THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION DEUTERONOMY 1:1-3:22 תרפש ִיםָרְדּב / Parashat Devarim In this week’s guide… Rabbi Jason’s COMMENTARY breaks down the profound link between this week’s Torah portion and teshuvah…“repentance.” None of us enjoys taking a long, hard, honest look at our sinfulness, but this is an essential component of teshuvah. But what is the point of it all? Is there more to repentance than “clearing our record”? Join us as we journey deeper into the ways in which teshuvah affects our spiritual and personal growth in Yeshua......................................................................... ........................ Our NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN takes a closer look at that venerable character from the story of the Twelve Spies: Caleb. Out the outset of Devarim, Moses tells the story of that tragic event to the offspring of that generation who died in the wilderness because of its refusal to trust the Lord. We know Caleb for his boldness and courage in the face of steep challenges, but Moses describes him a bit differently. Let’s travel from the arid Negev to the shores of the Sea of Galilee to discover a powerful tie-in.................................................................................................................... BY THE NUMBERS is packed with a host of connections, all flowing from the title of this week’s Torah portion. Grab you notebook—virtual or literal—and get ready for a deep dive into the themes of God’s Word, the Fall, and the Messiah (but, of course, there’s more!)................................................... OVERVIEW Devarim is both the title for the last book from the scroll of the Torah and the title of the first Torah portion therein. Devarim means “words.” The Hebrew title for the book comes from the opening phrase of the book: “These are the words (devarim) that Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan” (Deut 1:1). One ancient name for the book of Deuteronomy is Mishnah HaTorah, which means “repetition of the Torah.” This is similar to the Greek Septuagint name Deuteronomos (“Deuteronomy” is derived from Deuteronomos), which means “second law.” FUSION GLOBAL WITH RABBI JASON תשרפ רבד םי / Weekly Torah Portion – Parashat Devarim Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22 COMMENTARY by Rabbi Jason Sobel Why is Devarim always read on the Shabbat before the 9th of Av, also known as Tisha B’Av? What connection does it have to this tragic day, and what relevant lessons does it communicate to us? Tisha B’Av—which begins this Saturday evening, July 17th, until sunset on the 18th—commemorates several terrible tragedies that have befallen our people, including the chorban bet hammiqdash, the destruction of the First and Second Temples. To remember these tragic events and learn from them, observant Jews fast on the 9th of Av. Elaborating further on the reason why Jews fast on certain days like Tisha B’Av, the Qitzur Shulchan Arukh states: It is a commandment from the Prophets to fast on those days that troubles befell our ancestors (Zechariah 8:19). The purpose of the fast is to arouse our hearts to search the ways of repentance, and let this be a reminder to our evil deeds and our ancestors that were like our present [evil] deeds until it caused them and us those troubles [that we are fasting for]. By remembering these things we will repent . The iee a esui eusae he as A Therefore it is incumbent upon each person on those days to search by David Roberts (1850) his ways and to turn from them. Because the main thing is not the fasting . The fast is only a preparation to repentance. On Tisha B’Av, we should take the time to examine our own lives and repent from our sins. But how does the theme of teshuva (“repentance”) connect to this week’s Torah portion? The beginning of this week’s Torah portion states, “Moses took it upon himself to expound this Torah” (Deut 1:5). But why is this statement made here? The expounding of the Torah doesn’t begin until chapter five (with the restatement of the Ten Commandments)? Would it not make more sense for verse five to appear as a preface to chapter five? One Jewish expositor offers the following answer to our question: According to our Sages, one of the most fundamental principals in the worship of God is that one must repent of one’s past transgressions before beginning to learn Torah . It was keeping with this basic precept of Judaism that Moses reproved the people before he proceeded to teach them the commandments of the Torah. The verse under discussion was placed immediately before the admonitions to explain why Moses wanted to recall the sin of the children of Israel. It was because Moses “took it upon himself to explain the Torah” that he had to reprove his people to cause them to repent of their sins. - Me’or VeShemesh The answer to this question is just one way that connects Parashat Devarim and Tisha B’Av. Both recall the past transgressions of our predecessors to move us to repentance. By learning from their mistakes and turning from them, we bring about a tiqqun (rectification) for both our sin and the generational sin of our ancestors. As it states in Leviticus 26:40, “They shall confess their sin and the sin of their ancestors.” What were their sins and the “sin of our ancestors” that led to the destruction of the second bet hammiqdash? Knowing the answer to this question is essential so that we do not continue to repeat their mistakes and thus bring further harm to our people and ourselves. According to our Sages, the primary sin that led to the Second Temple’s destruction was sinat chinam: gratuitous, senseless hatred among Jews. Instead of putting their differences aside to fight the Romans during the siege of Jerusalem, many chose violence toward one another because of their deep hatred (see Josephus and b. Gittin 55b). Does the Sages’ explanation of the destruction of the second bet hammiqdash align with Yeshua’s teachings concerning the Temple’s ruin? In Matthew 23:36-39, He said, Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD!” I believe the two explanations are compatible. Both the brutal treatment of Messiah Yeshua—who came humbly as the Prince of Peace to redeem Israel—and the infighting that occurred in the first century among Jews were rooted in sinat chinam, senseless hatred. The Talmud tells us that “Every generation that does not merit the rebuilding of the Temple is deemed to have destroyed it” (y. Yoma 1:1). This compelling statement merits careful consideration. This assertion is an indictment of every generation since the Temple’s destruction. It reminds us that we are still guilty of the same sins. In our world today, we see several instances of senseless and gratuitous hatred: • There is a significant rise in racism against minorities. • There is a vast divide and growing hatred between liberals and conservatives. • There has been a substantial increase in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe and the U.S. The kind of hatred that destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem persists today, even in the Body of Messiah. There is a significant amount of back-biting, gossip, infighting, and harsh judgment—not to mention the jockeying for position, power, and personal gain between individual believers, denominations, and local communities. We are as guilty as our ancestors in whose footsteps we are following unless we learn to love and respect other believers in Messiah, the Jewish people (and all people for that matter). . .. Tisha B’Av . Yeshua .Yeshua . NEW TESTAMENT TIE-IN The name of this week’s Torah portion is also the title of the fifth book of the Torah, Devarim. Of course, our English versions of the Scriptures have entitled this final book of Moses, “Deuteronomy,” which is based in Greek and means “second law” (deuteros + nomos). This name is a noticeable departure from the Hebrew Bible. Still, it reflects the book’s contents: a review of the Exodus-Numbers narrative and a repetition of the content of the Law for a new generation. . When Adonai heard the tone of your words, He was angry and swore an oath saying, “Not one of these men of this evil generation will see the good land that I swore to give your fathers—except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He will see it—yet to him and his children I will give the land that he has walked on, because he has followed Adonai wholeheartedly.” (Deut 1:34-36) Be like Caleb. . . Caleb was “all for following God, heart and soul” (Deut 1:36b MSG). Believing the right things and living the right way are important for us. Yet, Yeshua’s initial call to His disciples was only “Follow Me” (see Mt 4:19; 9:9). What if the believing and the living flow out of the following? Following implies a relationship, and not just any relationship, but one of humble surrender. This insight is crucial because, frankly, one can believe the right ideas and live out the proper ethics as expressions of pride (e.g., the Pharisees). We know that Caleb believed and did the right things (see Num 13:30), but this week’s Torah portion seems to suggest that these were evidence that he was following Adonai.