The Torah as a Witness

When Moshe completed writing the Torah down until the end, he told the Levites to take the Torah and place it next to* the Aron HaKodesh and that the Torah will serve as a witness.

*There are two opinions brought in Bava Basra (14b) as to what is meant by “next to” the Aron. According to one opinion, there was a board protruding from the Aron and this is where the Torah was placed. According to the second opinion, the Torah was placed inside of the Aron against the inside wall, next to the two tablets.

Moshe says this witness is necessary as he knows about the rebellious tendencies of the Israelites – they have rebelled against G-d while Moshe was alive so he knows they will continue to do so after he passes away.

Moshe asks for all of the tribe elders and officers to be brought to him so he can tell them all of this and that he will call upon heaven and earth as a witness.

Usually trumpets would be blown for such an assembly however Moshe was the one who made the trumpets and he did not give Yehoshua the authority to use them while Moshe was alive, and G-d hid them on that day as it was the day before Moshe was to pass away, fulfilling what is stated in Eicha 8:8, that “there is no ruling on the day of death”.

Earlier (see yesterday’s portion), G-d had told the Israelites that he would call upon the heavens and the earth to bear witness to this song. Now G-d calls out to the heavens and earth for this purpose.

Moshe says that he knows that after he passes away*, the Israelites will go against the ways he had commanded them, resulting in bad things happening to them because their actions will provoke G-d’s anger.

*In fact, the Jews did not rebel during the times of Yehoshua after Moshe had passed away. It was only after Yehoshua passed away that they began rebelling. Thus when Moshe spoke about his own passing, he really meant the passing of Yehoshua, teaching us that one’s student is as dear to him as his own self.

Moshe then proceeded to recite the song to the entire congregation of Israel (see next week’s parsha).

The Israelites Will Rebel. Moshe’s Message to Yehusohua. Moshe Completes Writing Down the Torah

The Israelites Will Rebel

G-d predicts that after He brings the Israelites to the Land of Israel and they live off of the land’s produce, the Jews will worship other gods and provoke G-d to anger for violating His covenant.

G-d goes on to say that when the Israelites experience bad things, the song which Moshe will sing to them will serve as a reminder to them that they had been warned that this would happen if they were to transgress His covenant. In saying that it will serve as a reminder, this is also a promise that the Torah will never be totally forgotten by their descendants.

Moshe wrote this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

Moshe’s Message to Yehoshua

Moshe tells Yehoshua to be strong and courageous as he is to take the Israelites into the land which Moshe swore to them and Moshe will be with him.

Moshe Completes Writing Down the Torah

G-d Message During Moshe’s Final Days

G-d tells Moshe that his final days are approaching and that he should call upon Yehoshua to stand in the Ohel Moed and He will urge him on.

So Moshe and Yehoshua stand in the Ohel Moed and G-d appears in a pillar of cloud at the entrance of the tent.

G-d tells Moshe that he is about to die and warns that the Israelites will worship the false deities of the other nations within the land of Israel, thereby forsaking G-d.

G-d continues on to say that he will be angry with them at that time and will abandon the nation and hide His face (as though He isn’t aware of their suffering) on account of their idolatrous behavior and they will fall upon much misfortune and will feel as though G-d is no longer with them.

G-d then tells Moshe to write the song הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם (Begins on Devarim 32:1) and to place it in the mouths of the nation for it to bear witness to them.