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L

would be many and numerous, like the
sand on the seashore and the stars in the
sky.
But here, with a sly subtlety, Moses
says: "God has multiplied you ... as the
stars in heaven" (Deuteronomy 1:10).
Why did Moses leave out that they
would be "like the sand on the shore"?
Perhaps because with sand the grains
e begin this week a new •
tend to cling together. The stars, on the
book of Torah., the Book of
other hand, are separated from
Deuteronomy. Its
one another by vast areas of
Hebrew name comes from its
space, almost as if each star is
opening phrase: "These are the
a separate world to itself.
words (devarim) spoken by
Apparently for Moses, they
Moses."
are
not like the sand: united
What follows is a repetition
and unified, clinging to one
(of sorts) of the events, laws
another. They are much more
and rituals described in the pre-
like the stars in the sky: scat-
vious books of Exodus, Leviticus.
tered and distant, even worlds
and Numbers. It is for that rea-
apart from one another.
son that the book bears the
RABBI
So Moses says here: "I am
Greek title of Deuteronomy the JOSEPH KLEIN
not
able to bear you myself
"Second (or repeated) Law"
Special to the
alone
— I can no longer lead
Indeed, the second telling of
Jewish News
you by myself because the
the story begins right away with
Lord, your God,. has multi-
a recounting of events from the exodus
plied you; for you are this day as the
out of Egypt and into the desert. It is
stars of heaven, scattered, and worlds
often said that this rather lengthy book
apart from one another."
is Moses' farewell speech, reminding the
So long ago, and so little has
Israelites of their past and preparing
changed!
them for entry into the Promised Land..
I suppose that this is both the good
It is also a retelling of how hard-
news and the bad news about God's
headed and stiff-necked are these
people. Yes, we are blessed by God with
Israelites who cannot work together as a
the strength and endurance that enabled
single people under Moses or in
us to persevere wherever we have lived,
covenant with God.
but as a stiff-necked and stubborn peo-
We just finished Book of Numbers,
ple
we are too often our own worst
replete with stories of rebellion and
enemy.
resistance, and read there of the times
We pray that with the opening of
God is about to give up on the people,
this new book of Torah, we might final-
only to have Moses rush in to change
ly learn the lessons of our history. God
God's mind. And just as often, it is
promised that we would become (that
Moses who is ready to give up on them,
we
could become) like the sand on the
requiring God to step in, cajole and pla-
shore
or the stars in the sky.
cate Moses.
Let
us choose, at long last, to be like
As Deuteronomy opens, Moses
the sand. ❑
reminds the Israelites of his long-time
complaint: "How can I carry alone the
burden [of your troublesomeness], the
weight [of your hostility] and the strife
[of your arguing]!" (Deuteronomy 1:12).
In what other ways and under what
And he recalls to them the covenant
circumstances might positive charac-
God established with Abraham, Isaac
teristics of people become negative
and Jacob, and of its fulfillment in their
qualities? What are the ways that,
day: "God has multiplied you ... as the
and times when, the people Israel do
stars in heaven" (Deuteronomy 1:10).
act like grains of sand? Are we as a
Moses refers here to the original
people more likely to "stick together"
promise made to Abraham that his seed
because of internal forces (within the
Jewish people) or external forces
Joseph Klein is rabbi of Temple Emanu-El
(what others do to us)?

Shabbat Hazon
(Parshah Devarim):
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22;
Isaiah 1:1-27.

a

in Oak Park.

