount) Seir” usually refers to this tation, and instructive narrative as well as pro- part of Edom. phetic teaching and reproach. Moses frequently 3. eleventh month Later known as Sh’vat, refers to Deuteronomy as “this Torah.” In later which falls in January and February.
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