Name: Tisha b'Av: People Get Ready!
Uploaded: 2019-10-18T18:41:47.000Z
Duration: 22 min 47 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Shalom. This Shabbat we begin the fifth book of the Five books of Moshe, the book of

Deuteronomy, called in Hebrew the book of Devarim, meaning 'words,' from the first

verse, 'these are the words that Moshe spoke…'

and this week's Torah portion is parashat Devarim, the

first Torah portion in sefer Devarim. This book is essentially different from the

previous four. It was spoken entirely by Moshe Rabbeinu, our teacher Moses, during the last

five weeks of his life, so it is entirely his voice.

The previous four books were informed by a different energy. At first, the direction

was from top to bottom, from heaven to earth…Hashem turned

towards His creations and spoke to them. Then, from the time that Israel's nationhood

was forged at Sinai, Hashem spoke through Moshe,

as exemplified by the many times we find the words, 'And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying…'

But now in the book of Devarim we encounter a new dynamic. 'These are the words that

Moshe spoke to all of Israel...' in this book

rather than Hashem speaking to man, the words flow forth

from below, from down here, from the innermost heart of Moshe Rabbeinu… Thus the book of

Devarim signals a new concept in our understanding of the Torah. Until now the Creator was

speaking. Now, Moshe's words are adopted by Hashem, and are equated with eternal holiness

on the same level as the previous books of the

Torah! This is an example of man reaching a level of

partnership with G-d – the Torah including the words that flowed from man's soul. The

Torah which descended into the world in order to

uplift it and to reveal its Divine essence, effected

Moshe to the extent of purifying his entire being till everyone could see that his face

shone… it's not for naught that Moshe is etched into the

national consciousness as the person who reached the full potential of what a human being could

reach… The only human being who is described as

'the man of G-d' (Ps. 90). Thus the book of Deuteronomy completes the Torah because

it represents human partnership with the Divine,

and is the living example of what dedication to

Torah can accomplish. So over the last five weeks of Moses' life,

beginning on the first day of the month of Shevat and

ending on the 6 th of Adar, the eve of his death, Moshe gave over this book. He explained

the entire Torah to each and every individual;

he said, 'I am close to my death, whoever heard a

verse, or a chapter, or a section, but forgot it, let him come to me now and I will go over

it again.' On the 6th of Adar he was informed

of his impending death and he commanded Yehoshua, and on the 7 th of Adar he blessed

Israel and passed into the Coming World. Our sages refer to this book as Mishneh Torah,

meaning a review of the Torah. But more specifically, it's an explanation of the

Torah. The word used in verse 5 for 'explain'is

'be'er'…the very same word meaning a 'well' of water….Moshe opened the

well of knowledge and understanding for all future generations… He

does indeed review some of the commandments, but the book is far from merely

being a review of the previous four. Devarim introduces many new commandments. And, Moshe

inspires and admonishes. He expresses dire warnings to his beloved Children of Israel

to be on their guard against idolatry and to stay

focused on Hashem's commandments, if they wish to stay in the Land. In general, the

book is completely focused on preparation for the

new life that the people of Israel will be living in their

We need to open up our heart to the book of Devarim, from Moshe's heart to our own:

these are Moshe's last words to his people, all the

way to our generation, from the most selfless heart that

ever was, overflowing with the love of Hashem, His people, His Torah, and His Land.

This week's Torah portion is parashat Devarim, begins famously with words of rebuke…but

this is not your average rebuke. Moshe has to chastise

his people, but he does it gently: his love for

the Children of Israel, even when they were wayward, knew no bounds. He doesn't want

to hurt them, so his words are veiled, encoded; it

could even be called a sweet rebuke. He has to remind

them now of their past sins, as part of their cleansing process, separating them from their

past mistakes, as a reality check, as part of the

preparation, the final stages for entering into the land.

He reminds his beloved people of real sins, yet he is so cautious not to embarrass them

The Torah portion begins, 'These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on the

other side of the Jordan in the desert, in the plain

opposite the Red Sea, between Paran and Tofel and Lavan

and Hazeroth and Di Zahav.' Our sages teach that in this verse and the next, Moshe deftly

alludes to all the places where the previous generation, the generation of the desert – the

parents of his present audience – he alludes to

all the places where they angered G-d during their desert

sojourn. Out of sensitivity for them he doesn't actually mention the sins they committed by

name, but only the alludes to the places. Rashi informs us of so much that is going

We read 'These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on the other side of the

Jordan in the desert, in the plain opposite the Red

Sea, between Paran and Tofel and Lavan and Hazeroth

and Di Zahav. Our sages say that some of these names refer to places that don't even exist.

'The words 'in the desert' – refer to what

they did in the desert, when they said, if only we died in this

desert; 'in arava' – he rebuked them for their having angered Him in the desert

by saying, “If only we had died by the hand of G-d' (Exod. 16:3).

Baal Peor at Shittim in the plains of Moab, 'opposite suf' – He rebuked them regarding

their rebellion at the Red Sea; 'betweem paran

and tofel and lavan' – for speaking against the manna;

'in chatzerot' concerning the insurrection of Korach, and for not taking the lesson of

Miriam to heart; and 'di zahav' – a reference

to the Golden Calf. But afterwards he blessed them. And he said

may Hashem the G-d of your fathers increase you a

thousand fold. In Ch. 2 and verse 7 we read, “For Hashem your G-d has blessed you in

all the work of your hand; He knows of your walking

through this great desert, these forty years that

Hashem your G-d has been with you, you have lacked nothing.”

We always read these words, about walking through the great desert, a frightening and

awful place, during this period before the ninth

of Av. This allusion to the great desert, also refers to

the great, frightening and awful desert of our lives in our own time, and reminds us

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