Category: Weekly Torah Portion Reading

Question: What’s different about Moses’ delivery of words in Devarim from his addresses in the other books of Torah?

Answer: He uses more textual hints rather than direct hits, such as “Tophel and Lavan” rather than explicitly point out their quarrelings, slanders, and complaints (tophel) about manna (lavan, white). He’s subtler with the second generation, which has the ability to read deeper meanings in his words. The previous generation was the “2 x 4 Generation.” In his lesson on Devarim, a rabbi said even if you hit them upside the head with a 2 x 4, they’d argue, rebel, shift blame, and complain.

Question: What’s different about the generation receiving the Devarim?

Answer: They received Moses’ teaching words of rebuke silently, without pointing out the obvious. These were the mistakes of the previous generation, the 2 x 4s.

Let’s learn from the rebukes of this week’s Torah Portion.