Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 29

1Moses summoned all of Israel and said to them, “You have seen before your very eyes all that God did in Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to his entire land:   אוַיִּקְרָ֥א משֶׁ֛ה אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אַתֶּ֣ם רְאִיתֶ֗ם אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר֩ עָשָׂ֨ה יְהֹוָ֤ה לְעֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לְפַרְעֹ֥ה וּלְכָל־עֲבָדָ֖יו וּלְכָל־אַרְצֽוֹ:
2the great trials that you saw with your own eyes and those great signs and marvels.   בהַמַּסּוֹת֙ הַגְּדֹלֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר רָא֖וּ עֵינֶ֑יךָ הָֽאֹתֹ֧ת וְהַמֹּֽפְתִ֛ים הַגְּדֹלִ֖ים הָהֵֽם:
3Until this day, God did not give you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear   גוְלֹֽא־נָתַן֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם לֵב֙ לָדַ֔עַת וְעֵינַ֥יִם לִרְא֖וֹת וְאָזְנַ֣יִם לִשְׁמֹ֑עַ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה:
וְלֹֽא־נָתַן ה' לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת - God did not give you a heart to know - i.e., to appreciate the continual kindnesses of the Holy One, blessed be He, and attach yourselves to Him out of love as a result.   וְלֹֽא־נָתַן ה' לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת.  לְהַכִּיר אֶת חַסְדֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְלִדַּבֵּק בּוֹ:
עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּֽה - Until this day. I heard that this refers to the day when Moses gave the Torah scroll to the tribe of Levi, as is written: “and he gave it to the priests as the representatives of the Levites.” 1 All Israel came before Moses and said to him, “Moses, our teacher! We, too, stood at Mount Sinai and accepted the Torah, so it was given to us, too. Why then do you give the members of your tribe control over it? At some future date they may say to us: ‘It was not given to you to study; it was given to us to study, whereas you are merely obligated to follow its instructions.’” Moses was pleased with this response. Regarding this, he said to them: “Today you have become a people bound to God, your God,” 2 i.e., today I realize that you indeed cleave to the Omnipresent and desire Him.   עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּֽה.  שָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁנָּתַן מֹשֶׁה סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה לִבְנֵי לֵוִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (דברים ל"א) "וַיִּתְּנָהּ אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי לֵוִי", בָּאוּ כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי מֹשֶׁה וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, אַף אָנוּ עָמַדְנוּ בְסִינַי וְקִבַּלְנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְנִתְּנָה לָנוּ, וּמָה אַתָּה מַשְׁלִיט אֶת בְּנֵי שִׁבְטְךָ עָלֶיהָ וְיֹאמְרוּ לָנוּ יוֹם מָחָר לֹא לָכֶם נִתְּנָה, לָנוּ נִתְּנָה, וְשָׂמַח מֹשֶׁה עַל הַדָּבָר, וְעַל זֹאת אָמַר לָהֶם "הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם וְגוֹ'", הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה הֵבַנְתִּי שֶׁאַתֶּם דְּבֵקִים וַחֲפֵצִים בַּמָּקוֹם:
4how I led you through the desert for 40 years, during which your garments did not wear out from being worn on you, nor did your shoes wear out from being worn on your feet.   דוָֽאוֹלֵ֥ךְ אֶתְכֶ֛ם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לֹֽא־בָל֤וּ שַׂלְמֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וְנַֽעַלְךָ֥ לֹא־בָֽלְתָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל רַגְלֶֽךָ:
5You neither ate bread nor drank new wine or old wine, in order that you would know that I am God, your God.   הלֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אֲכַלְתֶּ֔ם וְיַ֥יִן וְשֵׁכָ֖ר לֹ֣א שְׁתִיתֶ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם:
6You came to this place, and King Sichon of Cheshbon and King Og of Bashan came out toward us in battle, but we smote them.   ווַתָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֣א סִיחֹ֣ן מֶֽלֶךְ־חֶ֠שְׁבּ֠וֹן וְע֨וֹג מֶֽלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁ֧ן לִקְרָאתֵ֛נוּ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה וַנַּכֵּֽם:
וַתָּבֹאוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה - You came to this place - i.e., now that you see yourselves in a state of prominence and prestige, do not rebel against the Omnipresent; do not become haughty, ascribing your achievements to your own prowess instead of God’s kindness, and “safeguard the words of this covenant.” for a person is unable to fully understand his teacher’s thinking process and the wisdom of his teaching until 40 years have passed since he first heard them. This is why the Omnipresent has not been strict with you until this day, but from now on He will be strict, holding you to the terms of the covenant. Therefore “you must safeguard the words of this covenant…,” studying this teaching and internalizing it well. End of parashat Tavo   וַתָּבֹאוּ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה.  עַתָּה אַתֶּם רוֹאִים עַצְמְכֶם בִּגְדֻלָּה וְכָבוֹד, אַל תְּבַעֲטוּ בַמָּקוֹם וְאַל יָרוּם לְבַבְכֶם ושמרתם את דברי הברית הזאת; דָּבָר אַחֵר — ולא נתן ה' לכם לב לדעת שֶׁאֵין אָדָם עוֹמֵד עַל סוֹף דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל רַבּוֹ וְחָכְמַת מִשְׁנָתוֹ עַד אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, וּלְפִיכָךְ לֹא הִקְפִּיד עֲלֵיכֶם הַמָּקוֹם עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, אֲבָל מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ יַקְפִּיד, וּלְפִיכָךְ ושמרתם את דברי הברית הזאת וְגוֹ' (עבודה זרה ה'):
7We took their land, and we gave it as an inheritance to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to half of the tribe of Manasseh.   זוַנִּקַּח֙ אֶת־אַרְצָ֔ם וַנִּתְּנָ֣הּ לְנַֽחֲלָ֔ה לָרֽאוּבֵנִ֖י וְלַגָּדִ֑י וְלַֽחֲצִ֖י שֵׁ֥בֶט הַֽמְנַשִּֽׁי:
8You must safeguard the words that constitute this covenant by studying them diligently, and fulfill them, in order that you succeed in all you do.”   חוּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֗ם אֶת־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם לְמַ֣עַן תַּשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּן: