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TORAH PORTION

Together, We're Better

Shabbat Hazon; Parshat Devarim:
Deuteronomy 1:1 3:22; Isaiah 1:1 27.

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T

this point and reviews of all the laws
his Shabbat — coming on
that have been proclaimed, remind-
the eve of the fast of Tisha
ing the people that only obedience to
b'Av, the most solemn day of
the Jewish year — has a special name: God's laws will lead to a blessed life.
Then, Moses looks at the
Shabbat Hazon.
people and declares: "Eicha
The word hazon is the
— How can it be? How can
first word of the Haftorah
I alone bear the hard work
and means 'vision, reflect-
of you, the burden of you,
ing the vision of Isaiah,
the strife of you?"
warning all generations
In these words, there is
of the moral and social
no doubt a feeling of relief,
downfall of the people that
but also one of sadness.
led to the destruction of the
I imagine that one of the
First and Second Temple on
hardest
things Moses ever
the same day — the Ninth
Rabbi Joseph
had
to
do
in his career was
of Av.
H. Krakoff
turn
the
leadership
of the
What I find so amazing
Special to the
nation
over
to
Joshua.
How
about the Jewish approach
Jewish News
difficult it must have been
to this demoralizing
to give up control
destruction of our
after 40 years
most Holy Temple
at the helm. Yet
is that we could
Moses teaches us
have easily blamed
a most important
the Babylonians
lesson: At some
(586 B.C.E.) or the
point we have to
Romans (70 C.E.)
let go and have
for this devasta-
faith in the capa-
tion. Yet, we do not.
bilities, insights,
Instead, we point
and good inten-
our fingers inward
tions of others. We have to trust our-
and blame ourselves for how poorly
selves to trust each other.
we treated each other. The Talmud is
Admittedly, it is often disconcert-
clear that the Temple was destroyed
for one reason — sinat chinam — the ing to realize that our way of doing
things is not the only correct one.
baseless hatred that humans held for
Nonetheless, people often rise to the
one another.
occasion if they truly feel trusted
Perhaps one reason that Devarim is
and are simultaneously treated with
read every year just before Tisha b'Av
respect and dignity. Let us soon learn
is because it, too, is concerned with
the all-important lesson that plagued
how we treat one another. Our par-
and almost destroyed our very ances-
shah opens with Moses speaking to
tors — that together we are better! ❑
the Children of Israel in the 40th year,
having witnessed the restlessness and
Joseph Krakoff is a rabbi at Congregation
rebellious nature of the Jewish people
Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County.
during their entirety of their desert
wanderings. Moses was cognizant
of the temptations and distractions
Conversations
that the people would face once they
Whom do you trust and why?
crossed the Jordan and entered the
How do you treat your family?
Land of Israel.
Your friends? Complete strang-
To insure that the people were
ers? When something goes
prepared to go forward without him,
wrong are you quick to blame
Moses sets out to leave a legacy, offer-
others or do you carefully exam-
ing three concluding discourses to the
ine what you might have done to
Israelites just before he dies. Moses
cause it?
starts out by relating the key events
and battles that have taken place until

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c~T e

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