Two Minute Torah Podcast

D'varim 5769 by Richard S. Moline

Shalom, this is Rich Moline, KOACH Director, welcoming you to another edition of KOACH's Two Minute Torah, a project of the College Department of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

This week, we begin the book of Deuteronomy, D'varim — the last of the five books of Moses. Deuteronomy — second law - comes from the Greek — Deuteros, meaning "second," and nomos, meaning "law." It retells much of the Israelite story since the exodus from Egypt — not chronologically and not always in the same way.

It is also the only book of the Torah that does not have an unknown narrator. It is comprised of a series of speeches given by Moses at the end of his life, just before the people are to enter the land of Israel.

This week's reading begins as follows:

Eileh HaD'varim asher diber Moshe el kol Yisrael...

These are the words that Moses spoke to all of Israel...

These are simple words, and seemingly routine. Moses starts to speak in front of the entire people. But think back to the Moses we first meet in the book of Exodus, chapter 4, verse 10:

Moses said to the Lord, "Please, O Lord, I have never been a man of words...ki khvad peh ookhvad lashon anokhi...I am of slow speech and of slow tongue.

If you recall, Moses didn't want to speak. Moses begged God not to be chosen for his leadership role. In response, God initially has Moses speak through his brother Aaron, who is identified as being more articulate.

Now at the end of his life, Moses is the orator — no longer reluctant, no longer embarrassed to speak in public, no longer having the need to lean on others.

How often do we react as Moses did when asked to add responsibilities to our already busy lives? How often do we think we're not capable of leadership? How often do we see problems in the world — large or small — and simply say that we are "of slow speech and of slow tongue"?

The amazing story of Moses teaches us that courage comes from within — that we can overcome our fears and that our perceived inadequacies are not insurmountable.

Shabbat Shalom.