Parshas Devarim
By Rabbi Dovid Zauderer
This weekend, in synagogues all around the world, we start reading publicly the fifth book of the Pentateuch, the Book of Deuteronomy.
Now I don’t know about you folks, but “fancy†words like “Pentateuch†and “Deuteronomy†really don’t help me much.
Traditionally, the Hebrew name for each of the Five Books of Moses (Bereishis, Shemos, Vayikra, Bamidbar, and Devarim) is the same as the first word (or at least one of the first words) in its first verse. Much easier, right?
Apparently, the English names for the Five Books of Moses that we have today (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) are derived from the “Septuagint†(the earliest extant Greek translation of the Bible from the original Hebrew) and are meant to reflect the essential theme of each book, as illustrated below:
• Bereishis (בְּרֵ×שִ×ית, literally "In the beginning") - Genesis, from "Creation"
• ShÉ™mos (שְ×מוֹת, literally "Names") - Exodus, from "Exit"
• Vayikra (וַיִּקְרָ×, literally "And He called") - Leviticus, from "Relating to the Levites"
• Bəmidbar (בְּמִדְבַּר, literally "In the desert") - Numbers, from "Numbers"
• DÉ™varim (דְּבָרִי×, literally "Words") - Deuteronomy, from "Second-Law"
What many people do not know is that, in addition to the Hebrew names mentioned above, our great Sages actually had special “nicknames†for each of the Five Books of Moses as well. These nicknames are listed below (with their sources in parentheses):
Bereishis Sefer HaYashar “The Book of the Upright†(see Avodah Zarah 25a)
Shemos Sefer HaGeulah “The Book of Redemption†(see Nachmanides’ introduction and afterword to his commentary on the Book of Shemos)
Vayikra Toras Kohanim “The Laws Pertaining to Priests†(see Megillah 31b)
Bamidbar Chomesh HaPekudim “The Book of the Countings†(see Yoma 68b)
Devarim Mishneh Torah “The Repetition of the Torah†(see Megillah 31b)
Each of these special “nicknames†teaches us a different lesson that we should always remember as we read through the Five Books of the Torah each year:
~ Sefer HaYashar “The Book of the Uprightâ€
Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin ZT:L (1816-1893), otherwise known as the Netziv, an acronym of his name, offers the following explanation (in his Torah commentary Ha’amek Davar in the introduction to the Book of Genesis) as to why the first Book of the Torah, the Book of Genesis is also called Sefer HaYashar, “The Book of the Uprightâ€: The Second Temple was destroyed because the Jewish people were not ‘yashar’, upright – they didn’t behave nicely towards one another. They may have been righteous and great people who loved G-d and were constantly involved in Torah study, but they were not ‘upright’ in their mutual dealings. Worst of all, they harbored enmity for anyone who did not act like them and conducted himself a little differently. They would disdainfully declare: “He’s not a good Jew!†albeit they thought that they were acting for the sake of Heaven. Such actions ultimately led to the destruction of the Second Temple. Herein, then, lies the unique greatness of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs - whose lives and deeds are recounted in the Book of Genesis. In addition to being righteous, pious, and lovers of G-d to the utmost degree, they were also yesharim. They always treated others, even idolaters, and those with whom they disagreed, respectfully and lovingly, and were concerned for their welfare. They acknowledged that, after all, every human being constitutes a part of the G-d’s creation. It is for this reason that the Book of Genesis is called Sefer HaYashar, “The Book of the Uprightâ€.
~ Sefer HaGeulah “The Book of Redemptionâ€
Nachmanides, in his short introduction to the Book of Shemos, writes that the main theme of this second Book of the Torah is the bitter exile that the Jewish people endured in Egypt and their Exodus and Redemption from that Exile. If so, asks Nachmanides, how does the building of the Mishkan (“Tabernacleâ€) which is recounted in the last five Torah portions, fit in? He explains that so long as the Shechinah (Divine Presence) has no home in which to dwell among the people, even if we no longer suffer in Exile, the Redemption is not yet complete. This is a very important lesson for all of us - and especially for those of us who are living in the Land of Israel – that until the Messiah comes and builds the Third Temple in Jerusalem, the Geulah has not yet arrived.
~ Toras Kohanim “The Laws Pertaining to Priests†This third Book of the Torah deals primarily with laws that relate to the Kohanim (“Priestsâ€) and their service in the Tabernacle. Yet it is not just for Kohanim. As G-d tells Moses at Mount Sinai to relate to the Jewish people, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests …†(see Exodus 19:6). This means that just as the priests have a mandate to serve G-d in the Temple, and to bring us closer to Him, so, too, is the entire nation of Israel to be dedicated to serving G-d through Torah and Mitzvos, and to leading the world toward an understanding and acceptance of G-d’s mission.
~ Chomesh HaPekudim “The Book of the Countingsâ€
In the beginning and towards the end of this fourth Book of the Torah, we find the Jewish people being counted. As Rashi explains in his commentary to Numbers 1:1, it is because of G-d’s love for the Jewish people that He counted them frequently. He counted them when they left Egypt, and even after the sin of the Golden Calf. This should stand as a reminder to all of us that no matter how much we sin and make mistakes, G-d still counts us because He loves us so much.
~ Mishneh Torah “The Repetition of the Torahâ€
In the last five weeks of Moses’ life, he gathered the Jewish people around him, and reviewed and taught all the laws of the Torah and all the history of the Torah. However, in this fifth and final Book of the Torah, he repeated certain laws that were more relevant than others. [See commentary of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch to Devarim 1:1 for one explanation as to why Moses chose to focus on certain mitzvos more than others.] Now just as Moses was passing on the Torah to the next generation – and was therefore so careful to repeat certain mitzvos as necessary, so, too, are we obligated to pass on the Torah and its values to the next generation! So we have to be extra careful to make sure that the children “get it†– and to repeat when necessary.
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