ב"ה
Vayelech: Sealing the Covenant, continued
Deuteronomy 31:1–30
The ninth section of the Book of Deuteronomy continues the description of Moses’ third and final farewell address to the Jewish people. It begins with the account of how Moses went (Vayeilech, in Hebrew) and installed Joshua as his successor, and continues with the account of how Moses wrote down the Torah and commanded the people to assemble every seven years to hear it read in the holy Temple.
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First Reading: Deuteronomy 31:1–3
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Fourth Reading: Deuteronomy 31:10–13
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Daily Quote
Everything that is for the sake of G-d should be of the best and most beautiful. When one builds a house of prayer, it should be more beautiful than one's own dwelling. When one feeds the hungry, one should feed them of the best and sweetest of one's table. When one clothes the naked, one should clothe them with the finest of one's clothes. Whenever one designates something for a holy purpose, one should sanctify the finest of one's possessions; as it is written (Leviticus 3:16), "All the fat is to G-d."
–Maimonides
The Parshah
Our study group is having difficulty understanding Devarim 31:15-18.
The LORD appeared in the Tent, in a pillar of cloud, the pillar of cloud having come to rest at the entrance of the tent. The LORD said to Moses: You are soon to lie with your fathers. This people will thereupon go astray after the alien gods in their midst, in the land that they are about to enter; they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them.
Then My anger will flare up against them, and I will abandon them and hide My countenance from them. They shall be ready prey; and many evils and troubles shall befall them. And they shall say on that day, “Surely it is because our God is not in our midst that these evils have befallen us.” Yet I will keep My countenance hidden on that day, because of all the evil they have done in turning to other gods."
Who are the people Hashem says will go astray and did Hashem reference wars, pogroms, holocausts and continuous antisemitism throughout the generations?
While it does sometimes seem that Hashem is referring to Jews of all generations going astray and suffering as a result, it is not our job to judge people and point fingers. Only Hashem knows why these things happen, and we shouldn't be judging the victims of the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over our history.