12 Lessons
Parashat Hashavua Why Are There No Plishtim in Sefer Devarim?
The Rambam rules: Bnei Yisrael were commanded upon entering the Land – to appoint a king. It is noteworthy that Bnei Yisrael did not appoint such a king for some 400 years from the time that Yehoshua led the nation into Eretz Yisrael. Why didn’t they do so? Because they did not have full independence. What prevented full independence? The answer can be found in silence.
Parashat Hashavua The Time Has Come for Mishpat Ivri!
In our parasha, Moshe mentioned the appointment of judges. He was looking for “smart, wise, well known in your tribes,” and they were to be ”put at the head of the people” (Devarim 1:13). The judges were commanded to “hear among your brothers and rule with justice between man and his brother” (ibid. 16). The appointment of judges is hinted at as early as Parashat Beshalach (Shemot 15:23-25), right after yetzi’at Mitzrayim. The appointment of proper judges is spelled out in the pre-Sinai context of Parashat Yitro (ibid. 18:21-22). The commandment “for all generations” to make these appointments is found in Parashat Shoftim (Devarim 16:18).
Parashat Hashavua Tofel
The parasha and sefer start with an introduction to Moshe’s address to Bnei Yisrael, consisting of an apparent list of places: “the other side of the Jordan, in the plain, in the desert, opposite Suf, between Paran and Tofel, and Lavan, and Chatzeirot, and Di Zahav” (Devarim 1:1). The simplest explanation is that of Rabbi Yossi ben Dormaskit, who said that these are not all names of places but are references to events that occurred (Sifrei, Devarim 1). Rabbi Yehuda (ibid.) sees these as rebuke regarding ten improper actions of Bnei Yisrael, including the matters of the spies, the Golden Calf, and the slav.