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until you arrived here, you
have been rebellious against
the Lord … You have been
rebellious against the Lord ever
since I have known you.
” (Deut.
9:7, Deut. 9:24). His critique
extends to the future: “If you
have been rebellious against
the Lord while I am still alive
and with you, how much more
will you rebel after I die!”
(Deut. 31:27). Even the curses
in Deuteronomy, delivered by
Moses himself, are bleaker than
those in Leviticus 26 and lack
any note of consolation.
Criticism is easy to deliver
but hard to bear. It is all too
easy for people to close their
ears, or even turn the criticism
around (“He’s blaming us, but
he should be blaming himself.
After all, he was in charge”).
What does it take for criticism
to be heeded? The people have
to know, beyond a shadow of a
doubt, that the leader is always
ready to defend them. They have
to know that he cares for them,
wants the best for them and is
prepared to take personal risks
for their sake. Only when peo-
ple know for certain that you
want what is good for them,
do they listen to you when you
criticize them.
That is what led the Sages to
give the interpretation they did
to the placename Di-zahav in
the first verse of Devarim. Why
was Moses able to be as critical
as he was in the last month of
his life? Because the people he
was talking to knew that he had
defended them and their parents
in his prayers for Divine forgive-
ness, that he had taken the risk
of challenging God, that he had
declined God’s offer to abandon
the Israelites and begin again
with him — in short, that his
whole life as a leader was ded-
icated to doing what was the
best for the people. When you
know that about someone, you
listen to them even when they
criticize you.
One of my all-time heroes is
the great Hassidic rabbi, Levi
Yitzhak of Berditchev (1740-
1809). Many stories are told of
how he interceded with Heaven
on behalf of the Jewish people.
My favorite, doubtless apocry-
phal, story is this: Levi Yitzhak
once saw a Jew smoking in the
street on Shabbat. He said, “My
friend, surely you have forgot-
ten that it is Shabbat today.
”
“No,
” said the other, “I know
what day it is.
” “Then surely
you have forgotten that smok-
ing is forbidden on Shabbat.
”
“No, I know it is forbidden.
”
“Then surely, you must have
been thinking about something
else when you lit the cigarette.
”
“No,
” the other replied, “I knew
what I was doing.
” At this, Levi
Yitzhak turned his eyes upward
to heaven and said, “Sovereign
of the universe, who is like Your
people Israel? I give this man
every chance and still he cannot
tell a lie!”
The great leaders of Israel
were the great defenders of
Israel, people who saw the good
within the not-yet-good. That is
why they were listened to when
they urged people to change
and grow. That is how the Sages
saw Moses. This was the man
who had the audacity to win
forgiveness for the people who
had made the Golden Calf.
It is easy to criticize, hard to
defend. But the Midrash about
Moses tells us a life-changing
idea: If you seek to change some-
one, make sure that you are will-
ing to help them when they need
your help, defend them when they
need your defense and see the
good in them, not just the bad.
Anyone can complain, but
we have to earn the right to
criticize.
The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
was chief rabbi of the United Hebrew
Congregations of the Commonwealth,
1991-2013. His teachings have been
made available to all at rabbisacks.
org. This essay was written in 2017.
Faith and Gratitude
S
efer Devarim serves as
Moshe’s final address
to the Bnei Yisrael.
Throughout, Moshe recounts
events that defined the 40 years
in the wilderness, including
some which posed the greatest
challenges. He recount-
ed the ill-fated story of
the spies, of the golden
calf and referred to
the multiple rebellions
and uprisings that had
occurred in the wilder-
ness.
Why would Moshe
spend the last weeks
of his life addressing
the entire nation, rais-
ing painful moments
instead of positive
ones? Rashi, in his
commentary on the opening
verse of this week’s parshah,
says Moshe deliberately gath-
ered all of Israel to hear his final
address. He saw it as imperative
that his message be heard by
each individual directly from
him.
Moshe feared that anyone
missing his address would chide
those who attended saying they
should have rejoined and chal-
lenged Moshe’s reproach of the
people. He feared that individ-
uals who were not fully com-
mitted would erode the national
mission and unity by introduc-
ing cynicism and doubt. Moshe
wanted to engage critics directly
rather than have them foment
sedition insidiously.
Moshe’s concern was quite
warranted. After all, this is
what happened multiple times
throughout the time in the
wilderness. Each rebellion:
the
spies, Korach and other defiant
movements, even those which
were seemingly justified in
some way, were founded and
sustained by detractors and
critics.
In his final address, Moshe
wanted to emphasize that the
nation’s success or failure hinged
on one determining factor:
attitude. Each incident in the
wilderness involved individ-
uals who lacked perspective.
They focused on flaws and
faults when they should
have expressed fealty to
God and gratitude for their
good fortune; they were
on their way to a promised
land; they had sustenance in
the manna and protection
from the elements and ene-
mies through God and the
Clouds of Glory.
Acrimony and
ungratefulness eroded
faith and trust and poisoned
exuberance, excitement and
optimism. Moshe was not about
to let that happen after his
passing. He wanted to warn the
people of the foe they would
face, perhaps more daunting
than all others — themselves.
Moshe wanted to make sure
that the Bnei Yisrael understood
how their greatest calamities
could have been averted. He
wanted to arm each person,
each family and each tribe with
the awareness to recognize
subversive individuals and
movements and the power
to intervene. He wanted to
leave them with a weapon
more powerful than a spear or
sword; he wanted to leave them
with an attitude of gratitude
and optimism, and the power
of faith — something that
continues to sustain us as a
people even today.
Rabbi Azaryah Cohen is head of
school at Frankel Jewish Academy in
West Bloomfield.
TORAH PORTION
Rabbi
Azaryeh
Cohen
Parshat
Devarim :
Deuteronomy
1:1-3:22;
Isaiah
1:1-27.