Love, Actually - Commentary on Parashat Devarim
Weekly Torah reflections from Matthew Schultz, a rabbinical student at Hebrew College.
This week we begin reading Parashat Devarim, the first portion of the final book of the Torah—Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy takes the form of a long first-person address by Moses to the children of Israel before his death and before they enter the promised land.
The wilderness years behind them have been extremely perilous—filled with rebellions, wars, and death. The relationship between the Israelites and God has been brought to the breaking point on numerous occasions.
And yet, this is how Moses now describes the past forty years of wandering:
“God carried you like a man carries his son through the wilderness” (1:31).
A tender image. The book of Deuteronomy is full of them. If there is one message that Moses is trying to get across in this book, it is this: the foundation of the relationship between God and man is love.
Indeed, love is arguably the leitwort of the book of Deuteronomy.
The Hebrew verb for love (אהב) appears fifteen times in the book of Genesis, and each time refers to one person’s love for another person or for a thing.
Abraham’s love for Isaac.
Isaac’s love for Rivka.
Isaac’s love for Esau.
Rivka’s love for Jacob.
Isaac’s love for Esau’s cooking.
Again, Isaac’s love for Esau’s cooking.
Again, Isaac’s love for Esau’s cooking.
Jacob’s love for Rachel.
Again, Jacob’s love for Rachel.
Jacob’s love for Rachel (specifically relating to how he loved her more than Leah).
Leah’s wish that Jacob will love her.
Shechem’s love for Dinah.
Jacob’s love of Joseph.
Again, Jacob’s love of Joseph.
Jacob’s love of Benjamin.
The verb only appears twice in the book of Exodus.
God declares that He is kind to those who love him.
A law is given pertaining to a slave that loves his master.
The verb appears only twice in the book of Leviticus.
You shall love your fellow as yourself.
You shall love the stranger as yourself.
The verb appears nowhere in the book of Numbers.
And then, suddenly, twenty-two appearances in Deuteronomy. But it’s not just that there’s more love. It’s that there’s different love.
The love examined in Deuteronomy is the love between God and us. We are commanded to love God with our whole hearts. God describes how He loves us because He fell in love with the patriarchs and the matriarchs. God loves and blesses us. God tells us that love is the whole point. God loves us like a loving parent.
I won’t list the instances, but as we read deeper into the book of Deuteronomy, look for them and consider them.
It is said that the book of Deuteronomy is not so much the word of God, but rather Moses’ interpretation of the word of God. This is Moses’ theology.
Even with all the hardship the Israelites have faced, and even with all the uncertainty in their future, Moses insists that a divine love stands behind all of it.
Brilliant as always, Matt. I find it particularly remarkable that Moshe holds this love-based theology in light of his sharp punishment for the incident at Horev.