This Shabbat, we begin to read from the book of D’varim, Deuteronomy, which, according to the text, contains teachings delivered by Moses to Israel before they enter the Promised Land. Knowing that they must go forward without him, he dedicates his final moments to reviewing their journeys, the lessons they learned, and the laws and precepts that will guide them as they enter Israel.
“On the other side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses began to clarify this teaching (this Torah), stating… (Deuteronomy 1:5)”
Moses’ choice to take this final opportunity to reinforce his Torah, his teachings, reminds me of that last message parents sneak in before dropping their children off at school for the day or those last instructions parents give before sending their students off to college. Even as educators, workplace leaders, or community leaders, we often do the same. “Make good choices!” are always the last words we share with our teens when we release them for free time during a field trip.
Why do we always feel the need to sneak in that last word? Are we worried that our lessons will be so easily forgotten, or do we simply wish to emphasize something important one last time?
In many ways, the practice is very Jewish. During the Rabbinic period, lessons were shared through vocal repetition, until students could quote their masters verbatim. Even today, we still repeat. We study the same text, year after year. We pray the same prayers, Shabbat after Shabbat. By repeating these fundamental lessons, we etch them into our subconsciousness.
That last instruction to our disciples, our employees, or our children isn’t just a sign of anxiety. It’s a very human, very Jewish, way of sharing our Torah – our instruction, the way Moses does in the book of Deuteronomy.
— Rabbi Josh Knobel