Perek Yomi - Dvarim 1-11

Ancient treaties

Chapter 1:

Moses speaks to all Israel one day after the 11th new moon in the 40th year in the Wilderness in the plains near Suf after they fought Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, recapping what has happened since they left Egypt:

• Moses delegates judges because the people have become so numerous
• They left Horev, traveling the whole wilderness, but the Amorite hill-country route and came to Kadesh-Barne'a, where God said that He was giving them the Amorite hill-country.
  The people said they should send scouts to check out land. This idea looked good to Moses. But the people became afraid, God became furious at the people and at Moses for their sake. God said none of the men of this evil generation will live to enter the land and they turned around and marched in the wilderness by the Reed Sea route.

1:9 ...

Moses comes up with the wonderful idea to delegate some of his work. What happened to Jethro?

Although this seems to be one of the few instances where the people are praised---for liking Moses' idea.

The spies bring back a good report, but the people, nonetheless, don't want to enter the land. This makes the Lord angry at Moses. I thought it was his striking the rock when the people grumbled for water.

<check how much is the same and different and missing and added from first tellings>

mention of children too young to know good from bad.

Like not knowing their right had from their left in Jonah? Which brings to mind the times that G-d threatens to destroy a group of people:

• The flood: He tells Noah, who goes along with it.
• Sodom and Gemmorah: He tells Abraham, who argues, but the only ones ultimately saved are Lot and his two daughters
• (Not the plagues and the crossing of the Sea of Reeds: Moses warns Pharaoh (yes?) and the Egyptian people survive, even if the army doesn't)
• The golden calf: He tells Moses, who argues and convinces G-d. That it would look bad, not that the people are worth saving.
• Various peoples of the Promised Land: G-d commands the Israelites to destroy all the people along with their religious objects so that the Israelites won't be tempted to worship foreign gods. Weinfeld, in the Anchor Yale Bible, says this never happened; it was more of an utopian wish.
• Jonah: G-d wants Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh that they are going to be wiped out in 40 days, so they have time to repent and avert the severe decree.

Chapter 2:

The people circled around the hills of Se'ir for years until Hashem told Moses to go northward. They are to cross the land where the the Children of Esau live, namely Se'ir, but not to take anything and pay for whatever food and water they consume.

Then they crossed the route of the Wilderness of Moav---same deal, the land belongs to the Children of Lot. Likewise, the Children of Ammon.

All these people dispossessed the former inhabitants.

BTW, the days we traveled from Kadesh Barne'a until we crossed the Wadi Zered were 38 years; by then all the men of war of the previous generation were gone.

God tells Moses to tell the people to take the land of Sihon king of Heshbon. But first Moses sent messengers from the Wilderness of Kedemot with words of peace, offering to stay on the main route and pay for whatever food and water they use, as they did for the Children of Esau and the Moabites. Sihon says no and the Lord hardened his heart. They fought, the Israelites won and killed everyone, but kept the animals and booty.

Moses asks God if can he can get permission to travel from Sihon before attacking them. "God saw he justice of Moses' words, and commanded him never in the future to declare war upon a city before previously urging the people to surrender in peace." [Kaplan, p. 341]

Chapter 3:

Og, king of Bashan came out to meet the Israelites and fight at Edre'i. Og lost and his people met the same fate as Sihon's. Moses distributed the land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the tribe of Menashe. He reminded them that they had agreed to their men of fighting age were to help conquer the land on the other, western, side of the Jordan.

Then Moses asks God to let him cross over and see the promised land. But Hashem is angry with Moses on account of the people and cuts him short. Hashem says he can go to the top of Pisga and see the land, but he can't cross the Jordan. Instead, Moses must work with Joshua to make him the leader who will cause the people to inherit the land.

3:11 King Og of Bashon had a large iron bedstead: 4 x 9 cubits. It had to be iron because he was so big that a wooden bed wouldn't support him. He was about 9 feet tall.

"In his youth Og had been a slave to Abraham, who had received him as a gift from Nimrod, for Og is none other than Eliezer, Abraham's steward. … He remained I Abraham's service until Isaac's marriage, when Abraham gave him his freedom as a reward …. God also rewarded him in this world, that this wicked wight might not lay claim to a reward in the world to come. He therefore made a king of him." [Ginzberg, p. 344]

Avivah Zornberg talks about this. My understanding of what she says is that God implies that He is not the one that Moses should be talking to. Moses needs the people to want him to remain with them, but he can't force them, or even ask them, to want him. They need to volunteer this and they don't. My thought is that maybe they've had enough of him.

Or, Elie Wiesel in Messengers of God, suggests, given the fraught relationship between Moses and the people: "Who knows? Perhaps God's decision not to let him enter the promised land was meant as reward rather than as punishment." [p. 199]

Chapter 5:

The Ten Commandments

Chapter Four:

Less recap and more about mitzvot.

Re the cities of refuge: "Moses rejoiced greatly at this statute, and instantly set about its execution, for 'he that hath tasted of a food knoweth its flavor,' and Moses who had erstwhile been obliged to flee on account of having slain an Egyptian, knew the feelings of the man who is pursued on account of a manslaughter that he had committed unawares." [Ginzberg, pp. 416-7]

Chapter 6:

The Sh'ma

Chapter 7:

When you enter the land of the seven nations, all greater than you!, "doom them to destruction" and no intermarriage, destroy all the idolatry locations lest you start to worship other gods and God gets angry and destroys you. Remember you're not so great, in fact you're the smallest nation; and God is just keeping the promises he made with your fathers.

Note that there is a split after 7:11 to start the next Torah portion, Eikev.

If you obey God's commandments, then good things will happen and bad things won't. So destroy all the people God wants you to and don't worship their gods---God will help you do this, so don't be afraid---remember He already helped you against the Egyptians,

Time Line:

• In Egypt, the Israelites complained about and to Moses
• 1st year of 40-year journey
  • :Middle of Nissan (14th or 15?): leave Egypt
    • Pharaoh tells them to leave to serve Hashem (Ex. 12.31)
      • It doesn't seem to me that Moses ever says that the Israelites want to leave permanently, only that they want to go off to worship their God briefly
      • It also doesn't seem to me that God promises Moses that he will enter the promised land, only that the people will
    • The Israelites "borrowed ... objects of silver and gold, and clothing"(Ex. 12.36)
    • The Israelites lived in Egypt exactly 430 years (Ex. 12.40-41)
      • they left in the month of Abib (Ex. 13.4)
      • Celebrate this when Hashem gives you the land of the "Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites (Ex. 13.5)
        • There are actually seven nations to be dispossessed.
  • Journey from Raamses to Succoth (Ex. 12.37).
    • Rashi: this is a distance of 120 miles, but they got there instantly on the first day..
    • 600,000 men on foot (Ex. 12.37) plus women and children plus "a mixed multitude" and "very much livestock, both flocks and herds" (Ex. 12.38)
  • " So God led the people roundabout, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds.
    • Now the Israelites went up armed out of the land of Egypt." (Ex. 13.18)
  • Journey from Succoth to "Etham, at the edge of the wilderness" (Ex. 13.20)
    • Rashi says on the second day (after leaving Egypt).
    • A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, so they could travel all the time (Ex. 13.21)
  • "Turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea." (Ex. 14.2)
    • Rashi says this is on the third day of their journey,
    • and that it is closer to the Egyptians, to trick Pharaoh into thinking the people are lost
    • The people grumble to Moses (Ex. 1411-12)
    • God said to Moses: "Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the Children of Israel .... (Ex. 14.15 as translated by Fox)
      • This is related to Avivah Zornberg's discussion of Moses entreating God to let him enter Canaan
  • The Israelites cross the Sea of Reeds, Pharaoh's army drowns on the 21st of Nisan.
    • " And when Israel saw the wondrous power which the LORD had wielded against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD; they had faith in the LORD and His servant Moses." (Ex. 14.31)
      • Worth noting because it's so positive and so unusually positive.
      • Shirat HaYam / the song of the sea (Ex. 15.1-19)
      • Miriam and the women dance with timbrels (Ex. 15.20)
      • She is called " the prophetess, Aaron’s sister" (Ex. 15.20)
  • They " set out from the Sea of Reeds. They went on into the wilderness of Shur; they traveled three days in the wilderness and found no water." (Ex. 15.22)
    • Ibn Ezra: " There are only six journeys from the Red Sea until Mount Sinai¹⁵²Listed in Num. 33:14,15. lasting less than forty days.¹⁵³Israel journeyed from the Red Sea on the 21st of Nisan until the first of Sivan when they came to the desert of Sinai."
  • "They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter" (Ex. 15.23)
    • The people grumble (Ex. 15.24)
  • " And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there beside the water." (Ex. 15.27)
    • Ibn Ezra: " I believe that Israel tarried in Marah for only one day¹⁹⁸I.E. offers no proof for this. He may base his opinion on the fact that Scripture does not note here that Israel camped in Marah. (However, Scripture does so in Num. 33:8). It rather mentions Marah as a place that Israel passed by on the way to Elim. and that they stayed in Elim for about twenty days.¹⁹⁹Israel journeyed from Elim on the 15th of Iyyar (16:1). There are 24 days from the 21st of Nisan, when Israel crossed the Red Sea, to the 15th of Iyyar. Israel journeyed for three days without water (v. 22) and spent one day at Marah. Hence they spent about 20 days at Elim. Scripture therefore says, and they encamped there by the waters.²⁰⁰To emphasize that their main camp at this time was at Elim. The next verse therefore informs us that Israel journeyed from Elim on the fifteenth day of the second month.²⁰¹That is, where they spent the longest period of time from the crossing of the Red Sea up to this point. Now Israel camped in the following four places²⁰²Listed in Num. 8:12-16. in fifteen days:²⁰³There are 15 days from the 15th of Iyyar until the first of Sivan, when Israel came to Sinai. the wilderness of Sinai,²⁰⁴This should be emended to read Sin, Israel’s first stop on the way to Sinai. If it is not emended then I.E. lists Israel final destination first. Dophkah, Alush, and Rephidim, for they came to the desert of Sinai at the beginning of the third month.²⁰⁵ "
  • " Setting out from Elim, the whole Israelite community came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt." (Ex. 16.1)
    • Rashi: " Manna fell for them on the sixteenth day of Iyar, which was the first day of the week, just as is stated in the Treatise Shabbat 87b. "
    • The people were hungry and grumbled. (Ex. 16.2-3)
    • God gives them manna (Ex. 16.4-5) and quail appeared at night and manna at dawn (Ex. 16.13) in response to more grumbling (Ex. 16.2-31)
    • They ate manna for 40 years until they reached the border of Canaan. (Ex. 16.35)
  • " From the wilderness of Sin the whole Israelite community continued by stages as the LORD would command. They encamped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink." (Ex. 17.1)
    • Ibn Ezra: " For from the wilderness of Sin Israel journeyed to Dophkah; from there to Alush, and from Alush they went to Rephidim.¹See Num. 33:12-14. In other words, by their stages alludes to all the places that Israel stopped between Sin and Rephidim. "
    • The people grumbled. (Ex. 17.2-7) and Moses struck the rock at Horeb to get water. (Ex. 17.6) and the place was called Massah and Meribah (Ex. 17.7)
    • "Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim" and with Aaron and Hur supporting Moses' hands, the Irsaelites won. (Ex. 17.8-16)
      • Hashem tells Moses to write this down and tell Joshua, " I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven!” (Ex. 17.14)
      • " And Moses built an altar and named it Adonai-nissi." (Ex. 17.15)
    • Jethro shows up with Moses' wife and sons, Gershom and Eliezer, and Moses greets him and brings him up to date. (Ex. 18.1-11)
      • Moses is " encamped at the mountain of God." (Ex. 18.5)
      • " And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to partake of the meal before God with Moses’ father-in-law." (Ex. 18.12)
        • Ibn Ezra: " [BEFORE GOD.] Scripture reads thus because Moses’ tent was on the east side of the tabernacle.¹⁶²The tabernacle faced east. Hence Moses’ tent was in front of God’s tabernacle. It will be recalled that according to I.E., Jethro arrived in the second year following the Exodus, after the erection of the tabernacle."
      • When Jethro sees how Moses judges the people all day, he tells him that Moses needs to delegate. (Ex. 18.13-26)
        • Jethro says, " you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone." (Ex. 18.18)
          • In Devarim, this is different: See Deut. 1.9, 12.
        • Jethro tells Moses to pick " capable men who fear God, trustworthy men who spurn ill-gotten gain." (Ex. 18.21)
          • In Devarim, this is different: See Deut. 1.13.
      • Moses sends Jethro home. (Ex. 18.27)
• Second year
  • Beginning of Nissan: Tabernacle / Mishkan set up and dedicated (Ex. 40.2 )
• 40th year - 38 years later
  • 1st or 10th of Nisan - Miriam dies
    • SO IT CAME TO PASS WHEN [ALL THE MEN OF WAR] HAD COME TO AN END … THAT THE LORD SPOKE TO ME etc. — But from when the spies were sent forth until now, the word וידבר is not mentioned in this section, but ויאמר, to teach you that during these entire thirty eight years during which the Israelites were lying under God’s censure, the Divine speech was not directed towards him in an expression of affection, face to face, and with tranquility of mind — to teach you that the Shechinah rests upon the prophets only for Israel’s sake (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 13; Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:5; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 1:1 towards end).
    • Num. 20.7 - "God spoke to Moses, saying, 'Take the staff ...'" when Moses strikes the rock twice at Meribbah: "This may have been the first time that God spoke to Moses after a 38 year hiatus (Taanith 30b; Sifra on Leviticus 1:1). See Deuteronomy 2:16. [Kaplan, p. 438]
      

  • "The war with Sihon took place in the month of Elul. In the following month of Tishri they rested on account of the holy days, but immediately after these they set out to battle against Og. [Ginzberg, p. 343]
    

Bibliography

Fox, Everett, The Five Books of Moses

Gilbert, Martin, Atlas of Jewish History

Kaplan, Rabbi Aryeh, Devarim 1-11, The Living Torah: A New Translation Based on Traditional Jewish Sources

Miles, Jack, Leige Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, (pp. 127-149), God: A Biography, Alfred A. Knopf, 1995

Ginzberg, Louis, The Legends of the Jews, Volume III

Rashi,

Stanton, Elizabeth Cady, The Woman's Bible: A Classic Feminist Perspective

Weinfeld, Moshe, Introduction (pp. 1-84), Deuteronomy 1-11: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, Volume 5 of the Anchor Yale Bible, Yale University Press, 1991

Wiesel, Elie, "Moses: Portrait of a Leader," (pp. 174-205), Messengers of God: Biblical Portraits and Legends, Summit Books, 1976

Zornberg, Avivah, Introduction, Moses: A Human Life (on Sefaria)

Rabbi Jonathan Sachs, lectures

Avivah Zornberg, lecture