The name

Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Old Testament and the Pentateuch, containing a second statement of the Mosaic law. The title “Deuteronomy” comes from the Greek word “Deuteronomion”, meaning “a copy” or “repetition” of the law, rather than “second law”.

The word “Deuteronomy” is derived from the Greek “Deuteronomion”, which is based on the Septuagint rendering of the Hebrew phrase “mishneh ha-torah ha-zot” (17:18), meaning “a repetition [that is, a copy] of this law”. However, this rendering is grammatically incorrect, and the correct meaning is “a repetition [that is, a copy] of this law” rather than “this repetition of the law”.

Meaning and Context

Deuteronomy is presented as an address by Moses, recalling Israel’s past, reiterating laws that Moses had communicated to the people at Horeb (Sinai), and emphasizing the importance of observing these laws for the well-being of the people in the land they are about to possess.

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In Brief

“Devarim,” means “the words”.

On the first of Shevat (thirty-seven days before his passing), Moses begins his repetition of the Torah to the assembled children of Israel, reviewing the events that occurred and the laws that were given in the course of their forty-year journey from Egypt to Sinai to the Promised Land, rebuking the people for their failings and iniquities, and enjoining them to keep the Torah and observe its commandments in the land that G‑d is giving them as an eternal heritage, into which they shall cross after his death.

Moses recalls his appointment of judges and magistrates to ease his burden of meting out justice to the people and teaching them the word of G‑d; the journey from Sinai through the great and fearsome desert; the sending of the spies and the people’s subsequent spurning of the Promised Land, so that G‑d decreed that the entire generation of the Exodus would die out in the desert. “Also against me,” says Moses, “was G‑d angry for your sake, saying: You, too, shall not go in there.”

Moses also recounts some more recent events: the refusal of the nations of Moab and Ammon to allow the Israelites to pass through their countries; the wars against the Emorite kings Sichon and Og, and the settlement of their lands by the tribes of Reuben and Gad and part of the tribe of Manasseh; and Moses’ message to his successor, Joshua, who will take the people into the Land and lead them in the battles for its conquest: “Fear them not, for the L‑rd your G‑d, He shall fight for you.”

Chapter 1

v1:1] אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר משֶׁה֙ אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל — These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel

In this book, Deuteronomy, the words of Moshe Rabbeinu are inscribed, whereas the previous four, it was God who spoke to Moses — and Moses then acted as G-d’s spokesperson.

v1:1]
The classic commentary explains that these are not landmarks, nor geographical location. Rather they are words of rebuke by Moses to the people. He refers to their sins by these (place) names, each of which signifies one of the sins they committed on their journey from Egypt to the Holy Land.

• “In the desert”—the time they complained: “If only we would have died in the desert” (Exodus 17:3).
• “In the Aravah (Plain)”—their worship of Baal Peor in the Plains of Moab (Numbers 25).
• “Opposite Suf”—the trouble they made at the shores of Yam Suf, the Red Sea (see Exodus 14:11 and Rashi on Exodus 15:22).
• “Paran”—the sin of the spies, who were dispatched from Paran (as recounted in Numbers 13 and later in our own Parshah).
• “Tofel” and “Lavan” (meaning “libel” and “white”)—their libelling the white manna (Numbers 21:5).
• “Chatzerot”—where Korach’s mutiny against Moses took place.
• “Di-Zahav” (literally, “too much gold”)—the sin of the golden calf.

N However, what if we were to take it literally. After all, the Torah does not make mistakes. I now what I might be proposing here is outrageous, but think of all the strange and magical occurrences in the last four book. From the plagues of Egypt, the burning bush, the splitting of the red sea, and the well of Miriam, plus the incidents mentioned here. What, if the Magus, Moshe Rabeinu, had allowed them to see these incidents. Somehow he “took” them to these places.

Following an interesting commentary by Rashi, on verse 2: “It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-Barnea,” in which he points out that the path from Horeb (Mt. Sinai) to Kadesh-Barnea, as the shortest path, which, normally would take 11 days, actually only took the people 3 days. He explains the calculation saying, “So much did the Divine Presence trouble itself for your sake to hasten your entry into the Land! And because you acted corruptly [in the incident of the spies], you were kept going round Mount Seir for forty years.”

This supports my hypothesis of the story unfolding in a “different” world, one in which there was “magic” or mysterious, miraculous occurrences. Here is another of them.

It would have been fitting that the rebukes (in the Book of Deuteronomy) be pronounced by Balaam, and that the blessings (in the Parshah of Balak) be said by Moses. . . . But G‑d said: Let Moses, who loves them, rebuke them; and let Balaam, who hates them, bless them.

[N]{.button .is-small .is-info} This puts a smile on my face. How many times have we experienced this in our lives? I love the sense of irony that seems to be a line that passes through our lives expressed in this commentary.{.note}

v1:3]

First Moses tells them that it is 11 days journey to Kadesh Barnea N: Which I assume was the beginning of the Promised Land.. Then he commands them to leave the Mountain Horeb, where the Lord spoke to them, and explains the journey ahead:

n1:5]

• Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this Torah (1:5)

He translated it for them into seventy languages.

When the first Tablets were made, they were written in the 70 languages of the world. Here, Moses translates them into 70 languages. [N]{.button .is-small .is-info} [Here is another "miracle". How long would it take us today to translate something into 70 languages? Even if someone (like Moses) was the original "author" of the book.]{.note}

v1:6-7]

n1:6-7]

• G‑d spoke to us in Horeb, saying: “You have long enough stayed at this mountain. Turn away, and take your journey . . .” (1:6–7)

The mountain we’re talking about is Mount Sinai, scene of the most monumental event in human history: G‑d’s revelation of His wisdom and will to man. Still, G‑d says: “You’ve been hanging around this mountain long enough. Move on!”

In our lives we also have moments, days or years of revelation, times when we learn and grow and are enriched. But the purpose must always be to move on, move away, and carry the enlightenment and enrichment to someplace else—some corner of creation that awaits redemption.

v1:8-11]

v1:12-16]

n1:13]

• Bring forth wise and understanding men, known among your tribes, and I will place them at your head (1:13)

The word va’asimeim (“and I will place them”) is written in the Torah lacking the letter yud, so that the word can also be read as va’ashamam, “and their guilt.” This comes to teach us that the faults of a generation rest with its heads and leaders.

(Talmud; Rashi)

n1:17]

• Do not give anyone special recognition when rendering judgment (1:17)

An impoverished widow once came to the Beit Din (courthouse) of the great sage Rabbi Yehoshua of Kutna. Weeping bitter tears, she begged him to summon to the court a man she accused of having wronged her.

Rabbi Yehoshua summoned the man to appear before the court, but referred the case to another rabbi, refusing to preside over it himself. “The Torah forbids the taking of bribes,” he explained. “Do you think that a bribe is only a gift of money? Tears can also be a bribe that ‘blinds the clear-sighted’—especially the tears of a poor widow.”

(Maayanah Shel Torah)