Words that Promote Life
Parashat D’varim, Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22
Mary Haller, Tikvat Yisrael, Richmond, VA
Have you ever thought of a world without words?
Words are essential building blocks for all communication. They can be used for good as well as not-so-good. We use words every day to express our thoughts and feelings. Words are necessary to communicate our needs as well as to provide instruction on everything we need to learn for living. Spoken words, written words, sign language and even pictures are representative of words. I believe it is fair to say that words, or d’varim in Hebrew, are necessary to communicating and perhaps even to survival.
If you are a professional communicator, a writer, a philosopher, a rabbi, or an educator of children, words are your livelihood. For human beings words are like food. It would be hard to live without words even for a short period of time. All people, even the most seriously introverted people, use words. Some may only use a few words but the value of words cannot be emphasized enough. Words are clearly essential tools in living life.
Our portion this week is called d’varim in Hebrew or “words” in English. It is particularly striking because all the words Moses speaks throughout the portion are direct, some may even say harsh. Take the verses 6 and 7 of chapter 1 (TLV) “…You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn, journey on…”
Perhaps it was simply that Adonai wanted them to move on to receive more of what He had for them. The mountain was a holy place for sure as it was where Moses received the Torah. Yet it was only the beginning. God had promised Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all their descendants land. Moving on was essential to possessing that promise.
In today’s world, human beings are much the same as they were in the days of Moses. As I see it, we are all flawed; we are curious, yet many of us are fearful of new things, new places, and new challenges. Changing our ways to adapt to new situations or surroundings often comes with challenges we have difficulty overcoming.
Recently my husband and I knew we were to relocate to the Pacific Northwest, affectionately known as the PNW. We both lived on the east coast all our lives, and to make things more challenging, all our married years were spent in the southern portion of the east coast. Needless to say, we were comfortable with our community, our neighborhood, and our friendships. Our dream was to eventually move to a warmer climate. We lived, we served, we prayed, and one day our dreams were challenged. We both knew God had directed us to move.
When the winds of change swept through our lives we had to step out of our familiar territory into the unknown. This was a journey that took everything we had within us to trust that God really had our lives in his hand. We had to overcome waves of feeling fearful and unsure of what was before us. Did God really direct us, did we hear correctly? All the questions that came up had to be faced. We prayed and endeavored to trust that God would continue to honor his words in our journey today as he had done for those who trusted him in Deuteronomy.
Looking back to Exodus 13:21-23 Adonai guided the people with fire by night and protected them with a cloud by day. Moses’s words for the people in our portion of Deuteronomy remind the people of what their God had in store for them. All Moses’s words were important to the people’s progress. Much like the words of the Torah are for us today. The portion closes with a huge reminder of God’s faithful protection in 3:22 when Moses speaks ‘…Adonai your God will fight on your behalf.’
In the last chapter of Deuteronomy we find equally powerful, enduring words of value spoken by Moses to the people that encouraged both my husband and me: “Be strong, be bold, don’t be afraid or be frightened of them, for Adonai your God is going with you. He will never fail you or abandon you” (Deut 31:6–8 CJB).
Moses said God would be with his people, and would protect them from any giants in the land. Perhaps our giants were not literal giants, but rather all the big things that are out of our human control.
We sold our home. Then came the thoughts, what if we made a mistake? Were Yeshua’s words in the Matthew 6:25 “So I say to you do not worry about your life” really true? Would our God provide for us? We stepped out and God’s faithfulness proved to be true.
Our journey in the PNW continues. Each day presents with new opportunities as well as new solutions. Each day our trust grows. We understand more clearly that our God is truly with us.
The words or D’varim spoken by Moses continue to hold current value for individuals as well as for communities.
In 1849 the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karl first wrote “plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose,” which translated roughly means, “the more things change the more they stay the same.” This quote seems fitting as I continue to ponder the words of this Torah portion.
The intimate relationship between Adonai and Moses fueled Moses’ fire to invest his all for a people who, like many of us today, struggle with trusting a God that cannot be seen with our physical eyes. The words spoken by Moses born out of his trusting relationship prove to be timeless wise words of value that promote life.
It is my hope that the words of Moses have encouraged you as they have encouraged me. Always remember to invest wise words that express faith, truth, and kindness for the generations to come. Adonai is the same yesterday, today, and on into the future.