Torah Tidbit
Va’eschanan (implored; pleaded), Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11
Deuteronomy contains Moses’ final words to Israel while they stand on the east side of the Jordan, ready to enter the promised land. This week’s section starts with him describing his pleading with God to enter the promised land, moves on to the reasons for Israel to follow their Torah, benefits if they do, consequences if they don’t and then delving into the commandments themselves.
In 4:25-28, Moses doesn’t mince words when telling Israel that once they’ve settled in the land, it’s only a matter of time before they will fall away from Him and the ways of living that work with Him (i.e. commandments). He explains that it won’t happen with the first and second generations born in the land, but after them, when all who had witnessed the supernatural founding of the nation had passed away.
The later generations will then see themselves as natives to the land, forgetting the amazing miracles God performed to bring their ancestors there. As God and His delivering power dims in their minds, their focus is drawn to the physical world around them. If we look at the physical world only, we assume we are masters of our own destiny, wresting a living from physical forces (including human-borne forces) that seem to constantly work against us. So did they, eventually embodying these forces with statues and then appealing to the forces via the statues.
That’s why Israel’s liturgy – daily prayers, festival services, new moons, prayers after meals, etc. – is permeated with the exodus from Egypt. It keeps their eyes on the Delivering Holy One and not misplacing that deliverance on natural forces (many thanks to R. Hirsch commentary).
Walking the Walk
Does this sound familiar with our nation? If not, that’s understandable as we’re many generations distant from its founding. At the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, the members were well aware of how miraculous the nation’s existence was and their great challenge of creating a representative republic that might stand the test of time. Mired in weeks of unending debate in the middle of a sultry hot summer, Benjamin Franklin, now in his 80’s, proposes each day’s work begins with prayer. His eloquent argument, addressed to the chairman George Washington, ends with:
“In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings?” He reminded all that throughout the war the continental congress, meeting in the same room, prayed for divine protection. “Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? …. I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men.” – Miracle at Philadelphia, Catherine Drinker Bowen, 1966, pp 125-126
His words continue to apply to the full history of our nation, right to the present moment. We have forgotten that the founding of our nation was firmly based on the following of God and his basic ways for all mankind. The founders were emphatic – if the citizens drift away from biblical morals, the nation will fall. No other nation in history was founded like this, with such amazing individual freedoms. If you know of one, please tell me. And if this is news to you, then get busy, learn our real history and be inspired – while you still can. The spectres of Orwellian 1984 dystopia have now revealed themselves and are pushing hard their doublespeak.