Devarim-Chap-1-1-24
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Remember
the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which
I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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“Devarim Chapter 1:1-24”
Part One..
With
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
The
Voice of the Faithful Shepherd.
As we open this final book, the setting is
poignant. It is the first day of the eleventh month in the fortieth year. Moses
knows his time is short. Unlike the previous books where אֱלֹהִים - Elohim
(God) speaks directly to the people through Moses, Devarim consists primarily of Moses' own words, spoken from a
heart full of love, anxiety, and hope. He is not just reciting laws; he is
preaching a “living Torah” to a generation that did not experience the Exodus
firsthand.
As shown above this is Part One of this study,
Part Two is shown next on the Index.
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Let
us read Devarim - Deuteronomy Chapter 1: Verses 1 to 24: (JPS-1917 version of
the Torah).
1. “These are the
words which Moses spoke unto all Israel
beyond the Jordan;
in the wilderness, in the Arabah, over against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab. 2. It is eleven days journey from Horeb unto Kadesh-barnea by the way of mount Seir. 3. And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the
eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the
children of Israel, according unto all that יְהוָה - the LORD had given him in commandment unto them; 4. after he had smitten
Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon,
and Og the king of Bashan,
who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei; 5. beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, took Moses
upon him to expound this law, saying: 6. אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim
spoke unto us in Horeb, saying: ‘Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain; 7. turn you, and take your journey, and go to the
hill-country of the Amorites and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the Lowland, and in the
South, and by the sea-shore; the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as
the great river, the river Euphrates. 8. Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and
possess the land which יְהוָה - the LORD swore
unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and to
their seed after them’. 9 . And I spoke unto you at that time, saying:
‘I am not able to bear you myself alone; 10 . יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם -
the LORD your Eloheychem hath multiplied you, and,
behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. 11. יְהוָה - the LORD, the אֱלֹהִים of your fathers, make you
a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised
you! 12. How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and
your burden, and your strife? 13 . Get you, from each one of your tribes,
wise men, and understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads
over you’. 14. And ye answered me, and said: ‘The thing which
thou hast spoken is good for us to do’. 15. So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and
full of knowledge, and made them heads over you,
captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and
captains of tens, and officers, tribe by tribe. 16. And I charged your judges at that time, saying: ‘Hear
the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his
brother, and the stranger that is with him. 17. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall
hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of any
man; for the judgment is אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s; and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me,
and I will hear it’. 18. And I commanded you at that time all the things
which ye should do. 19. And we journeyed from Horeb, and went through all
that great and dreadful wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the hill-country
of the Amorites, as יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינוּ - the LORD our Eloheynu
commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. 20. And I said unto you: ‘Ye are come unto the
hill-country of the Amorites, which יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵינו - the
LORD our Eloheycha giveth
unto us. 21. Behold, יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
the LORD thy Eloheycha hath set the land before thee;
go up, take possession, as יְהוָה - the LORD, the of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee;
fear not, neither be dismayed’. 22. And ye came near unto me every one of you, and
said: ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and
bring us back word of the way by which we must go up, and the cities unto which
we shall come’. 23. And
the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe
24. and
they turned and went up into the mountains, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out”.
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Let us look at the commentary regarding verses 1 to
24:
Setting
the Scene (1-5): The
text lists various locations, places where Israel struggled or rebelled. By
mentioning these spots, Moses subtly reminds the people of their history
without shaming them directly. He begins “beyond the Jordan”,
looking toward the land he will never enter, showing his commitment to their
future over his own.
The
Command to Move (6-8): Moses
recalls the moment at Horeb (Sinai) when אֱלֹהִים - Elohim said, “Ye have dwelt long enough in this
mountain”. There is a time for study and revelation, but there is also a time
for action. The promise made to the Patriarchs is now within reach; they are
told to “go in and possess the land”.
The
Burden of Leadership (9-18): Moses
reflects on the structural growth of the nation. He admits he could not bear
the weight of the people alone. This section highlights the transition from a
single leader to a system of “wise and understanding” men. It establishes the
Jewish ideal of justice for all, including the stranger, and warns judges not to
be afraid of any man, for “judgment is אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s”.
The Turning
Point at Kadesh-Barnea (19-24): We revisit the beginning of the “Spies”
narrative. Moses reminds them that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim gave the green light, and even encouraged them
not to fear. The suggestion to send spies (v. 22) actually came from the
people. In these verses, we see the initial excitement before the doubt crept
in a reminder of how quickly “good intentions” can waver without faith.
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My Closing Message:
The
Courage to Step Forward.
The recurring theme in these first 24 verses
is the balance between divine promise
and human initiative. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim gave the land, but the people had to walk into it. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim provided the Law, but the people had to appoint judges to live it
out. Moses is teaching us that while our history shapes us, it should not
paralyse us. We must take the lessons of the “mountain” and apply them to the “journey”.
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Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
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Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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