Va'etchanan

Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11

Moses tells the people of Israel how he implored G-d to allow him to enter the land of Israel, but G-d refused, instructing him instead to ascend a mountain and see the Promised Land.

Continuing his "review of the Torah," Moses describes the Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah, declaring them unprecedented events in human history. "Has there ever occurred this great thing, or has the likes of it ever been heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of G-d speaking out of the midst of the fire...and live? ... You were shown, to know, that G-d is the G-d... there is none else beside Him."

Moses predicts that, in future generations, the people will turn away from G-d, worship idols, and be exiled from their land and scattered amongst the nations; but from there they will seek G-d, and return to obey His commandments.

Our Parshah also includes a repetition of the Ten Commandments, and the verses of the Shmah which declare the fundamentals of the Jewish faith: the unity of G-d ("Hear O Israel: G-d our G-d, G-d is one"); the mitzvot to love G-d, study His Torah, and bind "these words" as tefillin on our arm and head and inscribe them in the mezuzot affixed on the doorposts of our home.

FROM THE WORDS OF OUR SAGES ON THE PARSHAH:

--And you shall bind them for a sign upon your arm, and they shall be as tefillin between your eyes (Deuteronomy 6:8)

Torah law prescribes that we first tie the hand-tefillin on our arms, and then set the head-tefillin upon our heads -- as derived from the order in which they are commanded in the above verse.

Our sages tell us that G-d, too, wears tefillin, and that His tefillin are inscribed with the verse "Who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on earth" (as our tefillin are inscribed with verses proclaiming His oneness). There are "head-Jews" -- the scholars and thinkers, and "hand-Jews" -- the doers. Both are precious to G-d; both are integral to our role as His "one nation on earth." But when G-d ties His "tefillin" to affirm His bond with His people, He ties his hand-tefillin first, cherishing the simple deed above all else. (Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov)