In the middle of this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, we encounter these three verses (Deut 27:8-10):
וְכָתַבְתָּ֣ עַל־הָאֲבָנִ֗ים אֶֽת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵ֛י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בַּאֵ֥ר הֵיטֵֽב׃
וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים הַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֶ֥ל כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הַסְכֵּ֤ת ׀ וּשְׁמַע֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ נִהְיֵ֣יתָֽ לְעָ֔ם לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ וְשָׁ֣מַעְתָּ֔ בְּק֖וֹל ה׳ אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ אֶת־מִצְוֺתָו֙ וְאֶת־חֻקָּ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
And on those stones you shall write all of the words of this Torah, very clearly.
Moses and the levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying: Silence! Hear, O Israel! Today you have become the people of your God ה׳: And you shall hear the voice of your God ה׳ and observe the commandments (mitzvotav) and laws (hukotav), that I command you this day.
These verses exist as a unit. The first line (verse 8) is the end of the previous section in which God instructs the people to build an altar. And then, as seen above, write the Torah.
The next two sentences are, visually, separated as a unit, when you look at a Torah scroll. They, presumably, are the instruction. If we were to be overly literal, we might understand that what should be written is from “Silence” to “command you this day.” It is unlikely that is what it means, but as a unit, we might consider that this could be seen as a summary of the Torah as we know it.
As an experiment, I want to offer a few thoughts for each part of the three verses above, independently and as a whole, in the style of the traditional commentators:
And on those stones you shall write all of the words of this Torah:
Why not write down the Torah on something else? Why not “remember” this Torah like with other commandments? This is because stones represent two important things:
First, stones are long-lasting, reflecting the stability and permanence that we hope for when it comes to Torah. Not that our Torah is static and unchanging, ignoring the realities of our lives, but that it remains a tzur Israel, the rock of Israel, like God, a stable touchpoint to ground us.
Second, the stones are the stones of the altar they were just instructed to build. As represented when they built the altar in the book of Joshua, this represents a collective effort. The stones were brought together through the labor of the community.
Very clearly:
Rashi explains that this phrase means that it was translated into the 70 languages of the world, reflecting the idea that everyone could read it. Ibn Ezra, explains that this phrase means that it was written in a clear manner and easily readable.
In either case, the Torah is meant to be understood. This comes with two obligations: First, not only to learn but to communicate our Torah clearly. Complexity has its place, but we should strive to articulate our values in a way that is easily understood.
Second, it becomes our responsibility to make sure that Torah is accessible to anyone who wishes to learn. This obligates us to create systems to make that possible.
Moses and the levitical priests:
Why was it not just Moses? When Moses and the priests came together as a whole leadership, their message carried more weight. When leadership can come together, people should take note of the message. There is power in building coalitions and strong leadership is a matter of partnership.
Spoke to all Israel, saying:
The text specifies that the leadership spoke to “all Israel” and not just “Israel.” This teaches us that everyone in the community was present and attentive to the instruction.
Silence! Hear, O Israel!
These two instructions as a pair are important. “Silence” reflects the loudness and busyness of our daily lives, both internally in our minds and amid the myriad of activities required of us.
“Hear” reflects the necessity that we make time for presence and clarity. It should also bring to our attention the language of the Shema, reminding us of our collective oneness with God and the universe.
Together, this instruction teaches us that we must seek moments, even for a fraction of a second, of this kind of silence in order to hear the Divine voice. This can be understood later in this unit with the language of “the voice of your God.” While there are moments of the thunderous flashes of Divine like there were on Mt. Sinai, there are many “still, small voice” moments too.
Today:
In the Talmud, it asks, what is the relevance of the word “today?”:
This is surprising: Was the Torah given to Israel on that day? Wasn’t that day [the one described in Deuteronomy] at the end of forty years since the Torah was given? Rather, it comes to teach that each and every day the Torah is as dear to those who study it, as it was on the day it was given from Mount Sinai.
It is as though God gives Torah to us each and every day.
You have become the people of your God ה׳:
As described in Genesis, we are made in the image of the Divine. Here, it is a reminder that a human being has inherent value. Each of us is like an entire world, all on our own, worthy of dignity.
And you shall hear the voice of your God ה׳:
Sforno explains that by imagining our obligations vividly, described in the next phrase, we will better follow God’s commandments. This teaches us the power of our minds to guide our actions. More than that, the capacity of our imagination to explore potentialities we have yet to experience.
And observe the commandments (mitzvotav) and laws (hukotav):
While we have free choice, we recognize that living with others comes with boundaries and rules, obligations and responsibilities. The basis of a strong society requires us to create (and recreate) systems that seek justice, fairness, and kindness.
That I command you this day.
This day and every day. With every generation, we recommit ourselves to Jewish living and Torah.
Did you like this style of commentary?