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

land.

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

or offend 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

on here between the lines.

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).

In Arvot Moav; regarding the worship of

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

that even in the darkest times, such as right now, as we

reel from the destruction of the Temple, we are called

upon to rebuild it. The verse reminds us that you have lacked nothing. We can go through

a difficult period, like wandering through a

terrible desert for forty years, but G-d is with us and

we lack nothing.

But there is something about this rebuke of Moshe's that doesn't seem to make sense…

this rebuke was for sins of the previous generation!

What does that have to do with these people, their children, who are preparing to enter

into the Land… we know that they were not held

responsible for the misdeeds of their fathers…but yet Moses rebuked the generation about to

enter the Land, assigning them however softly, some measure of responsibility for the past

as well, at the very least for them to learn

from and grow and to know the types of mistakes to

avoid in their new life in their land The major principle of Torah is always that

it's real and now; it's the story of our lives. How

fitting now to read of Moshe's rebuke of the next generation, reminding them of the

foibles of the previous generation, now that we are a

period of spiritual reevaluation, a time of realignment,

stock taking…the annual period of mourning for the Holy Temple, which really should not

be only about mourning but about asking ourselves,

why are we in this situation…why is it continuing, and how we can turn it around.

And so too, just as Moshe rebuked the next generation, our sages state that every generation

in which the Holy Temple is not rebuilt, is reckoned

by Heaven as the generation in which it was destroyed. That includes ours. So in effect,

we too, are given responsibility for the past as well as

for our own generation…it's all a cumulative process and effect…And our generation has

equal responsibility as all others, to be the one

in which the Temple in rebuilt, and the fact is, if it

doesn't happen, it's as if we continue, aid, abet, cause the destruction….

The Shabbat preceding Tisha B'Av is known as Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision,

from the first verse in the haftarah prophetic

reading, 'the vision of Isaiah'…But this Shabbat is not

only the Sabbath of Vision; this Shabbat of parashat Devarim actually falls on Tisha B'av

itself, the powerful, evocative, emotional, difficult

and complex day of the destruction of both Holy

Temples and so many other tragedies. But Shabbat is a time of joy and peace and the public

display of mourning is forbidden. Shabbat overrides the fast itself and the outer character

of the ninth of Av is all but completely muted for

all practice and purpose. The fast itself, a 24 period

beginning the night before, is deferred to the next day, Sunday.

This combination of Shabbat and Tisha B'Av is a very special experience…we somehow

enter into a vortex, a time warp, we transcend time

and unite with the higher root, which indeed is the

highest light of Shabbat, and the light of Hashem's love that reaches us on Shabbat

supersedes the public mourning of Tisha B'Av, so we

will fast on Sunday. Our relationship with Hashem as

manifest on Shabbat is described in the holy books as the level of 'banim'– of children.

The revelation of the level of 'children'

is that no matter what, we are all Hashem's children. Deut 14

tells us “you are children of Hashem your G-d.”

So what's amazing? We read in the haftarah in Isaiah, 'Hear, O heavens, and give ear,

O earth, for Hashem has spoken; Children I have raised

and exalted, yet they have rebelled against Me.'

Open up your heart in the deepest way….honestly now….this is a terrible rebuke…but He

still calls us Children.

So the holy Sabbath is the level of banim…and on this Shabbat, Tisha B'Av that falls out

on Shabbat, the Opter Rav taught that this is

the greatest, most powerful Shabbat of the entire year,

that in the midst of the darkness of these 'between the straits' days, the truth

that Israel are always called his children is revealed, and

on Shabbat there is no mourning, Shabbat is only the

greatest revelation of love. So on this Shabbat Chazon, of parahat Devarim, even though the

calendar says that it's actually Tisha B'Av we are focusing on that love.

The subtle beauty of Moshe's rebuke in this week's Torah reading is a counterpart to

the subtle beauty of this combination Shabbat of vision,

Shabbat of Tisha B'Av in which the mourning has

been not removed, but peeled back…it's still there…the loss, the pain, the destruction

is still there… but the inner root of life, light

and healing has been revealed. The amazing Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev

famously taught, that on this Shabbat everyone receives a vision of the rebuilt Holy Temple,

the Third Temple. It's so within reach, he taught,

that it's impossible not to experience this vision. Maybe its subliminal, perhaps subconscious

but we all merit it.

But what does it mean exactly that every Jew receives this vision. So I've always understood

this to mean, that every person sees it according

to their level, that perhaps the idea is that each

individual sees the rebuilt Holy Temple according to his or her expectation or conception of

what exactly that will be, and how it will come

about. Or maybe according to each one's hopes…or

each one's limitations. And even more importantly, that the vision is commensurate to how much

a person wants the Temple. That's all fine but there is an entirely additional level

of meaning to this beautiful tradition. That it's not

just a romantic notion, but a message relating to the entire

nation having this experience together.

People automatically tend to associate this month of Av with churban – that word means

destruction. The destruction of the Holy Temple. We've always emphasized that we should

remember that the full name of this month, Menachem Av, means 'the consoling Father;'

Av is father. Because everything ultimately will

be revealed as a manifestation of G-d's love for His

children and is part of the ultimate good. But let's go even further. Open up your

heart in the deepest way. Av also means foundation, the

basis, the root or prototype of something. So on one

level, this month of Av is truly the foundation of suffering and destruction.

But everything in this world has a root. The root, the foundation of building, is destruction. So

the month of Av, the month of tragedies and destruction,  is not only Av, as 'father,'