Parsha for Kids: Devarim 2023
Below is the transcript for this week’s episode of Parsha for Kids, Devarim 2023.
You can listen to the podcast on Spotify (link to this week’s episode), Apple, Audible, iHeartRadio and a variety of other places. (Some of these might only update with the new episode content tomorrow.)
Please give it a listen and share it with the kids in your life. Additionally, I would very much appreciate it if you would be willing to subscribe, rate the podcast on the app where you listen to it, and leave a review.
Season 5 Episode 1:
Hello! My name is Chana and this is Parsha for Kids. The parsha of the week is Devarim. Devarim means words. Parshat Devarim marks the beginning of the last Sefer in the Torah, also called Devarim. So what are the words being referenced?
They are a speech that Moshe makes to Bnei Yisrael before they enter the land of Israel. Remember that this is forty years after the sin of the spies, which means he is talking to the next generation of Jews, people who grew up in the Midbar. The entire Sefer is the text of this speech.
In this speech, Moshe reminds Bnei Yisrael about important events in their history, introduces new mitzvot that are applicable when they live in the land of Israel, and warns them not to forget God and to be faithful to him.
There is a book by a man called Randy Pausch called ‘The Last Lecture.’ Randy Pausch was diagnosed with a kind of cancer that could not be cured, so this was what he wrote before he died. He encouraged people to overcome obstacles to achieve their dreams. In a way, the book of Devarim is Moshe’s last lecture. He knows that he will not lead Bnei Yisrael into the Promised Land. That will be Yehoshua’s role. So these are his last words before he dies- words to help a nation transition from life in the wilderness to life living in Israel.
TRANSITION
What do people do at the end of their lives? Some might reminisce about their greatest achievements. Perhaps they would share these stories with anyone willing to listen. The focus would be on them, how they lived and how they mattered.
Others might retire. Having passed the torch to someone else, they would spend their time doing things they enjoy.
Moshe does neither. He does not spend his time in Sefer Devarim talking about how amazing he is or claiming he was the most incredible person in history. He also does not simply say to Yehoshua, “Okay, you will be the new leader, so I’m leaving. I’m going to spend my time hanging out in my tent, eating Manna and taking long naps.”
Instead, Moshe focuses on helping the nation understand how to transition. He wants them to learn how to go from being the kind of people who live in the wilderness with open miracles, such as Manna falling from heaven, to being the kind of people who can enter the land, where they will need to plant seeds and harvest crops to make their bread. Moshe is concerned with his mission and with the nation, not with his own legacy or how he will be remembered.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks argues that this is important. Moshe kept on reinventing himself. He was the liberator, the one who led the people out of Egypt. Then, he became the lawgiver, the one bringing the Luchot and the Torah to the nation. But now, he is Moshe Rabbeinu, Moshe our teacher, teaching this generation how to live and survive in the Promised Land- even though he will not enter.
Moshe is a person who put his mission above all else. His dedication to the mission is something we too can learn from. Even at the end of our lives, and even when we may not personally get to reap the rewards, it’s important to be willing to act generously, to help and to teach.
TRANSITION
Moshe began by telling over a history of how Bnei Yisrael had gotten to this moment. He then gave Bnei Yisrael a blessing, telling them they were like the stars, and asking God to bless them a thousandfold. The Midrash explains that each star is important to the universe. If even one star was missing, God’s creation would be imperfect. Similarly, each Jew is very important. This idea also appears in a famous book by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks called ‘A Letter in the Scroll.’ Every letter in a Sefer Torah must be perfectly formed, not smudged out or not looking like a different letter (like if a bet would look like a chaf instead.) If even one letter is damaged, the entire Sefer Torah is pasul, which means it cannot be read in synagogue until it is repaired.
Moshe talked about how he appointed judges to help him with the nation. He reminded Bnei Yisrael that a judge must be fair. One must listen to someone who is small as well as someone who is great, which means someone who is poor as well as someone who is wealthy. If a case would be too difficult for the judges, they would pass it on up to more expert judges until it reached Moshe.
He then retold the episode of the Meraglim, spies. He mentioned that the nation asked to send men ahead of them to spy out the land, seemingly for a military mission. Moshe approved of this mission and sent out the spies. As you know, each spy except for Kalev and Yehoshua ended up discouraging Bnei Yisrael from entering the land. Moshe recounts that after this episode, he told Bnei Yisrael not to be broken or afraid. Because, Moshe explained, God would fight for Bnei Yisrael the same way that He fought for Bnei Yisrael in Egypt.
Here, Moshe is sharing a very important idea. It is to learn from precedent, which means things that came before. Bnei Yisrael had seen God in their lives in a very real way when they were in Egypt. God had brought plagues for them and even drowned the Egyptians in the sea. They should have realized that the same God who could bring those plagues and differentiate between the Egyptians and the Israelites could fight for them and help them conquer the land of Israel. Unfortunately, they let their fear rule them instead of trusting in God.
Each one of us can find evidence of God in our lives. Often, that evidence involves ways that God has been helpful to us and has cared for us. Knowing this can help us believe that God will show His care for us again, and that we can trust Him to help us again.
TRANSITION
Moshe spoke about the nation of Edom, who was descended from Esav and lived by Har Seir, Mount Seir. God warned Moshe and Bnei Yisrael not to fight against Edom because God would not give Bnei Yisrael their land. That land belonged to the nation of Edom as an inheritance.
God also told Bnei Yisrael not to fight against the nation of Moav. Moav was descended from Lot, Avraham’s nephew. At this time, according to the Midrash, Bnei Yisrael were not supposed to provoke them and were supposed to simply let Moav enjoy their land in peace.
Amon is a nation that also descends from Lot. God told Bnei Yisrael not to fight Amon either.
However, God did permit Bnei Yisrael to conquer the land of Sichon, the king of the Emorites. Bnei Yisrael also conquered Og, king of Bashan, another Emorite territory.
Why does it matter that God permitted or didn’t permit Bnei Yisrael to conquer certain nations?
It teaches us that when Bnei Yisrael go to war, they do not go simply for the sake of making war. Some other nations would go to war simply to gain spoils such as treasure. Or they would go to war just to conquer land. But Bnei Yisrael were not like that. They only went to war when God Himself directed them to do so. And they only fought against the nations that God told them to fight against. This is important because it means Bnei Yisrael were engaging in moral wars. They fought these wars because God directed them to do so, and not simply for personal gain. Going through these narratives and showing how Bnei Yisrael practiced restraint and DID not fight battles when God told them not to do so underscores the importance of listening to God.
We can apply this to our own lives even today. It’s important to do things based on what God wants and not simply on what we want. Back in the time of the Midbar, maybe Bnei Yisrael would have liked to go to war against Moav and get their treasure. But God said no. Similarly, there may be things we want to do and that might even seem to get us a reward but God forbids them. Listening to God is a challenging but important skill and we should make sure to work on it.
TRANSITION
At the end of the parsha, Moshe reiterated that Reuven, Gad and half of Shevet Menashe would need to help Bnei Yisrael conquer the land of Israel even though they planned to live on the other side of the Jordan.
Moshe also commanded Yehoshua, saying, “your eyes have seen all that the Lord, your God, has done to these two kings- meaning Sichon and Og. So will God do to all the kingdoms through which you will pass. Do not fear them, for it is the Lord, your God, who is fighting for you.”
That last is an important message. Sometimes there can be situations in our lives that seem scary or where the odds are against us. That is a good time to turn to God and talk to Him. You can ask Him to fight for you and to be your champion. Moshe wanted Yehoshua to understand in a very deep way that it is important not to judge situations based on appearances. Even when the odds are against you and the enemy seems mighty, when God is on your side, no one can defeat you.
TRANSITION
So here’s what we learned this week!
The book of Devarim is Moshe’s last lecture to Bnei Yisrael before he dies and they enter the land of Israel. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks notes it is significant because Moshe is mission focused rather than focused on himself and his legacy. If you were in Moshe’s shoes, what do you think it would be important to share with Bnei Yisrael?
It’s important to learn from precedent. If God has fought for you or for Bnei Yisrael in the past, it’s important to recognize He will continue to do so in the future (as long as we merit it).
It is essential that we listen to God and not just do things based on what we want. That is why Moshe spends so much time detailing how there were wars we were permitted to fight and wars we were not permitted to fight. We were not just a mindless, conquering nation who was pillaging everything in its path. We only fought when God Himself told us it was necessary.
If you have any questions or comments on this week’s episode, please email me at parsha4kids@gmail.com. That’s parsha the number 4 kids at gmail.com. Good Shabbos