Parshat Devarim, Deuteronomy 1:1 -3:22

The fifth and final book of the Torah begins with this week’s portion Devarim. This book of the Torah is also known in tradition as Mishneh Torah. Traditionally, this book of the Torah is attributed almost fully as the authorship of Moses except perhaps the last eight lines that Joshua is said to have written following Moses’ death overlooking the Promised Land. Deuteronomy is Moses’ farewell sermons to the People Israel. He urges their faithfulness and observance in following God’s eternal covenant made with them (even though they were not the generation that stood at Sinai, having been born in the desert). The theology of Deuteronomy is clear with the repetition of the Ten Commandments and the Shema and V’ahavta that appears in Chapter 6. God is One and the people have an obligation to love and honor God with all their being.

According however to some scholars this book of the Bible was written not by Moses but represents a much later time in Jewish history-specifically during the 7th century BCE during the reign of King Josiah. Josiah is prominently mentioned in the Book of Kings and Chronicles. King Josiah was known as a reformer. He rid the Temple practice of great idolatry during his reign. And he reinstated many customs including the celebration of Passover in Jerusalem which had been ignored for many centuries.

If we turn to Kings II in chapter 22 and 23 all of his reforms were based on the discovery of a “Book of Teaching. Hilkiah the High Priest found it during a time of renovation and repair of the Temple. This book is said to have been the Book of Deuteronomy! “And Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, (the scribe), who read it. The scribe Shaphan then went to the king and reported to the king…the high priest Hilkiah has given me a scroll. And Shaphan read it to the king” (Kings II 23: 8-10).

“When the king heard the words of the scroll of the Teaching, he rent his clothes, And the king gave orders to the priest Hilkiah….go inquire of God on my behalf and on behalf of the people and on behalf of all Judah concerning the words of this scroll that has been found” (Kings II 22:11-13). “So the priest Hilkiah and Ahikam, Achbor, shaphan and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah who was living in Jerusalem in Mishneh and they spoke to her” (Kings II 22:14).

Huldah proceeded to consult God and prophesy that though God was upset with all of the idolatry that had crept into Jewish practice, and that Jerusalem would be destroyed because of it, King Josiah would not be victim. Hulda predicts “Your eyes shall not see al the disaster which I will bring upon this place” (Kings II 22:20).

Josiah would be saved. But he did something very important—He made sure that all the people understood the text of this new scroll and had the people affirm this covenant as part of the Torah. “ The king went up to the House of Adonai together with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and prophets—all the people young and old. And he read to them the entire text of the covenant scroll which had been found in the House of Adonai. The king stood by the pillar and solemnized the covenant before God: That they would follow Adonai and observe God’s commandments. God injunctions and God’s laws with all their heart and soul ; that they would fulfill all the terms of this covenant as inscribed upon the scroll and All the people entered into the covenant” (Kings II 23: 2-3).

This new book of the Bible or shall I say re-discovered book that had been lost for generations was only included because King Josiah understood that the people had to affirm its content. If it was merely imposed –the people would never own it as their own. It would forever be that book of the Torah that wasn’t authentic. That always brought them doubts. But because the people affirmed it themselves—it further made it their own.

Today we post-modern Jews, perhaps ought to affirm the Torah as our own. This is certainly part of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremony and most definitely what the ceremony of Confirmation is all about. But perhaps as adults we ought to find the moment when we too can affirm our own place in the covenant and make it real for ourselves. Then we might feel a greater sense of ownership, a greater sense of the spirituality of Torah and our Tradition and the great link and chain that every adult Jew is for the fabric of our common people hood.

May we learn to affirm our covenant each and every day.

Posted by Eric at July 21, 2009 03:18 PM