07-31-2025 Sefer Dvarim

This coming Saturday we begin our yearly reading of the  Torah’s fifth book, Sefer Dvarim (the Book of  Deuteronomy in English translation). Then at sundown on  Saturday we begin the summer fast know as Tisha b’Av  (the 9th day of the Biblical Month of Av). 

Sefer Dvarim has been the center of many disputes regarding the book’s purpose. As the summation of the  Torah’s first four books, its title is much deeper than the  English translation. We might translate Sefer Dvarim as  the book in which words become actions. Lastly, Biblical  scholars have long debated if this fifth book of the Bible  was a late add-on to the other four books or if the book  was part of the original text. 

As is tradition, the first parashah of each book of the Torah  has the same name as the book. Thus, the first parashah  is called Parashat Dvarim and emphasizes the importance  not just of words, but how we translate words into concrete  actions. 

Both the book and parashah begin with the phrase: “Eleh  ha’dvarim asher Mosheh dibber el col yisrael…/these are  the words which Moses spoke to all of Israel.” (1:1).

We  communicate both by what we choose to say and by what  we choose not to say, and how we transform our words  into action or the lack of action. The parashah’s premise  is simple, our words and silence matter and have consequences. 

The text underscores this premise when Moses ascends  to the summit of Mt. Pisgah to see the land which he shall  not enter and then in Deuteronomy 4: 12 we read: “Kol  dvarim atem shomim utmunah eneichem roim, zulati  kol/You heard the sound of words, but you do not see their  form, just the sound.” In other words, we not only hear  words, or the absence of words, but also the actions or  lack of actions that they represent.  

Then at the conclusion of this Shabbat is the fast of Tisha  b’Av. The day’s origin stems from the destruction by Rome  of the Second Temple in the year 70 C.E. It was then that the rabbinic authorities declared the 9th day of the month  of Av a national-day-of-mourning and created a day to represent all of our many traumas.  

At first, it might not be easy to see a connection between  Parashat Dvarim (Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22) and Tisha b’Av.  A closer examination, however, may show us that the two  are more closely related than we might first  imagine. Tisha b’Av marks the destruction of both the First  Temple in 586 B.C.E. and of the Second Temple in the  year 70 C.E. Others connect the start of the Spanish  Inquisition or the expulsion of the Spanish Jewish  community with this day. These national tragedies  provoked a great deal of rabbinic writings. After much  thought our ancient and medieval rabbis concluded that when faced with a national (or even personal) crisis it does  no good to become defensive and blame others. Instead, when faced with tragedy, one must consider how we might  have acted differently. One of Tisha b’Av’s lessons is that  no matter what others might have done to us, it is our  responsibility to learn from the calamity, modify our behavior, and avoid repeating the same mistakes. A second lesson of Tisha b’Av, as we shall see in next  week’s parashah: after each tragedy there is more than  mere opportunity, but an obligation to consciously rebuild  our lives from the ruins and become both more stalwart  and better. 

Deuteronomy and the Fast of Tisha b’Av remind us that  how we choose our words, and our actions matter. Both  in ancient times, and today, we have suffered from too  much vile rhetoric in our political and personal discourse.  

Although separate, both Deuteronomy and Tisha b’Av  have much to teach us about the nature of human  discourse. What do this book and fast teach you about  your personal and collective life? Have you learned from  past mistakes or are you repeating them?