RABBI YAAKOV ASHER SINCLAIR (Ohr.edu)
“These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan, concerning the Wilderness, concerning the Aravah, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tophel and Lavan, Chatzerot and Di Zahav...”.
“You know. You’re such an idiot. I don’t know why you did that. Didn’t you realize that you would hurt his feelings? Why aren’t you more sensitive to other people?”
It always surprises me how the most sensitive people to their own feelings are sometimes the least sensitive to others.
Even when offering constructive advice to someone, the worst way to do is by a direct confrontation, for immediately the listener will rise against the perceived attack with all manner of self-justification: “I couldn’t help it”; “You think you could have done better?” etc. etc.
Better, by far, is to allude to the matter at hand, subtly planting an inference into the mind of the listener. In this way, his front-line early-warning defenses are not triggered, and the idea lodges in his subconscious to grow like a seed.
This is what Moshe does in the opening lines of the Book of Devarim. The place names that are mentioned here are locations of various sins and rebellions of the Jewish People: “...concerning the wilderness...” their lusting for the flesh pots of Egypt; “...concerning the Aravah...” their immorality with the daughters of Moav;“...opposite the Sea of Reeds...” their lack of trust in Hashem at the crossing of the sea; “...between Paran and Tophel and Lavan...” their complaints about the miraculous food — the Manna; “...and Chatzerot...” the rebellion of Korach; “and Di Zahav” the golden calf.
Moshe is addressing the Bnei Yisrael in the last five weeks of his life. He wants to leave them a strong and lasting message: To beware of inherent tendencies that have already brought them into trouble.
Rather than tackle them directly and risk rejection, Moshe plants the seeds of self-examination into the collective psyche of the Jewish People so that long after his departure they will still bear fruit.
