Home

Dear Mogen David Family,

This week we begin Sefer Devarim. It is also known as 'Shabbat Chazon,' which is the Shabbat preceding Tish'a B'Av.  Devarim was called the Mishnah Torah by the Chachamim (not to be confused with the halachic code of the Rambam), because Moshe Rabeinu repeats many stories and Mitzvot from throughout the Torah in this Sefer. It contains many Mitzvot as well as many ma'amrei mussar delivered by Moshe Rabbeinu in anticipation of Klal Yisrael's entry into Eretz Yisrael. Already at the beginning of our Parasha the Ba'alei Mussar highlight a key theme which will run throughout the entire Sefer and that is the ever-present concern of missed opportunities.

In the second pasuk we read: "Achad assar yom mechorev derech har seir ad kadesh barnea." From Har Sinai until the border of Eretz Yisrael is roughly an eleven day journey. Eleven days! I was once told, in safer times (b'meheira b'yameinu), that there was a bus route traveling from Eilat to Cairo which, in total, took 18 hours. By plane, maybe two hours. And, much to our dismay, we know Bnei Yisrael traveled for 40 years in the Midbar. What was geographically close was ideologically very far away. It took Bnei Yisrael over 40 years to earn the right of Biat Ha'aretz.

The Kotzker Rebbe once said that it took one week to get the Jews out of Mitzrayim, and then 40 years to get the Mitzri out of the Jew. We kept the Egyptian culture and corrupt ideology many years after dramatically and miraculously leaving Eretz Mitzrayim. 

Hachnasat Eretz Yisrael, like all Mitzvot, requires serious hachana, preparation. All of Sefer Devarim, in a word, is hachana, preparing Bnei Yisrael for Kedusha. We have been preparing now for Tisha B'Av. I hope it will be the last time. Lately, we have been wondering around in our Midbar, aimlessly anticipating a reentry into our once normal lives and routines. Let us increase our Tefillot and Chessed as we enter into the Nine Day period of mourning.

 In the near future we will have much greater and elaborate planning for the Third Beit HaMikdash!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yehuda Moses Rav HaKehillah/Senior Rabbi