1. This Sidra begins with one of the last speeches of Mosheh our Teacher to the Jewish People. He tells us that shortly he will have to pass the mantle of leadership to his successor appointed by HaShem, Yehoshua bin Noone. With Yehoshua at their head, says Mosheh, HaShem will lead the Jewish People into the Land promised to Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov. HaShem will drive out those people that have unlawfully occupied Eretz Yisroel, just as He vanquished Si’chon and Og, the kings of the Emorites. Mosheh tells us to be strong and to take courage: even though we stand with some trepidation at the beginning of a new epoch in our development as a Nation, so long as we obey the Torah of HaShem, HaShem will be with us and will not forsake us.
2. In the presence of all the Jewish Nation, Mosheh then inducts Yehoshua bin Noone as our next Torah reader. Mosheh tells Yehoshua to have no fear of the future, for HaShem goes ahead of us and is with us and under Yehoshua’s leadership the Jewish People will take possession of the Land.
3. On this, the last day of Mosheh’s life here on earth, HaShem caused him to miraculously write down the Torah in its entirety, as dictated by HaShem. Mosheh gave this Sefer Torah to the elders of his own tribe, the Tribe of Levi, the loyal custodians of the Torah and the teachers of the Jewish People. Our Chachommim tell us that when the Jewish People saw this they complained to Mosheh that this was unfair. By this act, they said, Mosheh implied that the Torah was the possession of the Levites more than of the rest of the Jewish People. They were afraid that in the course of time the Levites might claim that the Torah was theirs alone, and exclude the rest of the Jewish People. When Mosheh heard this complaint, he rejoiced, and he begged HaShem that He should grant that the miracle be multiplied so that their wish should be fulfilled. HaShem then enabled Mosheh to complete twelve more Scrolls of the Torah in their entirety, one for each of the Tribes of Israel, and the one Scroll to be placed next to the Tablets of the Ten Commandments in the Holy Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies in the Mikdash. By this clear and open miracle, HaShem showed that not only did the Ten Commandments come from HaShem, as was seen and heard by all at Mount Sinai, but the entire Torah is from HaShem, and from no one else.
4. The Sidra continues with the Mitzvah of “The Assembly.” HaShem commands that once every seven years, on the Yom Tov of Sukkos directly after the Shmittah Year, the entire Jewish People — men, and women, and children — and the strangers that live amongst us, too — shall be gathered in and around the Beis HaMikdash to hear the king read aloud selected parts of this Sefer Devorrim. All are to hear and experience this Reading, so that they shall fear HaShem and take care to guard all the words of this Torah, all the days of their lives.
5. HaShem tells Mosheh that the time has come to depart this world. Within the hearing of Yehoshua, HaShem tells Mosheh that his work is not yet done: he must warn the Jewish People yet again not to forsake HaShem and His Torah, ever. HaShem commands Mosheh to teach the Jewish People the epic poem (which is the following Sidra Ha’azeenu) that it should be a testimony for all time that the Jewish People and HaShem are inseparable, and so that everyone shall forever know and remember the duty and responsibilities of the Jewish People, the Chosen People of HaShem.
For the explanation of the Haftorah of Sidra וילך please go to HAFTORAHS.
