A Scary Verse?

Ha’azinu

Deut. 32:1-52

Précis: The parasha, the shortest in the Five Books, containing only 52 verses, begins with the “Song of Moses,” a hymn sung by Moses within sight of the Promised Land. The song contrasts God’s fidelity with the faithlessness of the People, and the need of the People to learn from their history under God’s care. Moses predicts that Israel’s enemies will be overcome. He is told to climb a mountain to see the Promised Land he will not to enter, as he prepares for his death. This is the last parasha read on Shabbat in the annual cycle: the final parasha (V’zot Habracha) is read traditionally on Simchat Torah.

Deut. 32:52 “You may view the land from a distance, but you shall not enter it, the land that I am giving to the Israelite people.”

            Rabbi Arie Hasit, writing in Torah Sparks (9/22/17), connects this verse with the current season, when we are concerned about our fate and the “Book of Life.” He calls this verse “a scary one.” Moses’ great dream is denied, and his death foretold, despite his outstanding life of leadership, his face-to-face conversations with God, and his pleas for the welfare of the Jewish People. But because of a single act made in an instance of anger and frustration, he is denied t’shuvah and his fate is sealed.

            On the other hand, we can view this in a different light: Moses’ dream will be inherited by the People. He lives to see that his dreams will be fulfilled, albeit by others. This brings to mind the saying of Pirke Avot: “It is not your obligation to complete the task, but you are nevertheless not free to desist from it.” In other words, while we may not be able to perfect our families, our communities, or the world, we are not at liberty to stop trying.

            When chanting “U’ntaneh Tokef” during the Yamim Noraim, we were asking who will live and who will die. How do we make sense of the knowledge that good people will leave us in the coming year?  Hasit suggests that Ha’azinu gives us a clue. Death is not a punishment, because it makes us human. Even Moses cannot live forever. Our prayer should remind us of the unexpededness of life, and challenge us to think about how we will make the most of every minute we have with the people we love. 

The Second Mountain

Vayeilech

Deut. 31:1-31:30

Précis: The Israelites are instructed to annihilate the seven Canaanite nations and take possession of the Promised Land. The death of Moses approaches, and he transfers his mantle of leadership to Joshua as his successor. Moses orders regular reading of the Law, and then transfers the written Torah into the hands of the Levites for safekeeping in the Ark of the Covenant.

Deut. 31:1-11 “Moses went and spoke these things to all Israel. He said to them: I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer go out and come in, for God has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’"

            Rabbi Jonathon Sacks has written about the challenge of aging (Covenant and Conversation 9/12/18), noting that it has become a growing problem with the expansion of life expectancy in most of the world. He asks us, “What will keep you young in spirit even if the body does not always keep pace?” This is a challenge I find particularly intriguing (as I become eligible for the 70+ softball league next spring).
            Moses, of course, is the case study for this challenge.  Sacks cites David Brook’s concept of the “second mountain.” Brooks found that people over 70 had early in their lives identified the mountain they were going to climb, whether personal or professional. By age 70, some had achieved it and were happy, others had achieved it and found it unsatisfactory, and others failed to achieve their mountain top. Brooks found, however, that at this stage of life, many saw the need to name a second mountain they wanted to climb. But this “second mountain” was not about achievement, but rather of giving in a spiritual, moral way, such as giving back to the community. Sacks maintains that this “second mountain” may in fact be more important that its predecessor.
            Moses is the paradigm. He had climbed the first mountain by being God’s servant and agent, and by leading His people from slavery to freedom. In the last stage of his journey he finally accepts the fact that he would not enter the Land. Moses now selects a “second mountain” by teaching Torah, warning the People not to stray. He provides what Sacks calls the “key verbs” of the Torah: “Remember, he says again and again; listen to the voice of God; rejoice in what He has given you.” Moses climbs his second mountain when he at last hands the leadership to Joshua.               

            On Shabbat Shuvah, when our thoughts turn inward to self-analysis, the “second mountain” suggests a life changing message for all of us:  what we have done in our lives so far is in the past; we have the chance to write another chapter. As Sacks says, “Hence the life-changing idea: Whatever your achievements, there is always a second mountain to climb, and it may turn out to be your greatest legacy to the future.”

            May you and yours be sealed in the Book of Life with health, prosperity, happiness, and the opportunity of finding your own “second mountain.”