The book of Deuteronomy asks us to shift our focus from the wandering of the people to Moses' reflection on their journey and his leadership. Even the book's title implies it: Devarim, "words," reflects Moses' long-windedness, and "Deuteronomy" comes from Greek for "second law" or "repetition of the law," which is based on the Hebrew phrase mishneh haTorah hazot in Deuteronomy 17:18. Not only will we now reorient towards Moses, but Moses' retelling will revise the story, laws, and values.
Deuteronomy's Headnote
(א) אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן בַּמִּדְבָּ֡ר בָּֽעֲרָבָה֩ מ֨וֹל ס֜וּף בֵּֽין־פָּארָ֧ן וּבֵֽין־תֹּ֛פֶל וְלָבָ֥ן וַחֲצֵרֹ֖ת וְדִ֥י זָהָֽב׃ (ב) אַחַ֨ד עָשָׂ֥ר יוֹם֙ מֵֽחֹרֵ֔ב דֶּ֖רֶךְ הַר־שֵׂעִ֑יר עַ֖ד קָדֵ֥שׁ בַּרְנֵֽעַ׃ (ג) וַֽיְהִי֙ בְּאַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר חֹ֖דֶשׁ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה ה׳ אֹת֖וֹ אֲלֵהֶֽם׃ (ד) אַחֲרֵ֣י הַכֹּת֗וֹ אֵ֚ת סִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן וְאֵ֗ת ע֚וֹג מֶ֣לֶךְ הַבָּשָׁ֔ן אֲשֶׁר־יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּעַשְׁתָּרֹ֖ת בְּאֶדְרֶֽעִי׃ (ה) בְּעֵ֥בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֖ן בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֑ב הוֹאִ֣יל מֹשֶׁ֔ה בֵּאֵ֛ר אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לֵאמֹֽר׃
(1) These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan.—Through the wilderness, in the Arabah near Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab, (2) it is eleven days from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by the Mount Seir route. — (3) It was in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, that Moses addressed the Israelites in accordance with the instructions that ה׳ had given him for them, (4) after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth [and] Edrei. (5) On the other side of the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this Teaching. He said:
- In this introduction, which details stand out the most to you? Why?
- Put yourself in the shoes of the medieval rabbinic commentators (i.e. Rashi, Ibn Ezra, etc.): if Deuteronomy is Moses' message, why is the introduction all in third person? (See Abarbanel's questions in this vein below.)
ואם החזקנו בדעת השני שספר אלה הדברים אדונינו משה חברו כמבאר את המצות ומגיד מראשית אחרית הדברים אשר יקרו אל בניהם אחריהם. הנה יתחייבו לזה גם כן ארבעה ספקות האחד איך בא ספר כתבו משה מעצמו בתוך ספרי האלקים ויהיה תחלת הדברים מפי האל באמרו אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה וגו'. ומוילך עד הסוף גם כן. ובאמצעותם יבאו דברים שאינם מפי הגבורה. ודבר זה זר מאד. השני למה בתוך דברי משה המדבר בעדו באו דברים בלשון נסתר. וזאת התורה אשר שם משה. אלה העדות וגו' אז יבדיל משה וגו'. ואם היה עדות בדבר יהיה משה ע"ה הוא העד הוא הדיין הוא הבעל דין. השלישי אם הספר הזה אמרו משה מעצמו איך באו בו מצות רבות אשר לא נזכרו עדיין והם כפי הנראה מחודשות והיא אם כן תורה חדשה לא ביאור אליה. הרביעי אם היו הדברים דברי משה בספר הזה. אם כן איך אמרו רז"ל בפרק חלק האומר כל התורה מן השמים חוץ מפסוק אחד שאמרו משה מעצמו הוא בכלל כי דבר ה׳ בזה. ואין ספק שכח מאמרם הוא בכל התורה עד לעיני כל ישראל:
If we accept the second opinion—that Sefer Eleh HaDevarim (the Book of “These are the Words”) was composed by our teacher Moses, serving to explain the commandments and to foretell the outcomes that would befall their descendants—then we are faced with four major difficulties:
First, how could a book written by Moses on his own be included among the books of God? How could it begin with “These are the words that Moses spoke…”—which are apparently his own words—and continue in that manner until the very end? And in between, it contains material that is not spoken directly by God. This is a most strange and problematic matter.
Second, why do some of Moses’s words—if he is indeed the speaker—appear in the third person, as though someone else is narrating? For example: “And this is the Torah that Moses set before the Israelites,” or “These are the testimonies…” or “Then Moses separated…” If this was meant to be testimony, then Moses (peace be upon him) would be both the witness, the judge, and the litigant all at once!
Third, if this book was composed by Moses himself, how is it that it contains so many commandments that were never mentioned before, and which appear to be entirely new? If that is so, then it would be a new Torah, not merely an explanation of the previous one.
Fourth, if the words in this book are Moses’s own, then how could the Sages say: “One who says the entire Torah is from Heaven except for one verse which Moses said on his own—this person has disgraced the word of God”? There is no doubt that their teaching applies to the whole Torah, up to the final verse: “before the eyes of all Israel.”
- Now put yourself in the shoes of a modern scholar: if this was not written by God or Moses, which audience(s) need(ed) this contextual introduction?
Moses' Starting Point
(ט) וָאֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵכֶ֔ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹא־אוּכַ֥ל לְבַדִּ֖י שְׂאֵ֥ת אֶתְכֶֽם׃ (י) ה׳ אֱלֹקֵיכֶ֖ם הִרְבָּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְהִנְּכֶ֣ם הַיּ֔וֹם כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָרֹֽב׃ (יא) ה׳ אֱלֹקֵ֣י אֲבֽוֹתֵכֶ֗ם יֹסֵ֧ף עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם כָּכֶ֖ם אֶ֣לֶף פְּעָמִ֑ים וִיבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶתְכֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר לָכֶֽם׃ (יב) אֵיכָ֥ה אֶשָּׂ֖א לְבַדִּ֑י טׇרְחֲכֶ֥ם וּמַֽשַּׂאֲכֶ֖ם וְרִֽיבְכֶֽם׃ (יג) הָב֣וּ לָ֠כֶ֠ם אֲנָשִׁ֨ים חֲכָמִ֧ים וּנְבֹנִ֛ים וִידֻעִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶ֑ם וַאֲשִׂימֵ֖ם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶֽם׃ (יד) וַֽתַּעֲנ֖וּ אֹתִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ טֽוֹב־הַדָּבָ֥ר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (טו) וָאֶקַּ֞ח אֶת־רָאשֵׁ֣י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם אֲנָשִׁ֤ים חֲכָמִים֙ וִֽידֻעִ֔ים וָאֶתֵּ֥ן אוֹתָ֛ם רָאשִׁ֖ים עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם שָׂרֵ֨י אֲלָפִ֜ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י מֵא֗וֹת וְשָׂרֵ֤י חֲמִשִּׁים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י עֲשָׂרֹ֔ת וְשֹׁטְרִ֖ים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶֽם׃ (טז) וָאֲצַוֶּה֙ אֶת־שֹׁ֣פְטֵיכֶ֔ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹ֑ר שָׁמֹ֤עַ בֵּין־אֲחֵיכֶם֙ וּשְׁפַטְתֶּ֣ם צֶ֔דֶק בֵּֽין־אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵין־אָחִ֖יו וּבֵ֥ין גֵּרֽוֹ׃ (יז) לֹֽא־תַכִּ֨ירוּ פָנִ֜ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט כַּקָּטֹ֤ן כַּגָּדֹל֙ תִּשְׁמָע֔וּן לֹ֤א תָג֙וּרוּ֙ מִפְּנֵי־אִ֔ישׁ כִּ֥י הַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט לֵאלֹקִ֣ים ה֑וּא וְהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִקְשֶׁ֣ה מִכֶּ֔ם תַּקְרִב֥וּן אֵלַ֖י וּשְׁמַעְתִּֽיו׃
(9) Thereupon I said to you, “I cannot bear the burden of you by myself. (10) Your God ה׳ has multiplied you until you are today as numerous as the stars in the sky.— (11) May ה׳, the God of your ancestors, increase your numbers a thousandfold, and bless you as promised.— (12) How can I bear unaided the trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering! (13) Pick from each of your tribes candidates who are wise, discerning, and experienced, and I will appoint them as your heads.” (14) You answered me and said, “What you propose to do is good.” (15) So I took your tribal leaders, wise and experienced men, and appointed them heads over you: chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens, and officials for your tribes. (16) I charged your magistrates at that time as follows, “Hear out your fellow Israelites, and decide justly between one party and the other—be it a fellow Israelite or a stranger. (17) You shall not be partial in judgment: hear out low and high alike. Fear neither party, for judgment is God’s. And any matter that is too difficult for you, you shall bring to me and I will hear it.”
- What has changed since we last saw this story in Exodus 18?
- To what end would Moses or the author make such a revision?
Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, Volume 1: The Five Books of Moses, "Deuteronomy: Introduction," p. 610
Though a suspicious reader might wonder whether this change reflects an element of xenophobia in Deuteronomy (Jethro, of course, is a Midianite), the more urgent reason is that nothing must be allowed to diminish from the depiction here of Moses's strong leadership, grounded in his wisdom (a key value for Deuteronomy) and in his uniquely direct access to God.
As we begin our study of Deuteronomy, consider the following:
- When do we need strong leadership?
- How do the revisions and rhetorical tools of Deuteronomy affect the reader?
- If you already know what Moses' is going to say, why read Deuteronomy?