Moses' Amazing Speech

I hope you had an amazing week.  We just got back with the family last night from a few day trip to Mammoth and Yosemite (thank you Uncle Mark in Mammoth and Dr. Kaye from Fresno for hosting us!)

A few weeks ago, we started reading the last book of the five books of Torah, Devarim (Deuteronomy).  

The entire book is the final speech of Moses, which broke the Guinness world record for the longest speech ever.  It was 36 days long.

Moses spoke to the Jewish people as they were on the east bank of the Jordan river, about to cross into Israel.  (They would wake up in the morning and gather to listen, until the end of the day, when they would go back to their tents to sleep, to then come back out the next day and pick up where they left off).

For some reason, this year, as I’ve studied the portion every day, I’m finding it so much more meaningful and relevant than ever before.  Here are a few points I’m noticing:

Moses the Rabbi/Rebbe

If there is any role model for a rabbi, it would be Moses.  He was the first and greatest rabbi of all time.  While there’s no way I could compare myself to Moses, the Rebbe would often remind us that even taking “a tiny little bit” to heart will make a world of a difference.  If there’s something I can take from him as a leader and rabbi, I will definitely be doing my job better and fulfilling what G-d wants from me.

I hope that I’m starting to pick up on the tone of voice that Moses has.  He strikes this unbelievable balance between being direct and “knocking us back into place”, while staying super inspirational and practical.

Who Moses is talking to

Moses was the leader who took the Jews out of Egypt and brought the Torah down from Mt. Sinai.  However, the people he’s talking to now is a new generation than the flock from “most of his career”.

After the spies dissuaded the Jews from wanting to enter Israel (in the second year coming out of Egypt), G-d decreed that everyone from that generation would indeed not enter Israel, and die in the desert.  Only their children would enter the land of Israel, 40 years later.  That’s where the wandering for forty years came from.  Even though that generation saw G-d with their own eyes and witnessed miracles that have never been seen since, they “blew it”, and were not worthy of entering Israel.

Now, forty years later that entire generation had passed on.  Their children, who were born after Mt. Sinai and all the big miracles, were about to cross the Jordan into Israel.  

While they had been brought up eating manna from heaven, which was a miracle, they were about to be weaned off it as they crossed into Israel, and would need to start working the land for food.

Moses was giving them a “pep talk” and this pep talk has kept us going for 3,300 years!

The parallel to Moses of our generation

I also think about the “Moses of our generation” and how the Rebbe is teaching a new generation.  Forgive me for feeling mortality, but I’m seeing the “elders” starting to pass on.  The Chassidim who were there throughout the Rebbe’s life and followed his word from the 50’s through the 90’s are starting to pass on.

The Rebbe kept on saying that “Moshiach is coming in this generation”.  I’ve heard people ask why this guarantee from the Rebbe isn’t coming true.  Why has Moshiach not come yet?

Perhaps the answer is a parallel to the “two/one generations” of Moses’ flock.  They were clearly two generations, but they are still the one “generation of Moses”.

It’s our younger generation, that never even met the Rebbe in person that will be “crossing the Jordan into Israel” with the coming of Moshiach.  I get goosebumps thinking about how “my half of the Rebbe’s generation” will reach the finish line and actually bring Moshiach.

Of course, my intention is not to imply that the entire “first half-generation” of the Rebbe must pass on for Moshiach to come.  On the contrary, the Rebbe demanded that Moshiach come right now, and that was 50+ years ago!  My point is that we shouldn’t be discouraged by Moshiach’s delay, seeing the parallel to Moses and his generation.  

The 36 day long speech in a nutshell

You might say, that the recurring theme of the speech is believing and trusting in G-d.  Apparently, we don’t need the big miracles that first generation witnessed to fully believe and trust in G-d.  (Click here to see the email I wrote a couple months ago about how belief in G-d is a muscle and how we can strengthen it).

Moses tells them “not to fear” (this is the most frequently repeated phrase in the entire Tanach).  If you fully believe and trust in G-d, you will fear nothing.  

This week’s portion of the speech

In this week’s portion of the speech, Moses starts off by telling us to “See the blessing and curse G-d has put before you”.

Following G-d’s commandments is the vessel to bring true and permanent material and spiritual blessings into our lives.  

Chassidus teaches that it is possible to prosper without following G-d’s commandments, and that the path to ungodly success is quick and nuclear.  However, that kind of success has an expiration date and is doomed to crash at some point.  

Success that comes from following G-d, however, is slow and steady.  It may not come when you expected it to come, but following G-d’s commandments is truly the path to long and lasting success in every channel (family, health & wealth).

The portion continues with a bunch of commandments, like idolatry, false prophets, kosher, tithing, keeping holidays and more.  

I just realized the connection between “seeing the blessing and curse” and the list of commandments.

After telling us that there is a blessing and curse before us, Moses gives us a bunch of ways to bring the blessing into our lives, i.e. following the commandments.

May we all merit to live a life of spiritual and materials blessings.  It’s right in front of us!