Vayelech, Vayeilech, VaYelech, Va-yelech, Vayelekh, Wayyelekh, Wayyelakh, or Va-yelekh ( —

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

for "then he went out", the first word in the parashah) is the 52nd

weekly Torah portion It is a custom among religious Jewish communities for a weekly Torah portion to be read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' ( he, פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ), is po ...

(, ''parashah'') in the annual

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

cycle of

Torah reading Torah reading (; ') is a Judaism, Jewish religion, religious tradition that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Sefer Torah, Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the scroll (or scrolls) fro ...

and the ninth in the

Book of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...

. It constitutes . In the parashah,

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

told the

Israelite The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

s to be strong and courageous, as God and

Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

would soon lead them into the

Promised Land The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...

. Moses commanded the Israelites to read the law to all the people every seven years. God told Moses that his death was approaching, that the people would break the covenant, and that God would thus hide God's face from them, so Moses should therefore write a song to serve as a witness for God against them. With just 30 verses, it has the fewest verses of any parashah, although not the fewest words or letters. (Parashat V'Zot HaBerachah has fewer letters and words.) The parashah is made up of 5,652

Hebrew letters The Hebrew alphabet ( he, אָלֶף־בֵּית עִבְרִי, ), known variously by scholars as the Ktav Ashuri, Jewish script, square script and block script, is an abjad script used in the writing of the Hebrew language and other Jewish ...

, 1,484 Hebrew words, 30 verses, and 112 lines in a Torah Scroll. Jews generally read it in September or early October (or rarely, in late August). The

lunisolar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, combining lunar calendars and solar calendars. The date of Lunisolar calendars therefore indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the Sun in the Ea ...

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel. I ...

contains between 50 weeks in common years, and 54 or 55 weeks in leap years. In some years (for example, 2021, 2022, and 2025), Parashat Vayelech is read separately. In other years (for example, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2026, and 2027), Parashat Vayelech is combined with the previous parashah,

Nitzavim Nitzavim, Nitsavim, Nitzabim, Netzavim, Nisavim, or Nesabim ( — Hebrew for "ones standing," the second word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 51st weekly Torah portion (, ''parashah'') in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah re ...

, to help achieve the number of weekly readings needed, and the combined portion is then read on the

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as G ...

immediately before

Rosh Hashanah Rosh HaShanah ( he, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, , literally "head of the year") is the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , lit. "day of shouting/blasting") It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days (, , " ...

. The two Torah portions are combined except when two Sabbaths fall between Rosh Hashanah and

Sukkot or ("Booths, Tabernacles") , observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopagans , type = Jewish, Samaritan , begins = 15th day of Tishrei , ends = 21st day of Tishre ...

and neither Sabbath coincides with a Holy Day.

Readings

In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, or , '' aliyot''. In the

Masoretic Text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...

of the

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

), Parashat Vayelech has two "open portion" (, ''petuchah'') divisions (roughly equivalent to paragraphs, often abbreviated with the Hebrew letter ('' peh'')). The first open portion (, ''petuchah'') spans the first four readings (, ''aliyot''). The second open portion (, ''petuchah'') spans the remaining three readings (, ''aliyot''). Within the first open portion (, ''petuchah''), a further subdivision, called a "closed portion" (, ''setumah'') (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter (''

samekh Samekh (Phoenician ''sāmek'' ; Hebrew ''samekh'' , Syriac ''semkaṯ'') is the fifteenth letter of the Semitic abjads, including the Hebrew alphabet. Samekh represents a voiceless alveolar fricative . Unlike most Semitic consonants, the pro ...

'')), spans the first two readings (, ''aliyot''). MosesMosaic

First reading — Deuteronomy 31:1–3

In the first reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses told the Israelites that he was 120 years old that day, could no longer go out and come in, and God had told him that he was not to go over the

Jordan River The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...

. God would go over before them and destroy the nations ahead of them, and Joshua would go over before them, as well. The first reading (, ''aliyah'') ends here.

Second reading — Deuteronomy 31:4–6

In the second reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses promised that God would destroy those nations as God had destroyed Sihon and Og, the

kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

of the

Amorites The Amorites (; sux, 𒈥𒌅, MAR.TU; Akkadian language, Akkadian: 𒀀𒈬𒊒𒌝 or 𒋾𒀉𒉡𒌝/𒊎 ; he, אֱמוֹרִי, 'Ĕmōrī; grc, Ἀμορραῖοι) were an ancient Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic-speaking people ...

, and the Israelites would dispossess those nations according to the

commandments Commandment may refer to: * The Ten Commandments * One of the 613 mitzvot of Judaism * The Great Commandment * The New Commandment The New Commandment is a term used in Christianity to describe Jesus's commandment to "love one another" which, ac ...

that Moses had commanded them. Moses exhorted the Israelites to be strong and courageous, for God would go with them and would not forsake them. The second reading (, ''aliyah'') and a closed portion (, ''setumah'') end here. Cathédrale d'Auch 20

Third reading — Deuteronomy 31:7–9

In the third reading (, ''aliyah''), in the sight of the people, Moses told Joshua to be strong and courageous, for he would go with the people into the land that God had sworn to their fathers and cause them to inherit it, and God would go before him, be with him, and not forsake him. Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...

, the sons of Levi, who bore the

Ark of the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an e ...

and to all the elders of Israel. The third reading (, ''aliyah'') ends here.

Fourth reading — Deuteronomy 31:10–13

In the fourth reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses commanded them to

read the law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

before all Israel at the end of every seven years during

, when all Israel was to appear in the place that God would choose. Moses told them to assemble all the people — men,

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

, children, and strangers — that they might

hear Hearing, or auditory perception, is the ability to perceive sounds through an organ, such as an ear, by detecting vibrations as periodic changes in the pressure of a surrounding medium. The academic field concerned with hearing is auditory ...

learn Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals, and some machines; there is also evidence for some kind of learnin ...

fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...

God, and observe the law as long as the Israelites lived in the land that they were going over the Jordan to possess. The fourth reading (, ''aliyah'') and the first open portion (, ''petuchah'') end here. Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 063

Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 063

Fifth reading — Deuteronomy 31:14–19

In the fifth reading (, ''aliyah''), God told Moses that as the day of his death was approaching, he should call Joshua, and they should present themselves in the

tent of meeting According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

so that God might bless Joshua. God appeared in a pillar of

cloud In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may co ...

over the door of the Tent and told Moses that he was about to die, the people would rise up and break the covenant, God's anger would be kindled against them, God would forsake them and hide God's face from them, and many evils would come upon them. God directed Moses therefore to write a song and teach it to the Israelites so that the song might serve as a witness for God against the Israelites.. The fifth reading (, ''aliyah'') ends here.

Sixth reading — Deuteronomy 31:20–24

In the sixth reading (, ''aliyah''), God continued that when God will have brought the Israelites into the land flowing with

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...

and honey (, ''chalav udevash''), they will have eaten their fill, grown fat, turned to other gods, and broken the covenant, then when many evils will have come upon them, this song would testify before them as a witness. So Moses wrote the song that day and taught it to the Israelites. And God charged Joshua to be strong and courageous, for he would bring the Israelites into the land that God had sworn to them, and God would be with him. And Moses finished writing the law in a book. The sixth reading (, ''aliyah'') ends here.

Seventh reading — Deuteronomy 31:25–30

In the seventh reading (, ''aliyah''), Moses commanded the

Levite Levites (or Levi) (, he, ''Lǝvīyyīm'') are Jewish males who claim patrilineal descent from the Tribe of Levi. The Tribe of Levi descended from Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah. The surname ''Halevi'', which consists of the Hebrew defi ...

s who bore the Ark of the Covenant to take the book and put it by the side of the Ark so that it might serves as a witness against the people. For Moses said that he knew that even that day, the people had been rebelling against God, so how much more would they after his death? In the

maftir Maftir ( he, מפטיר, , concluder) is the last person called up to the Torah on Shabbat and holiday mornings: this person also reads (or at least recites the blessings overs) the ''haftarah'' portion from a related section of the Nevi'im (pro ...

() reading of that concludes the parashah, Moses called the elders and officers to assemble, so that he might call heaven and earth to witness against them. For Moses said that he knew that after his death, the Israelites would deal corruptly and turn away from the commandments, and evil would befall them because they would do that which was evil in the sight of God. And Moses spoke to all the assembly of Israel the words of the song. The seventh reading (, ''aliyah''), the second open portion (, ''petuchah''), and the parashah end here.

Readings for Parashiot Nitzavim-Vayelech

When Jews read Parashat Nitzavim together with Parashat Vayelech, they divide readings according to the following schedule:

Readings according to the triennial cycle

In years when Jews read the parashah separately, Jews who read the Torah according to the

triennial cycle The Triennial cycle of Torah reading may refer to either * The historical practice in ancient Israel by which the entire Torah was read in serial fashion over a three-year period, or * The practice adopted by many Reform, Conservative, Reconstruct ...

of Torah reading read the entire parashah according to the schedule of first through seventh readings in the text above. When Jews read Parashat Nitzavim together with Parashat Vayelech, Jews who read the Torah according to the triennial cycle can read the parashah according to the following schedule.

Key words

Words used frequently in the parashah include: Moses (11 times), go (10 times), and Israel (10 times).

In ancient parallels

The parashah has parallels in these ancient sources: an
17
an

, an

and

an

an

describe the Land of Israel as a land flowing "with milk and honey." Similarly, the Middle Egyptian (early second millennium BCE) tale of Sinuhe Palestine described the Land of Israel or, as the Egyptian tale called it, the land of Yaa: "It was a good land called Yaa. Figs were in it and grapes. It had more wine than water. Abundant was its honey, plentiful its oil. All kind of fruit were on its trees. Barley was there and emmer, and no end of cattle of all kinds."

In inner-Biblical interpretation

The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these Biblical sources: Tissot Moses Sees the Promised Land from Afar

As Moses reported that he was 120 years old when he began his speech in , 40 years had passed since he spoke to

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...

, which notes he did when he was 80. reports that Moses was still 120 years old when he died. While Moses complained in that he could "no more go out and come in," insists that at his death, his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. In

1 Kings The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the books ...

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

would similarly protest to God that Solomon was like a child who did not "know . . . how to go out or come in." Moses recalled in that God had told him that he would "not go over this Jordan," perhaps remembering how in , God had told Moses that upon ascending the mountain of

Abarim Abarim ( he, הָעֲבָרִים, Hā-Avārīm) is the Hebrew name used in the Bible for a mountain range "across the Jordan", understood as east of the Jordan Rift Valley, i.e. in Transjordan, to the east and south-east of the Dead Sea, exten ...

and seeing the land that God had given to the Israelites, Moses would die. For soon thereafter, in , Moses had used language like that in to ask God that God might set someone over the congregation "who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in." Previously, in , at

Meribah Massah ( he, מַסָּה) and Meribah ( he , מְרִיבָה, also spelled "Mirabah") are place names found in the Hebrew Bible. The Israelites are said to have travelled through Massah and Meribah during the Exodus, although the continuous l ...

, God had told Moses that because Moses had not believed in God, to sanctify God in the eyes of the Israelites, Moses would not bring the Israelites into the land that God had given them. And in , Moses recalled that God had told him to ascend to the top of Pisgah and look in every direction, for, God told Moses, "You shall not go over this Jordan." Moses calls heaven and earth to serve as witnesses against Israel in , , , and . Similarly, Psalm reports that God "summoned the heavens above, and the earth, for the trial of His people," saying "Bring in My devotees, who made a covenant with Me over sacrifice!" continues: "Then the heavens proclaimed His righteousness, for He is a God who judges." Expressions like "hide My countenance" in and also appear in , , , , , , , , , , , and , and .

In early nonrabbinic interpretation

The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these early nonrabbinic sources:

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...

reports that even slaves attended the public reading of the Torah. Signorelli The Testament and Death of Moses

In classical rabbinic interpretation

The parashah is discussed in these

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

nic sources from the era of the

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Torah ...

and the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...

31:1–9 — "Be strong and courageous"

The

Gemara The Gemara (also transliterated Gemarah, or in Yiddish Gemo(r)re; from Aramaic , from the Semitic root ג-מ-ר ''gamar'', to finish or complete) is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah w ...

interpreted Moses's words "I am a hundred and twenty years old ''this day''" in to signify that Moses spoke on his birthday, and that he thus died on his birthday. Citing the words "the number of your days I will fulfill" in , the Gemara concluded that God completes the years of the righteous to the day, concluding their lives on their birthdays. A

Midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

likened God to a bridegroom, Israel to a bride, and Moses, in , to the

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of automatic printing. The profession of the scribe, previously widespread across cultures, lost most of its promi ...

who wrote the document of betrothal. The Midrash noted that the Rabbis taught that documents of betrothal and marriage are written only with the consent of both parties, and the bridegroom pays the scribe's fee. The Midrash then taught that God betrothed Israel at Sinai, reading to say, "And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Go to the people and betroth them today and tomorrow.'" The Midrash taught that in , God commissioned Moses to write the document, when God directed Moses, "Carve two tables of stone." And reports that Moses wrote the document, saying, "And Moses wrote this law." The Midrash then taught that God compensated Moses for writing the document by giving him a lustrous countenance, as reports, "Moses did not know that the skin of his face sent forth beams."

31:10–13 — reading the law

The Mishnah taught that the Israelites would postpone the great assembly required by if observing it conflicted with the Sabbath. The Gemara noted that the command in for all Israelites to assemble applied to women (as does the command in to eat matzah on the first night of

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Ancient Egypt, Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew calendar, He ...

), even though the general rule (stated i
Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 34a
is that women are exempt from time-bound positive commandments. The Gemara cited these exceptions to support Rabbi Joḥanan's assertion that one may not draw inferences from general rules, for they often have exceptions. Rabbi Joḥanan ben Beroka and Rabbi

Eleazar Hisma ''For other people named Eleazer. see: Eleazar (name)'' Eleazar Chisma (Ḥisma; he, אלעזר חסמא, ''"Eleazar Chasma''", or אלעזר בן חסמא, "''Eleazar ben Chasma''") was a tanna (sage) of the second and third generations (2nd c ...

reported that Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah interpreted the words "Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones," in to teach that the men came to learn, the women came to hear, and the little children came to give a reward to those who brought them.Babylonian Talmud Chagigah 3a
The Gemara deduced from the parallel use of the word "appear" in and (regarding appearance offerings) on the one hand, and in (regarding the great assembly) on the other hand, that the criteria for who participated in the great assembly also applied to limit who needed to bring appearance offerings. A Baraita deduced from the words "that they may hear" in that a deaf person was not required to appear at the assembly. And the Baraita deduced from the words "that they may learn" in that a

mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...

person was not required to appear at the assembly. But the Gemara questioned the conclusion that one who cannot talk cannot learn, recounting the story of two mute grandsons (or others say nephews) of Rabbi Joḥanan ben Gudgada who lived in

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

's neighborhood. Rabbi prayed for them, and they were healed. And it turned out that notwithstanding their speech impediment, they had learned

halachah ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

Sifra Sifra (Aramaic: סִפְרָא) is the Halakhic midrash to the Book of Leviticus. It is frequently quoted in the Talmud, and the study of it followed that of the Mishnah. Like Leviticus itself, the midrash is occasionally called "Torat Kohanim", a ...

Sifre Sifre ( he, סִפְרֵי; ''siphrēy'', ''Sifre, Sifrei'', also, ''Sifre debe Rab'' or ''Sifre Rabbah'') refers to either of two works of ''Midrash halakha'', or classical Jewish legal biblical exegesis, based on the biblical books of Numbers a ...

, and the whole Talmud. Mar Zutra and Rav Ashi read the words "that they may learn" in to mean "that they may teach," and thus to exclude people who could not speak from the obligation to appear at the assembly. Rabbi Tanhum deduced from the words "in their ears" (using the plural for "ears") at the end of that one who was deaf in one ear was exempt from appearing at the assembly. The Mishnah explained how the Jews of the

Second Temple The Second Temple (, , ), later known as Herod's Temple, was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem between and 70 CE. It replaced Solomon's Temple, which had been built at the same location in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited ...

era interpreted the commandment of to "assemble the people . . . that they may hear . . . all the words of this law." At the conclusion of the first day of

immediately after the conclusion of the seventh year in the cycle, they erected a wooden dais in the Temple court, upon which the king sat. The

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

attendant took a Torah

scroll A scroll (from the Old French ''escroe'' or ''escroue''), also known as a roll, is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing. Structure A scroll is usually partitioned into pages, which are sometimes separate sheets of papyrus ...

and handed it to the synagogue president, who handed it to the High Priest's deputy, who handed it to the High Priest, who handed it to the king. The king stood and received it, and then read sitting. King

Agrippa Agrippa may refer to: People Antiquity * Agrippa (mythology), semi-mythological king of Alba Longa * Agrippa (astronomer), Greek astronomer from the late 1st century * Agrippa the Skeptic, Skeptic philosopher at the end of the 1st century * Agri ...

stood and received it and read standing, and the sages praised him for doing so. When Agrippa reached the commandment of that "you may not put a foreigner over you" as king, his eyes ran with tears, but they said to him, "Don't fear, Agrippa, you are our brother, you are our brother!" The king would read from up through the

shema ''Shema Yisrael'' (''Shema Israel'' or ''Sh'ma Yisrael''; he , שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ''Šəmaʿ Yīsrāʾēl'', "Hear, O Israel") is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema) that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewis ...

(), and then , the portion regarding tithes (), the portion of the king (), and the blessings and curses (). The king would recite the same blessings as the High Priest, except that the king would substitute a blessing for the

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

instead of one for the forgiveness of sin. A Baraita deduced from the parallel use of the words "at the end" in (regarding

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

s) and (regarding the great assembly) that just as the Torah required the great assembly to be done at a festival (), the Torah also required tithes to be removed at the time of a festival. Tractate

Sheviit Shevi'it (, lit. "Seventh") is the fifth tractate of ''Seder Zeraim'' ("Order of Seeds") of the Mishnah, dealing with the laws of leaving the fields of the Land of Israel to lie fallow every seventh year; the laws concerning which produce may, or ...

in the Mishnah,

Tosefta The Tosefta (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...

, and

Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...

interpreted the laws of the Sabbatical year in , , and and . The Mishnah asked until when a field with

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s could be plowed in the sixth year. The House of Shammai said as long as such work would benefit

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

that would ripen in the sixth year. But the House of Hillel said until

Shavuot (''Ḥag HaShavuot'' or ''Shavuos'') , nickname = English: "Feast of Weeks" , observedby = Jews and Samaritans , type = Jewish and Samaritan , begins = 6th day of Sivan (or the Sunday following the 6th day of Sivan i ...

. The Mishnah observed that in reality, the views of two schools approximate each other. The Mishnah taught that one could plow a

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

-field in the sixth year until the moisture had dried up in the soil (that it, after Passover, when rains in the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

cease) or as long as people still plowed in order to plant

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.

s and gourds (which need a great deal of moisture). Rabbi Simeon objected that if that were the rule, then we would place the law in the hands of each person to decide. But the Mishnah concluded that the prescribed period in the case of a grain-field was until Passover, and in the case of a field with trees, until Shavuot. But

Rabban Gamaliel Gamaliel the Elder (; also spelled Gamliel; he, רַבַּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הַזָּקֵן ''Rabban Gamlīʾēl hazZāqēn''; grc-koi, Γαμαλιὴλ ὁ Πρεσβύτερος ''Gamaliēl ho Presbýteros''), or Rabban Gamaliel I, ...

and his court ordained that working the land was permitted until the New Year that began the seventh year. Rabbi Joḥanan said that Rabban Gamaliel and his court reached their conclusion on Biblical authority, noting the common use of the term "Sabbath" (, ''Shabbat'') in both the description of the weekly Sabbath in and the Sabbath-year in . Thus, just as in the case of the Sabbath Day, work is forbidden on the day itself, but allowed on the day before and the day after, so likewise in the Sabbath Year, tillage is forbidden during the year itself, but allowed in the year before and the year after. Rabbi Isaac taught that the words of , "mighty in strength that fulfill His word," speak of those who observe the Sabbatical year (mentioned in ). Rabbi Isaac said that we often find that a person fulfills a precept for a day, a week, or a month, but it is remarkable to find one who does so for an entire year. Rabbi Isaac asked whether one could find a mightier person than one who sees his field untilled, see his vineyard untilled, and yet pays his taxes and does not complain. And Rabbi Isaac noted that uses the words "that fulfill His ''word'' (''dabar'')," and says regarding observance of the Sabbatical year, "And this is the ''manner'' (''dabar'') of the release," and argued that "''dabar''" means the observance of the Sabbatical year in both places. Tractate

Beitzah Beitza ( he, ביצה) or Bei'a (Aramaic: ביעה) (literally "egg", named after the first word) is a tractate in the Order of Moed, dealing with the laws of Yom Tov (holidays). It is Moed's seventh tractate in the Mishna, but the eighth in the ...

in the Mishnah, Tosefta, Jerusalem Talmud, and Babylonian Talmud interpreted the laws common to all of the

Festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

in
43–49
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and ; . A Midrash cited the words of , "And your stranger who is within your gates," to show God's injunction to welcome the stranger. The Midrash compared the admonition in , "Neither let the alien who has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying: ‘The Lord will surely separate me from his people.'" (

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...

enjoined Israelites to treat the convert the same as a native Israelite.) Similarly, the Midrash quoted , in which

Job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and wants of themselves, others, or a wider community. In the context of economics, work can be viewed as the human activity that contr ...

said, "The stranger did not lodge in the street" (that is, none were denied

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, chevalier de J ...

), to show that God disqualifies no creature, but receives all; the city gates were open all the time and anyone could enter them. The Midrash equated , "The stranger did not lodge in the street," with the words of (20:10 in NJPS), (5:14 in NJPS), and , "And your stranger who is within your gates" (which implies that strangers were integrated into the midst of the community). Thus the Midrash taught that these verses reflect the Divine example of accepting all creatures.

31:14–30 — writing the law

Rabbi Joḥanan counted ten instances in which Scripture refers to the death of Moses (including three in the parashah), teaching that God did not finally seal the harsh decree until God declared it to Moses. Rabbi Joḥanan cited these ten references to the death of Moses: (1) "But I must die in this land; I shall not cross the Jordan"; (2) "The Lord said to Moses: ‘Behold, your days approach that you must die'"; (3) " en now, while I am still alive in your midst, you have been defiant toward the Lord; and how much more after my death"; (4) "For I know that after my death, you will act wickedly and turn away from the path that I enjoined upon you"; (5) "And die in the mount that you are about to ascend, and shall be gathered to your kin, as your brother

Aaron According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...

died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his kin"; (6) "This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, bade the Israelites farewell before his death"; (7) "So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, at the command of the Lord"; (8) "Moses was 120 years old when he died"; (9) "Now it came to pass after the death of Moses"; and (10) "Moses My servant is dead." Rabbi Joḥanan taught that ten times it was decreed that Moses should not enter the Land of Israel, but the harsh decree was not finally sealed until God revealed it to him and declared (as reported in ): "It is My decree that you should not pass over." Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle

Tissot Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle

Rabbi Jannai taught that when Moses learned that he was to die on that day, he wrote 13 scrolls of the law — 12 for the 12 tribes, and one which he placed in the Ark — so that if anyone should seek to forge anything in a scroll, they could refer back to the scroll in the Ark. Moses thought that he could busy himself with the Torah — the whole of which is life — and then the sun would set and the decree for his death would lapse. God signaled to the sun, but the sun refused to obey God, saying that it would not set and leave Moses alive in the world.Deuteronomy Rabbah 9:9, in, e.g., Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon, translators, ''Midrash Rabbah: Deuteronomy'', volume 7, page 162. Figures Moses Names Joshua To Succeed Him

Figures Moses Names Joshua To Succeed Him

Interpreting the words "call Joshua" in , a Midrash taught that Moses asked God to let Joshua take over his office and nonetheless allow Moses continue to live. God consented on the condition that Moses treat Joshua as Joshua had treated Moses. So Moses rose early and went to Joshua's house. Moses called Joshua his teacher, and they set out walking with Moses on Joshua's left, like a disciple. When they entered the tent of meeting, the pillar of cloud came down and separated them. When the pillar of cloud departed, Moses asked Joshua what was revealed to him. Joshua asked Moses whether Joshua ever found out what God said to Moses. At that moment, Moses bitterly exclaimed that it would be better to die a hundred times than to experience envy, even once. The Gemara cited as an instance of where the Torah alludes to life after death. The Gemara related that sectarians asked Rabban Gamaliel where Scripture says that God will resurrect the dead. Rabban Gamaliel answered them from the Torah, the Prophets (, ''

Nevi'im Nevi'im (; he, נְבִיאִים ''Nəvīʾīm'', Tiberian: ''Năḇīʾīm,'' "Prophets", literally "spokespersons") is the second major division of the Hebrew Bible (the ''Tanakh''), lying between the Torah (instruction) and Ketuvim (wri ...

''), and the Writings (, ''

Ketuvim The Ketuvim (; hbo, , Modern: ''Kəṯūvīm'', Tiberian: ''Kăṯūḇīm'' "writings") is the third and final section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), after Torah (instruction) and Nevi'im (prophets). In English translations of the Hebrew Bi ...

''), yet the sectarians did not accept his proofs. From the Torah, Rabban Gamaliel cited , "And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers and rise up

gain Gain or GAIN may refer to: Science and technology * Gain (electronics), an electronics and signal processing term * Antenna gain * Gain (laser), the amplification involved in laser emission * Gain (projection screens) * Information gain in de ...

'" But the sectarians replied that perhaps reads, "and the people will rise up." From the Prophets, Rabban Gamaliel cited , "Your dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust: for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out its dead." But the sectarians rejoined that perhaps refers to the dead whom

Ezekiel Ezekiel (; he, יְחֶזְקֵאל ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' ; in the Septuagint written in grc-koi, Ἰεζεκιήλ ) is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknow ...

resurrected in . From the Writings, Rabban Gamaliel cited Song of Songs , "And the roof of your mouth, like the best wine of my beloved, that goes down sweetly, causing the lips of those who are asleep to speak." (As the Rabbis interpreted Song of Songs as a dialogue between God and Israel, they understood to refer to the dead, whom God will cause to speak again.) But the sectarians rejoined that perhaps means merely that the lips of the departed will move. For Rabbi Joḥanan said that if a ''

'' (legal ruling) is said in any person's name in this world, the person's lips speak in the grave, as says, "causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak." Thus Rabban Gamaliel did not satisfy the sectarians until he quoted , "which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them." Rabban Gamaliel noted that God swore to give the land not "to you" (the Israelites whom Moses addressed) but "to them" (the Patriarchs, who had long since died). Others say that Rabban Gamaliel proved it from , "But you who did cleave to the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day." And (the superfluous use of "this day" implies that) just as you are all alive today, so shall you all live again in the world to come. Similarly, the Romans asked Rabbi

Joshua ben Hananiah Joshua ben Hananiah ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ ben Ḥánanyāh''; d. 131 CE), also known as Rabbi Yehoshua, was a leading tanna of the first half-century following the destruction of the Second Temple. He is the seventh-most-frequently mentioned sage in ...

from where can one prove that God will resurrect the dead and knows the future. Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah replied that both are deduced from , "And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold you shall sleep with your fathers, and rise up again; and this people shall go a whoring . . . ." The Romans replied that perhaps means that the Israelites "will rise up, and go a whoring." Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah replied that if so, at least the Romans conceded that indicates that God knows the future. Similarly, Rabbi Joḥanan said on the authority of Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai that teaches that God will resurrect the dead and knows the future. Rabbi Jacob taught in

Rabbi Aha Rabbi Aha ( he, רבי אחא, read as ''Rabbi Achah'') was a rabbi of the Land of Israel, of the fourth century (fourth generation of amoraim). Biography He resided at Lod, but later settled in Tiberias where Huna II, Judah ben Pazi, and himse ...

's name (or others say in the Rabbi Abin's name) that no hour is as grievous as that in which God hides God's face (as foretold in and ). Rabbi Jacob taught that since that hour, he had hoped for God, for God said in , "For it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed." Shapurii

Rav Bardela bar Tabyumi taught in Rav's name that to whomever "hiding of the face" and . does not apply is not one of the Children of Israel, and to whomever "they shall be devoured" does not apply is also not one of them. The Rabbis confronted Rava, saying "hiding of the face" and "they shall be devoured" did not apply to Rava. Rava asked the Rabbis whether they knew how much he was forced to send secretly to the Court of King

Shapur Shahpur, Shapur, Shahpoor, or Shahapur ( fa, شاه پور) may refer to: People * Shapur (name), Persian given name and a list of people with the name Places India Bihar * Shahpur, Bihar, a city in Bhojpur district ** Shahpur, Bihar A ...

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. Even so, the Rabbis directed their eyes upon Rava in suspicion. Meanwhile, the Court of King Shapur sent men who seized Rava's property. Rava then said that this bore out what Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel taught, that wherever the Rabbis direct their eyes in suspicion, either death or poverty follows. Interpreting "I will hide My face," Rava taught that God said although God would hide God's face from them, God would nonetheless speak to them in a dream. Rav Joseph taught that God's hand is nonetheless stretched over us to protect us, as says, "And I have covered you in the shadow of My hand." Rabbi Joshua ben Hanania was once at the Roman emperor

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

's court, when an unbeliever gestured to Rabbi Joshua in sign language that the Jewish people was a people from whom their God had turned His face. Rabbi Joshua ben Hanania gestured in reply that God's hand was stretched over the Jewish people. Emperor Hadrian asked Rabbi Joshua what unbeliever had said. Rabbi Joshua told the emperor what unbeliever had said and what Rabbi Joshua had replied. They then asked the unbeliever what he had said, and he told them. And then they asked what Rabbi Joshua had replied, and the unbeliever did not know. They decreed that a man who does not understand what he is being shown by gesture should hold converse in signs before the emperor, and they led him forth and executed him for his disrespect to the emperor. Rabbi Judah ben Simon expounded on the idea of God's hiding God's face. Rabbi Judah ben Simon compared Israel to a king's son who went into the marketplace and struck people but was not struck in return (because of his being the king's son). He insulted but was not insulted. He went up to his father arrogantly. But the father asked the son whether he thought that he was respected on his own account, when the son was respected only on account of the respect that was due to the father. So the father renounced the son, and as a result, no one took any notice of him. So when Israel went out of Egypt, the fear of them fell upon all the nations, as reported, "The peoples have heard, they tremble; pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then were the chiefs of Edom frightened; the mighty men of Moab, trembling takes hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away. Terror and dread falls upon them." But when Israel transgressed and sinned, God asked Israel whether it thought that it was respected on its own account, when it was respected only on account of the respect that was due to God. So God turned away from them a little, and the

Amalek Amalek (; he, עֲמָלֵק, , ar, عماليق ) was a nation described in the Hebrew Bible as a staunch enemy of the Israelites. The name "Amalek" can refer to the nation's founder, a grandson of Esau; his descendants, the Amalekites; or the ...

ites came and attacked Israel, as reports, "Then Amalek came, and fought with Israel in Rephidim," and then the

Canaanites {{Cat main, Canaan See also: * :Ancient Israel and Judah Ancient Levant Hebrew Bible nations Ancient Lebanon 0050 Ancient Syria Wikipedia categories named after regions 0050 Phoenicia Amarna Age civilizations ...

came and fought with Israel, as reports, "And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel." God told the Israelites that they had no genuine faith, as says, "they are a very disobedient generation, children in whom is no faith." God concluded that the Israelites were rebellious, but to destroy them was impossible, to take them back to Egypt was impossible, and God could not change them for another people. So God concluded to chastise and try them with suffering. Rava interpreted the words, "Now therefore write this song for you," in to create an obligation for every Jew to write a Torah scroll of one's own, even if one inherited a Torah scroll from one's parents. Rabbi Akiva deduced from the words "and teach it to the children of Israel" in that a teacher must go on teaching a pupil until the pupil has mastered the lesson. And Rabbi Akiva deduced from the words "put it in their mouths" immediately following in that the teacher must go on teaching until the student can state the lesson fluently. And Rabbi Akiva deduced from the words "now these are the ordinances that you shall put before them" in that the teacher must wherever possible explain to the student the reasons behind the commandments. Rav Hisda cited the words "put it in their mouths" in for the proposition that the Torah can be acquired only with the aid of mnemonic devices, reading "put it" (''shimah'') as "its nemonicsymbol" (''simnah''). Northrop A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

Northrop A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey

The Gemara reported a number of Rabbis' reports of how the Land of Israel did indeed flow with "milk and honey" (, ''chalav udevash''), as described in an
17
, and , , and , and , , an

, and . Once when Rami bar Ezekiel visited

Bnei Brak Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an are ...

, he saw goats grazing under fig trees while honey was flowing from the figs, and milk dripped from the goats mingling with the fig honey, causing him to remark that it was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey. Rabbi Jacob ben Dostai said that it is about three miles from

Lod Lod ( he, לוד, or fully vocalized ; ar, اللد, al-Lidd or ), also known as Lydda ( grc, Λύδδα), is a city southeast of Tel Aviv and northwest of Jerusalem in the Central District of Israel. It is situated between the lower Shephe ...

Ono ONO, Ono or Ōno may refer to: Places Fiji * Ono Island (Fiji) Israel * Kiryat Ono * Ono, Benjamin, ancient site Italy * Ono San Pietro Ivory Coast * Ono, Ivory Coast, a village in Comoé District Japan * Ōno Castle, Fukuoka * Ō ...

, and once he rose up early in the morning and waded all that way up to his ankles in fig honey. Rabbi

Simeon ben Lakish Shim‘on ben Lakish ( he, שמעון בן לקיש; arc, שמעון בר לקיש ''Shim‘on bar Lakish'' or ''bar Lakisha''), better known by his nickname Reish Lakish (c. 200 — c. 275), was an amora who lived in the Roman province of Judae ...

(Resh Lakish) said that he saw the flow of the milk and honey of

Sepphoris Sepphoris (; grc, Σέπφωρις, Séphōris), called Tzipori in Hebrew ( he, צִפּוֹרִי, Tzipori),Palmer (1881), p115/ref> and known in Arabic as Saffuriya ( ar, صفورية, Ṣaffūriya) since the 7th century, is an archaeolog ...

extend over an area of sixteen miles by sixteen miles.

Rabbah bar bar Hana Rabbah bar bar Hana (רבה בר בר חנה) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the second generation. Biography He was the grandson of Hana and the brother of Hiyya. He went to Palestine and became a pupil of Ra ...

said that he saw the flow of the milk and honey in all the Land of Israel and the total area was equal to an area of twenty-two parasangs by six parasangs. The Rabbis cited the prophecy of that "they shall have eaten their fill and grown fat, and turned to other gods" to support the popular saying that filling one's stomach ranks among evil things. In a Baraita, the Sages interpreted the words of , "they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it," to mean that a woman would someday take a loaf of terumah bread and go from synagogue to academy to find out whether it was clean or unclean, but none would understand the law well enough to say. But Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai answered, Heaven forbid that the Torah could ever be forgotten in Israel, for says, "for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed." Rather, the Gemara taught, one could interpret , "they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it," to mean that they would not find a clear statement of the law or a clear Mishnah on point in any place. Resh Lakish read , "Take this book of the law," to teach that the Torah was transmitted in its entirety as one book. Rabbi Joḥanan said in the name of

Rabbi Bana'ah R. Bana'ah BANNAAH, BANNAY, BANNAYAH
jewishencyclopedia.com; Article

, however, that the Torah was transmitted in separate scrolls, as says, "Then said I, 'Lo I am come, in the roll of the book it is written of me.'" The Gemara reported that Rabbi Joḥanan interpreted , "Take this book of the law," to refer to the time after the Torah had been joined together from its several parts. And the Gemara suggested that Resh Lakish interpreted , "in a roll of the book written of me," to indicate that the whole Torah is called a "roll," as says, "And he said to me, 'What do you see?' And I answered, 'I see a flying roll.'" Or perhaps, the Gemara suggested, it is called "roll" for the reason given by Rabbi Levi, who said that God gave eight sections of the Torah, which Moses then wrote on separate rolls, on the day on which the Tabernacle was set up. They were: the section of the priests in , the section of the Levites in (as the Levites were required for the service of song on that day), the section of the unclean (who would be required to keep the Passover in the second month) in , the section of the sending of the unclean out of the camp (which also had to take place before the Tabernacle was set up) in , the section of (dealing with

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day's ...

, which states was transmitted immediately after the death of Aaron's two sons Nadab and Abihu), the section dealing with the drinking of wine by priests in , the section of the lights of the menorah in , and the section of the red heifer in (which came into force as soon as the Tabernacle was set up). Book of Exodus Chapter 26-4 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Book of Exodus Chapter 26-4 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media)

Rabbi Meir Rabbi Meir ( he, רַבִּי מֵאִיר) was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishnah. He was considered one of the greatest of the Tannaim of the fourth generation (139-163). He is the third most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishn ...

and

Rabbi Judah Judah bar Ilai (), also known as Yehuda bar Ma'arava (, lit. "Judah of the West") and Rabbi Judah, was a rabbi of the 2nd century (fourth generation of tannaim). Of the many Judahs in the Talmud, he is the one referred to simply as "Rabbi Judah" a ...

differed over where relative to the Ark the Levites placed the Torah scroll mentioned in . Rabbi Meir taught that the Ark contained the stone tablets and a Torah scroll. Rabbi Judah, however, taught that the Ark contained only the stone tablets, with the Torah scroll placed outside. Reading , Rabbi Meir noted that the Ark was 2½ cubits long, and as a standard cubit equals 6 handbreadths, the Ark was thus 15 handbreadths long. Rabbi Meir calculated that the tablets were 6 handbreadths long, 6 wide, and 3 thick, and were placed next to each other in the Ark. Thus the tablets accounted for 12 handbreadths, leaving 3 handbreadths unaccounted for. Rabbi Meir subtracted 1 handbreadth for the two sides of the Ark (½ handbreadth for each side), leaving 2 handbreadths for the Torah scroll. Rabbi Meir deduced that a scroll was in the Ark from the words of , "There was nothing in the Ark save the two tablets of stone that Moses put there." As the words "nothing" and "save" create a limitation followed by a limitation, Rabbi Meir followed the rule of Scriptural construction that a limitation on a limitation implies the opposite — here the presence of something not mentioned — the Torah scroll. Rabbi Judah, however, taught that the cubit of the Ark equaled only 5 handbreadths, meaning that the Ark was 12½ handbreadths long. The tablets (each 6 handbreadths wide) were deposited next to each other in the Ark, accounting for 12 handbreadths. There was thus left half a handbreadth, for which the two sides of the Ark accounted. Accounting next for width of the Ark, Rabbi Judah calculated that the tablets took up 6 handbreadths and the sides of the Ark accounted for ½ handbreadth, leaving 1 handbreadth. There Rabbi Judah taught were deposited the silver columns mentioned in ,, "King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon, he made the pillars thereof of silver." At the side of the Ark was placed the coffer that the

Philistines The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek (LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when ...

sent as a present, as reported in

1 Samuel The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Josh ...

, where the Philistine king said, "And put the jewels of gold which you return him for a guilt offering in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away that it may go." And on this coffer was placed the Torah scroll, as says, "Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord," demonstrating that the scroll was placed by the side of the Ark and not in it. Rabbi Judah interpreted the double limitation of , "nothing in the Ark save," to imply that the Ark also contained the fragments of the first tablets that Moses broke. The Gemara further explained that according to Rabbi Judah's theory, before the Philistine coffer came, the Torah scroll was placed on a ledge projecting from the Ark. Rabbi Ishmael cited as one of ten ''a fortiori'' (''kal va-chomer'') arguments recorded in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

: (1) In , Joseph's brothers told Joseph, "Behold, the money that we found in our sacks' mouths we brought back to you," and they thus reasoned, "how then should we steal?" (2) In , Moses told God, "Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened to me," and reasoned that surely all the more, "How then shall Pharaoh hear me?" (3) In , Moses said to the Israelites, "Behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the Lord," and reasoned that it would follow, "And how much more after my death?" (4) In , "the Lord said to Moses: ‘If her (

Miriam Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The Tor ...

's) father had but spit in her face,'" surely it would stand to reason, "‘Should she not hide in shame seven days?'" (5) In , the prophet asked, "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you," is it not logical to conclude, "Then how can you contend with horses?" (6) In ,

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah," and thus surely it stands to reason, "How much more than if we go to Keilah?" (7) Also in , the prophet asked, "And if in a land of Peace where you are secure" you are overcome, is it not logical to ask, "How will you do in the thickets of the

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

?" (8) reasoned, "Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth," and does it not follow, "How much more the wicked and the sinner?" (9) In , "The king said to Esther the queen: ‘The Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan the castle,'" and it thus stands to reason, "‘What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces?'" (10) In , God came to the prophet saying, "Behold, when it was whole, it was usable for no work," and thus surely it is logical to argue, "How much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it is singed?" The

Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael The Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael ( arc, מְכִילְתָּא דְּרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל IPA /məˈχiltɑ/, "a collection of rules of interpretation") is midrash halakha to the Book of Exodus. The Jewish Babylonian Aramaic title ''M ...

counted 10 songs in the

Tanakh The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''

Song of the Sea The Song of the Sea ( he, שירת הים, ''Shirat HaYam'', also known as ''Az Yashir Moshe'' and Song of Moses, or ''Mi Chamocha'') is a poem that appears in the Book of Exodus of the Hebrew Bible, at . It is followed in verses 20 and 21 by a ...

in ; (3) the one that the Israelites sang at the well in the wilderness, as reports, "Then sang Israel this song: ‘Spring up, O well'"; (4) the one that Moses spoke in his last days, as reports, "Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song"; (5) the one that Joshua recited, as reports, "Then spoke Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the

Amorite The Amorites (; sux, 𒈥𒌅, MAR.TU; Akkadian: 𒀀𒈬𒊒𒌝 or 𒋾𒀉𒉡𒌝/𒊎 ; he, אֱמוֹרִי, 'Ĕmōrī; grc, Ἀμορραῖοι) were an ancient Northwest Semitic-speaking people from the Levant who also occupied lar ...

s"; (6) the one that Deborah and Barak sang, as reports, "Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam"; (7) the one that

spoke, as reports, "David spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of

Saul Saul (; he, , ; , ; ) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the first monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. His reign, traditionally placed in the late 11th century BCE, supposedly marked the transition of Israel and Judah from a scattered tri ...

"; (8) the one that Solomon recited, as reports, "a song at the Dedication of the House of David"; (9) the one that

Jehoshaphat Jehoshaphat (; alternatively spelled Jehosaphat, Josaphat, or Yehoshafat; ; el, Ἰωσαφάτ, Iosafát; la, Josaphat), according to 1 Kings 22:41, was the son of Asa, and the fourth king of the Kingdom of Judah, in succession to his father ...

recited, as

2 Chronicles The Book of Chronicles ( he, דִּבְרֵי־הַיָּמִים ) is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Chronicles) in the Christian Old Testament. Chronicles is the final book of the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third sect ...

reports: "when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing to the Lord, and praise in the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy endures for ever'"; and (10) the song that will be sung in the time to come, as says, "Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth," and says, "Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of the saints."

In medieval Jewish interpretation

The parashah is discussed in these

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

Jewish sources: Maimonides-2

According to the 12th century Spanish Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, Moses went to each of the tribes separately, as they lay encamped, "to acquaint them that he was about to die, and that they might not be afraid, and to strengthen their hearts" Baḥya ibn Paquda noted that one person's understanding varies from time to time, and intellectual inspiration varies from person to person. But Baḥya taught that the exhortation of the Torah does not vary; it is the same for the child, the youth, one advanced in years, and the old, the wise and the foolish, even though the resulting practice varies from person to person. And so, Baḥya taught, is addressed to everyone: "Gather the people together, men and women, and children, and the stranger that is within your gate, that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God . . . ." And says, "you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing."

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...

viewed the value of keeping festivals as plain: People derive benefit from assemblies, the emotions produced renew their attachment to religion, and the assemblies lead to friendly and social interaction among people. Reading , "that they may hear, and that they may learn and fear the Lord," Maimonides concluded that this is especially the object of the commandment for people to gather on Sukkot. Maimonides taught that Scripture employs the idea of God's hiding God's face to designate the manifestation of a certain work of God. Thus, Moses the prophet foretold misfortune by saying (in God's words in ), "And I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured." For, Maimonides interpreted, when people are deprived of Divine protection, they are exposed to all dangers, and become the victim of circumstance, their fortune dependent on chance — a terrible threat. Further, Maimonides taught that the hiding of God's face results from human choice. When people do not meditate on God, they are separated from God, and they are then exposed to any evil that might befall them. For, Maimonides taught, the intellectual link with God secures the presence of Providence and protection from evil accidents. Maimonides argued that this principle applies equally to an individual person and a whole community.

In modern interpretation

The parashah is discussed in these modern sources: Professor Ephraim Speiser of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

in the mid 20th century wrote that the word "Torah" () is based on a verbal stem signifying “to teach, guide,” and the like, and the derived noun can carry a variety of meanings. Speiser argued that in , the word refers to the long hortatory poem that follows, and cannot be mistaken for the title of the Pentateuch as a whole. Speiser asserted that is the only Pentateuchal passage that refers comprehensively to a written "Torah." Speiser argued that points either to the portions of Deuteronomy that precede (as most modern scholars conclude) or to the poetic sections that follow (as some scholars believe) and in neither case to the Pentateuch as a whole. Professor Jeffrey Tigay, who taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1971 to 2010, wrote that the public reading of the teaching required by demonstrates the democratic character of the Torah, which addresses its teachings and demands to all its adherents with few distinctions between priests and laity, and calls for universal education of the citizenry in law and religion. Tigay wrote that the requirements of for Moses to write down the Teaching and have it read to the people every seven years culminate the exhortations of Moses to the people to learn the Teaching, to discuss it constantly, and to teach it to their children. Tigay called the concern that this indicated to impress the Teaching on the mind of all Israelites "one of the most characteristic and far-reaching ideas of the Bible, particularly of Deuteronomy." Tigay argued that this concern reflects several premises and aims: (1) The Teaching is divinely inspired and authoritative. (2) The entire people, and not only a clerical elite, are God's children and consecrated to God. (3) The entire citizenry must be trained in the nature of justice so as to live in accordance with the law. And (4) The entire citizenry must know its rights and duties as well as those of its leaders, and that enables all to judge the leaders' actions. Professor

Robert Alter Robert Bernard Alter (born 1935) is an American professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He published his translation of the Hebrew Bible in 2018. Biography Rober ...

of the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

, citing the observation of David Cohen-Zenach, wrote that the assembly of the people required by to listen to the recitation of the Law was a reenactment of the first hearing of the Law at

Mount Sinai Mount Sinai ( he , הר סיני ''Har Sinai''; Aramaic: ܛܘܪܐ ܕܣܝܢܝ ''Ṭūrāʾ Dsyny''), traditionally known as Jabal Musa ( ar, جَبَل مُوسَىٰ, translation: Mount Moses), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is ...

, an event that Deuteronomy repeatedly calls "the day of the assembly." Shlomo Ganzfried

The '' Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' read to create a positive commandment to write a Torah scroll, even if one inherited a Torah scroll. One is considered to have fulfilled the commandment if one hires a scribe to write a Torah scroll, or buys it and finds that it is defective and corrects it. The ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' forbade one to sell a Torah scroll, but in a case of great need, advised one to consult a competent Rabbi. The ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' said that it is also a commandment for every person to buy other sacred books — such as the Bible, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and codes of law — for learning, to study from them, and to lend them to others. If a person does not have the means to buy both a Torah scroll and other books for study, then the ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' taught that the books for study take precedence. The ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' taught that one must treat such sacred books respectfully. It is forbidden to sit on this bench with them, unless the books are placed on something that is at least 3½ inches high, and it is forbidden to place them on the floor. And the ''Kitzur Shulchan Aruch'' taught that one must not throw such books around nor place them upside down. If one finds such a book wrong side up, one should place it in the proper position. Dr.

Nathan MacDonald A British biblical scholar, Nathan MacDonald (born 1975) currently serves as Reader in the Interpretation of the Old Testament at Cambridge University as well as Fellow and College Lecturer in theology at St John's College, Cambridge. Much of his ...

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

, reported some dispute over the exact meaning of the description of the Land of Israel as a "land flowing with milk and honey," as in an
17
an

, an

and

an

an

MacDonald wrote that the term for milk (, ''chalav'') could easily be the word for "fat" (, ''chelev''), and the word for honey (, ''devash'') could indicate not bees' honey but a sweet syrup made from fruit. The expression evoked a general sense of the bounty of the land and suggested an ecological richness exhibited in a number of ways, not just with milk and honey. MacDonald noted that the expression was always used to describe a land that the people of Israel had not yet experienced, and thus characterized it as always a future expectation. Modern document hypothesis

In critical analysis

Some scholars who follow the

Documentary Hypothesis The documentary hypothesis (DH) is one of the models used by biblical scholars to explain the origins and composition of the Torah (or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). A vers ...

find evidence of three separate sources in the parashah. Thus some scholars consider God's charges to Moses in and to Joshua in to have been composed by the

Elohist According to the documentary hypothesis, the Elohist (or simply E) is one of four source documents underlying the Torah,McDermott, John J., ''Reading the Pentateuch: A Historical Introduction'' (Pauline Press, 2002) p. 21. Via Books.google.com.a ...

(sometimes abbreviated E) who wrote in the

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

, in the land of the

Tribe of Ephraim According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Ephraim ( he, אֶפְרַיִם, ''ʾEp̄rayīm,'' in pausa: אֶפְרָיִם, ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was one of the tribes of Israel. The Tribe of Manasseh together with Ephraim formed the ''House of ...

, possibly as early as the second half of the 9th century BCE. Some scholars attribute to the first Deuteronomistic historian (sometimes abbreviated Dtr 1) two sections, an
24–27
which both refer to a written instruction, which these scholars identify with the scroll found in . And then these scholars attribute the balance of the parashah, an

to the second Deuteronomistic historian (sometimes abbreviated Dtr 2) who inserted the

Song of Moses The Song of Moses is the name sometimes given to the poem which appears in Deuteronomy of the Hebrew Bible, which according to the Bible was delivered just prior to Moses' death on Mount Nebo. Sometimes the Song is referred to as Deuteronomy 32, ...

() as an additional witness against the Israelites. While in the Masoretic Text and the

Samaritan Pentateuch The Samaritan Torah ( Samaritan Hebrew: , ''Tōrāʾ''), also called the Samaritan Pentateuch, is a text of the Torah written in the Samaritan script and used as sacred scripture by the Samaritans. It dates back to one of the ancient version ...

, begins, "And Moses went and spoke," in a Qumran scroll (1QDeut^b), some Masoretic manuscripts, and the

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond th ...

, begins, "And Moses finished speaking all."

noted that the third-person forms of the verb "went," ''wayelekh'', and the verb "finished," ''wayekhal'', have the same consonants, and the order of the last two consonants could have been reversed in a scribal transcription. Alter argued that the Qumran version makes a proper introduction to Deuteronomy chapters 31–34, the epilogue of the book, as Moses had completed his discourses, and the epilogue thereafter concerns itself with topics of closure. In the Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch, reports that Moses simply wrote down the Law, not specifying whether inscribed on tablets, clay, or papyrus. But a Qumran scroll (4QDeut^h) and the Septuagint state that Moses wrote the Law "in a book." Martin Abegg Jr., Peter Flint, and

Eugene Ulrich Eugene Charles (short name "Gene") Ulrich (born November 5, 1938) is an American Dead Sea scrolls scholar and the John A. O'Brien Professor ''emeritus'' of Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Scripture and Theology in the Department of Theology at the University ...

suggested that the verse may have reflected a growing emphasis on books of the Law after the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile.

Commandments

According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are two positive

in the parashah. *To assemble the people to hear Torah after the end of the Sabbatical year. *For every Jew to write a Torah scroll Осия

Haftarah

When Parashat Vayelech is read separately, the haftarah for the parashah is . When Parashat Vayelech coincides with the special Sabbath Shabbat Shuvah (the Sabbath before Yom Kippur, as it does in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2025), the haftarah is , , and . When Parashat Vayelech is combined with Parashat Nitzavim (as it is in 2020, 2023, 2024, 2026, and 2027), the haftarah is the haftarah for Nitzavim, . That haftarah is the seventh and concluding installment in the cycle of seven haftarot of consolation after

Tisha B'Av Tisha B'Av ( he, תִּשְׁעָה בְּאָב ''Tīšʿā Bəʾāv''; , ) is an annual fast day in Judaism, on which a number of disasters in Jewish history occurred, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian E ...

, leading up to Rosh Hashanah.

Notes

: Sheviit 1:1–8:11; Yom Tov (Beitzah) 1:1–4:11; Megillah 1:4; Chagigah 1:3; Sotah 7:9, 17; 11:6. Land of Israel, circa 300 CE. In, e.g., ''The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction''. Translated by Jacob Neusner, volume 1, pages 203–49, 585–604, 636, 664, 862, 864, 878. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002. . *

: Sheviit 1a–87b; Terumot 7b; Maaser Sheni 53a; Yoma 31b; Beitzah 1a–49b; Chagigah 1a–b, 3a; Yevamot 69b; Sotah 16b, 36b; Gittin 31a; Avodah Zarah 1b, 14b.

Tiberias Tiberias ( ; he, טְבֶרְיָה, ; ar, طبريا, Ṭabariyyā) is an Israeli city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. A major Jewish center during Late Antiquity, it has been considered since the 16th century one of Judaism's Fo ...

, Land of Israel, circa 400 CE. In, e.g., ''Talmud Yerushalmi''. Edited by

Chaim Malinowitz Chaim Zev Malinowitz (1952 – November 21, 2019) was a Haredi community rabbi, dayan (rabbinical court judge), and Talmudic scholar. Fluent in all areas of the Talmud, halakha (Jewish law), and hashkafa (Orthodox Jewish worldview), he was the g ...

, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, volumes 6a–7, 10, 21, 23, 27, 30, 36–37, 39, 47. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2006–2020. And in, e.g., ''The Jerusalem Talmud: A Translation and Commentary''. Edited by Jacob Neusner and translated by Jacob Neusner, Tzvee Zahavy, B. Barry Levy, and Edward Goldman. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009. . *

Genesis Rabbah Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: , ''B'reshith Rabba'') is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical inter ...

br>42:3
80:6; 92:7; 96:4, 96 (MSV). Land of Israel, 5th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Genesis''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon, volume 1, pages 342; volume 2, pages 739, 853, 886–87, 924, 926. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *Babylonian

Shabbat 138bEruvin 27a54bYoma 5b, 52bRosh Hashanah 11a12bMegillah 5aMoed Katan 2b, 17a, 28aChagigah 3a, 5a–bKiddushin 34a–b, 38aChullin 139b

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...

, 6th Century. In, e.g., ''Talmud Bavli''. Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 volumes. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.

Medieval

Deuteronomy Rabbah Deuteronomy Rabbah ( he, ) is an aggadah or homiletic commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy. It does not contain running commentaries on the entire book of Deuteronomy. Rather, it consists of 25 complete, independent homilies (and two fragmenta ...

9:1–9. Land of Israel, 9th Century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Deuteronomy''. Translated by Harry Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. . *

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...

. ''Commentary''
Deuteronomy 31

Troyes Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...

, France, late 11th Century. In, e.g., Rashi. ''The Torah: With Rashi's Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated''. Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, volume 5, pages 319–28. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. . * Rashbam. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Troyes, early 12th century. In, e.g., ''Rashbam's Commentary on Deuteronomy: An Annotated Translation''. Edited and translated by Martin I. Lockshin, page 169.

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

: Brown Judaic Studies, 2004. . * Abraham ibn Ezra. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Mid-12th century. In, e.g., ''Ibn Ezra's Commentary on the Pentateuch: Deuteronomy (Devarim)''. Translated and annotated by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver, volume 5, pages 224–31. New York: Menorah Publishing Company, 2001. . Maimonides bas-relief in the U

. ''

Mishneh Torah The ''Mishneh Torah'' ( he, מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, , repetition of the Torah), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' ( he, ספר יד החזקה, , book of the strong hand, label=none), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law (''h ...

''
Introduction 2

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

, Egypt, 1170–1180. *

. ''

''
''Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah (The Laws that Are the Foundations of the Torah)'', chapter 10, halachah 5
Egypt, circa 1170–1180. In, e.g., ''Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah: The Laws

hich Are Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District (Ijrud County), Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 72 ...

the Foundations of the Torah''. Translated by Eliyahu Touger, volume 1, pages 292–95. New York: Moznaim Publishing, 1989. . Nahmanides painting

Hezekiah ben Manoah Hezekiah ben Manoah, or Hezekiah bar Manoah, was a French rabbi and Bible commentator of the 13th century. He is generally known by the title of his commentary, Chizkuni ( he, חזקוני). In memory of his father, who lost his right hand through ...

. ''Hizkuni''. France, circa 1240. In, e.g., Chizkiyahu ben Manoach. ''Chizkuni: Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 4, pages 1198–201. Jerusalem: Ktav Publishers, 2013. . *

Nachmanides Moses ben Nachman ( he, מֹשֶׁה בֶּן־נָחְמָן ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; el, Ναχμανίδης ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ra ...

. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Jerusalem, circa 1270. In, e.g., ''Ramban (Nachmanides): Commentary on the Torah: Deuteronomy.'' Translated by Charles B. Chavel, volume 5, pages 344–51. New York: Shilo Publishing House, 1976. . Zohar

Zohar The ''Zohar'' ( he, , ''Zōhar'', lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance") is a foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five ...

br>3:283a–86a
Spain, late 13th Century. In, e.g., ''The Zohar''. Translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon. 5 volumes. London: Soncino Press, 1934. *

Bahya ben Asher Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa (, 1255–1340) was a rabbi and scholar of Judaism, best known as a commentator on the Hebrew Bible. He is one of two scholars now referred to as Rabbeinu Behaye, the other being philosopher Bahya ibn Paquda. Biogra ...

. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Spain, early 14th century. In, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbeinu Bachya: Torah Commentary by Rabbi Bachya ben Asher''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 7, pages 2754–73. Jerusalem: Lambda Publishers, 2003. . *

Isaac ben Moses Arama Isaac ben Moses Arama ( 1420 – 1494) was a Spanish rabbi and author. He was at first principal of a rabbinical academy at Zamora (probably his birthplace); then he received a call as rabbi and preacher from the community at Tarragona, and later ...

. ''Akedat Yizhak (The Binding of Isaac)''. Late 15th century. In, e.g., Yitzchak Arama. ''Akeydat Yitzchak: Commentary of Rabbi Yitzchak Arama on the Torah''. Translated and condensed by Eliyahu Munk, volume 2, pages 912–13. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2001. .

Modern

* Isaac Abravanel. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Italy, between 1492–1509. In, e.g., ''Abarbanel: Selected Commentaries on the Torah: Volume 5: Devarim/Deuteronomy''. Translated and annotated by Israel Lazar, pages 178–99. Brooklyn: CreateSpace, 2015. . * Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno. ''Commentary on the Torah''. Venice, 1567. In, e.g., ''Sforno: Commentary on the Torah''. Translation and explanatory notes by Raphael Pelcovitz, pages 984–91. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. . * Moshe Alshich. ''Commentary on the Torah''.

Safed Safed (known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as Tzfat; Sephardi Hebrew, Sephardic Hebrew & Modern Hebrew: צְפַת ''Tsfat'', Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation, Ashkenazi Hebrew: ''Tzfas'', Biblical Hebrew: ''Ṣǝp̄aṯ''; ar, صفد, ''Ṣafad''), i ...

, circa 1593. In, e.g., Moshe Alshich. ''Midrash of Rabbi Moshe Alshich on the Torah''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 3, pages 1122–30. New York, Lambda Publishers, 2000. . Thomas Hobbes (portrait)

*Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Commentaries on the Torah''. Cracow, Poland, mid 17th century. Compiled as ''Chanukat HaTorah''. Edited by Chanoch Henoch Erzohn. Piotrkow, Poland, 1900. In Avraham Yehoshua Heschel. ''Chanukas HaTorah: Mystical Insights of Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel on Chumash''. Translated by Avraham Peretz Friedman, pages 320–23.

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618. As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its ...

Targum Press Menucha Publishers is an Orthodox Jewish English-language publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally founded as a distributor for Targum Press, in 2011 after Targum's shutdown, Menucha established itself as an independent publish ...

Feldheim Publishers Feldheim Publishers (or Feldheim) is an American Orthodox Jewish publisher of Torah books and literature. Its extensive catalog of titles includes books on Jewish law, Torah, Talmud, Jewish lifestyle, Shabbat and Jewish holidays, Jewish history, b ...

, 2004. . *

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influent ...

. '' Leviathan'', 2:26; 3:33, 42; 4:46. England, 1651. Reprint edited by

C. B. Macpherson Crawford Brough Macpherson (1911–1987) was an influential Canadian political scientist who taught political theory at the University of Toronto. Life Macpherson was born on 18 November 1911 in Toronto, Ontario. After graduating from the Univ ...

, pages 319, 418, 548, 687. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Classics, 1982. . *

Chaim ibn Attar Chaim ibn Attar or Ḥayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar ( ar, حاييم بن موشي بن عطار, he, חיים בן משה בן עטר; b. - 7 July 1743) also known as the Or ha-Ḥayyim after his popular commentary on the Torah, was a Talmudist ...

. ''Ohr ha-Chaim''. Venice, 1742. In Chayim ben Attar. ''Or Hachayim: Commentary on the Torah''. Translated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 5, pages 1982–90. Brooklyn: Lambda Publishers, 1999. . *

Samson Raphael Hirsch Samson Raphael Hirsch (; June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was a German Orthodox rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the ''Torah im Derech Eretz'' school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Occasionally termed ''neo-Orthodoxy'', his ...

. ''Horeb: A Philosophy of Jewish Laws and Observances''. Translated by Isidore Grunfeld, pages 444–46. London: Soncino Press, 1962. Reprinted 2002 . Originally published as ''Horeb, Versuche über Jissroel's Pflichten in der Zerstreuung''. Germany, 1837. * Emily Dickinson. ''Poem 168 (If the foolish, call them "flowers" —)''. Circa 1860. ''Poem 597 (It always felt to me — a wrong)''. Circa 1862. In ''The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson''. Edited by Thomas H. Johnson, pages 79–80, 293–94. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 1960. . *

Samuel David Luzzatto Samuel David Luzzatto ( he, שמואל דוד לוצאטו, ; 22 August 1800 – 30 September 1865), also known by the Hebrew acronym Shadal (), was an Italian Jewish scholar, poet, and a member of the Wissenschaft des Judentums movement. Early ...

(Shadal). ''Commentary on the Torah.''

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

, 1871. In, e.g., Samuel David Luzzatto. ''Torah Commentary''. Translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk, volume 4, pages 1267–70. New York: Lambda Publishers, 2012. . * Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter. ''Sefat Emet''.

Góra Kalwaria Góra Kalwaria (; "Calvary Mountain", yi, גער, ''Ger'') is a town on the Vistula River in the Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is situated approximately southeast of Warsaw and has a population of around 12,109 (as of 2019). ...

(Ger),

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, before 1906. Excerpted in ''The Language of Truth: The Torah Commentary of Sefat Emet''. Translated and interpreted by

Arthur Green Arthur Green ( he, אברהם יצחק גרין, born March 21, 1941) is an American scholar of Jewish mysticism and Neo-Hasidic theologian. He was a founding dean of the non-denominational rabbinical program at Hebrew College in Boston, where he ...

, pages 329–32. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1998. . Reprinted 2012. . *Alexander Alan Steinbach. ''Sabbath Queen: Fifty-four Bible Talks to the Young Based on Each Portion of the Pentateuch'', pages 164–68. New York: Behrman's Jewish Book House, 1936. *Joseph Reider. ''The Holy Scriptures: Deuteronomy with Commentary'', pages 286–97. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1937. Martin Buber portrait

*Morris Adler. ''The World of the Talmud'', page 37. B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations, 1958. Reprinted Kessinger Publishing, 2007. . * Martin Buber. ''On the Bible: Eighteen studies'', pages 80–92. New York: Schocken Books, 1968. *J. Roy Porter. "The Succession of Joshua." In ''Proclamation and Presence: Old Testament Essays in Honour of Gwynne Henton Davies''. Edited by John I. Durham and J. Roy Porter, pages 102–32. London: SCM Press, 1970. . *Bernard Grossfeld
“Targum Neofiti 1 to Deut 31:7.”
'' Journal of Biblical Literature'', volume 91 (number 4) (December 1972): pages 533–34. *Michael Klein
“Deut 31:7, תבוא or תביא?”
''Journal of Biblical Literature'', volume 92 (number 4) (December 1973): pages 584–85. * Alexander Rofe. "The Composition of Deuteronomy 31 in the Light of a Conjecture about Inversion in the Order of Columns in the Biblical Text." ''Shnaton'', volume 3 (1979): pages 59–76. *Philip Sigal
"Responsum on the Status of Women: With Special Attention to the Questions of ''Shaliah Tzibbur'', ''Edut'' and ''Gittin''."
New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 1984. OH 53:4.1984. In ''Responsa: 1980–1990: The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement''. Edited by David J. Fine, pages 11, 15, 21, 32, 35. New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2005. . (implications of the commandment for women to assemble for women's rights to participate equally in Jewish public worship). * Pinchas H. Peli. ''Torah Today: A Renewed Encounter with Scripture'', pages 233–37. Washington, D.C.: B'nai B'rith Books, 1987. . *

Joel Roth Joel Roth is a prominent American rabbi in the Rabbinical Assembly, which is the rabbinical body of Conservative Judaism. He is a former member and chair of the assembly's ''Committee on Jewish Law and Standards'' (CJLS) which deals with question ...

"The Status of Daughters of ''Kohanim'' and ''Leviyim'' for Aliyot."
New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 1989. OH 135:3.1989a. In ''Responsa: 1980–1990: The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement''. Edited by David J. Fine, pages 49, 51. New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2005. . (implications for aliyot of the report that "Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi"). *

Patrick D. Miller Patrick D. Miller, Jr. (24 October 1935 – 1 May 2020) was an American Old Testament scholar who served as Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1984 to 2005. He was an ordained minister in t ...

. ''Deuteronomy'', pages 216–26. Louisville:

John Knox Press Westminster John Knox Press is an American publisher of Christian books located in Louisville, Kentucky and is part of Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, the publishing arm of the Louisville, Kentucky-based Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) The P ...

, 1990. *

Mark S. Smith Mark Stratton John Matthew Smith (born December 6, 1956) is an American biblical scholar, anthropologist, and professor. Early life and education Born in Paris to Donald Eugene Smith and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Reichert, Smith grew up in Washin ...

. ''The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel'', pages 10, 149. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1990. . (
24–26
. *

Lawrence H. Schiffman Lawrence Harvey Schiffman (born 1948) is a professor at New York University (as of 2014); he was formerly Vice-Provost of Undergraduate Education at Yeshiva University and Professor of Jewish Studies (from early 2011 to 2014). He had previously ...

. "The New Halakhic Letter (4QMMT) and the Origins of the Dead Sea Sect." ''

Biblical Archaeologist ''Near Eastern Archaeology'' is an American journal covering art, archaeology, history, anthropology, literature, philology, and epigraphy of the Near Eastern and Mediterranean worlds from the Palaeolithic through Ottoman periods. The journal is ...

''. Volume 53 (number 2) (June 1990): pages 64–73. *''A Song of Power and the Power of Song: Essays on the Book of Deuteronomy''. Edited by Duane L. Christensen. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1993. . *Judith S. Antonelli. "Women and the Torah." In ''In the Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah'', pages 489–93.

Northvale, New Jersey Northvale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,640,Jason Aronson Jason Aronson was an American publisher of books in the field of psychotherapy. Topics dealt with in these books include child therapy, family therapy, couple therapy, object relations therapy, play therapy, depression, eating disorders, persona ...

, 1995. . * Richard Elliott Friedman. ''The Disappearance of God: A Divine Mystery''. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995. . *

Aaron Demsky Aaron Demsky is professor of biblical history at Bar-Ilan University. He is an epigrapher noted for his work on onomastics. Demsky is the winner of the 2014 Bialik Prize The Bialik Prize is an annual literary award given by the municipality of ...

. "Who Returned First — Ezra or Nehemiah?" ''

Bible Review ''Biblical Archaeology Review'' is a magazine appearing every three months and sometimes referred to as ''BAR'' that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of the Bible, the ...

'', volume 12 (number 2) (April 1996). *

Ellen Frankel Ellen Frankel (born 1951) was the Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Publication Society (JPS) from 1991 until 2009, and also served as CEO of the JPS for 10 years. She retired in 2009 to pursue her own writing and scholarly projects, serving as JPS's f ...

. ''The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman's Commentary on the Torah'', pages 295–97. New York:

G. P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and J ...

, 1996. . *Richard Elliott Friedman. ''The Hidden Face of God''. New York: Harper San Francisco, 1996. . Gunther Plaut cropped

W. Gunther Plaut Wolf Gunther Plaut, (November 1, 1912 – February 8, 2012) was an American Reform rabbi and writer who was based in Canada. Plaut was the rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto for several decades and since 1978 was its senior scholar. L ...

. ''The Haftarah Commentary'', pages 510–17. New York: UAHC Press, 1996. . *Jeffrey H. Tigay. ''The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation'', pages 289–98, 498–507. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996. . *Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden. ''Teaching Torah: A Treasury of Insights and Activities'', pages 340–44.

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

: A.R.E. Publishing, 1997. . *Baruch J. Schwartz. "What Really Happened at Mount Sinai? Four biblical answers to one question." ''Bible Review'', volume 13 (number 5) (October 1997). *E. Talstra. "Deuteronomy 31: Confusion or Conclusion? The Story of Moses' Three-fold Succession." In ''Deuteronomy and Deuteronomic Literature: Festschrift C.H.W. Brekelmans''. Edited by M. Vervenne and J. Lust, pages 87–110. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1997. . *William H.C. Propp. "Why Moses Could Not Enter The Promised Land." ''Bible Review'', volume 14 (number 3) (June 1998). *Michael M. Cohen. "Insight: Did Moses Enter the Promised Land?" ''Bible Review''. Volume 15 (number 6) (December 1999). *Rosette Barron Haim. "Guardians of the Tradition." In ''The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions''. Edited by

Elyse Goldstein Elyse Goldstein is a Canadian Reform rabbi. She is the first woman to be elected as president of the interdenominational Toronto Board of Rabbis and president of the Reform Rabbis of Greater Toronto. Early life and education Goldstein was born ...

, pages 384–89.

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Chart ...

: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000. . *Richard D. Nelson. "Deuteronomy." In ''The HarperCollins Bible Commentary''. Edited by

James L. Mays James Luther Mays (July 14, 1921 – October 29, 2015) was an American Old Testament scholar. He was Cyrus McCormick Professor of Hebrew and the Old Testament Emeritus at Union Presbyterian Seminary, Virginia. He served as president of the Society ...

, pages 211–12. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, revised edition, 2000. . *Lainie Blum Cogan and Judy Weiss. ''Teaching Haftarah: Background, Insights, and Strategies'', pages 330–36. Denver: A.R.E. Publishing, 2002. . * Michael Fishbane. ''The JPS Bible Commentary: Haftarot'', pages 310–17. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2002. . *

. ''The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary'', pages 1031–37. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. . *

Bernard M. Levinson Bernard Malcolm Levinson serves as Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Studies and of Law at the University of Minnesota, where he holds the Berman Family Chair in Jewish Studies and Hebrew Bible. He is the author of ''Deuteronomy and the Herme ...

. "Deuteronomy." In ''The Jewish Study Bible''. Edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, pages 437–40. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. .
"May Non-Jews Participate in the Writing of a Torah Scroll?"
New York:

Central Conference of American Rabbis The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada. The CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world. I ...

, 2004. Responsum 5765.1. In ''Reform Responsa for the Twenty-First Century: Sh'eilot Ut'shuvot''. Edited by Mark Washofsky, volume 2, pages 51–58. New York: Central Conference of American Rabbis, 2010. . *''Professors on the Parashah: Studies on the Weekly Torah Reading'' Edited by Leib Moscovitz, pages 345–48. Jerusalem: Urim Publications, 2005. . *W. Gunther Plaut. ''The Torah: A Modern Commentary: Revised Edition''. Revised edition edited by David E.S. Stern, pages 1386–97. New York:

Union for Reform Judaism The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms established ...

, 2006. .

*Suzanne A. Brody. "Changing of the Guard." In ''Dancing in the White Spaces: The Yearly Torah Cycle and More Poems'', page 110. Shelbyville, Kentucky: Wasteland Press, 2007. . *

James L. Kugel James L. Kugel (Hebrew: Yaakov Kaduri, יעקב כדורי; born August 22, 1945) is Professor Emeritus in the Bible Department at Bar Ilan University in Israel and the Harry M. Starr Professor Emeritus of Classical and Modern Hebrew Literature at ...

. ''How To Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now'', pages 247, 297, 313, 348, 355. New York: Free Press, 2007. . *

Yosef Zvi Rimon Yosef Zvi Rimon (born January 18, 1968) is an Israeli Religious Zionist rabbi, author, lecturer and Posek who serves as rabbi of the Gush Etzion Regional Council and the Ashkenazi Synagogue of Alon Shvut Darom. He is Rosh Yeshiva of the Jerusalem ...

. ''Shemita: From the Sources to Practical Halacha''. The Toby Press, 2008. . *''The Torah: A Women's Commentary''. Edited by

Tamara Cohn Eskenazi Tamara Cohn Eskenazi is The Effie Wise Ochs Professor of Biblical Literature and History at the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She was the first woman hired by the Hebrew Union College-Jewi ...

and Andrea L. Weiss, pages 1235–50. New York: URJ Press, 2008. . *Eugene E. Carpenter. "Deuteronomy." In ''Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary''. Edited by

John H. Walton John H. Walton (born 1952) is an Old Testament scholar and Professor at Wheaton College. He was a professor at Moody Bible Institute for 20 years. He specializes in the Ancient Near Eastern backgrounds of the Old Testament, especially Genesis ...

, volume 1, pages 513–15.

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

: Zondervan, 2009. . *Bryan Howard Cribb. ''Speaking on the Brink of Sheol: Form and Message of Old Testament Death Stories'', pages 180–220. Piscataway, New Jersey: Gorgias, 2009. . * Reuven Hammer. ''Entering Torah: Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion'', pages 293–98. New York: Gefen Publishing House, 2009. . *Martin Kavka. "‘Be Strong and Resolute': Parashat Vayelech (Deuteronomy 31:1–30)." In ''Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible''. Edited by Gregg Drinkwater, Joshua Lesser, and David Shneer; foreword by Judith Plaskow, pages 267–70. New York:

New York University Press New York University Press (or NYU Press) is a university press that is part of New York University. History NYU Press was founded in 1916 by the then chancellor of NYU, Elmer Ellsworth Brown. Directors * Arthur Huntington Nason, 1916–1932 ...

, 2009. . *Julie Cadwallader-Staub.
Joy
'. In ''Face to Face: A Poetry Collection''. DreamSeeker Books, 2010. . ("land of milk and honey"). *Idan Dershowitz
“A Land Flowing with Fat and Honey.”
'' Vetus Testamentum'', volume 60 (number 2) (2010): pages 172–76. Shmuel Herzfeld at House of Representatives cropped

Shmuel Herzfeld at House of Representatives cropped

James S. A. Corey James S. A. Corey is the pen name used by collaborators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, authors of the science fiction series ''The Expanse''. The first and last name are taken from Abraham's and Franck's middle names, respectively, and S. A. ar ...

. ''Leviathon Wakes'', chapter 44. Orbit, 2011. . ("He knew the story of Moses seeing a promised land he would never enter. Miller wondered how the old prophet would've felt if he'd been ushered in for moment, a day, a week, a year, and then dropped back out into the desert. Kinder never to leave the wastelands. Safer.") * Shmuel Herzfeld. "Crowd Control." In ''Fifty-Four Pick Up: Fifteen-Minute Inspirational Torah Lessons'', pages 294–97. Jerusalem:

Gefen Publishing House Gefen Publishing House (הוצאת גפן) is an English language publishing firm located in Jerusalem, which also has a department in New York City. History Gefen was founded in 1981 by Murray and Hana Greenfield. Its CEO is Ilan Greenfield, so ...

, 2012. .

* Shlomo Riskin. ''Torah Lights: Devarim: Moses Bequeaths Legacy, History, and Covenant'', pages 347–61.

New Milford, Connecticut New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is in western Connecticut, north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River, and it shares its border with the northeastern shore of Candlewood Lake. It is t ...

: Maggid Books, 2014. . *''The Commentators' Bible: The Rubin JPS Miqra'ot Gedolot: Deuteronomy.'' Edited, translated, and annotated by Michael Carasik, pages 207–14. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2015. . Sirjonathansacks

Jonathan Sacks Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks ( he, יונתן הנרי זקס, translit=Yona'tan Henry Zaks; 8 March 19487 November 2020) was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United He ...

. ''Lessons in Leadership: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 287–92. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2015. . *Jonathan Sacks. ''Essays on Ethics: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible'', pages 323–27. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2016. . *

Shai Held Shai Held (born July 2, 1971) is a rosh yeshiva (Rabbinic dean) and Chair in Jewish Thought at Mechon Hadar. He founded Mechon Hadar in 2006 with Rabbis Elie Kaunfer and Ethan Tucker. Education Held attended Ramaz High School and studied ...

. ''The Heart of Torah, Volume 2: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy'', pages 275–84. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. . *Steven Levy and Sarah Levy. ''The JPS Rashi Discussion Torah Commentary'', pages 174–76. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2017. . *Ernst Wendland.
Deuteronomy: translationNotes.
' Orlando, Florida: unfoldingWord, 2017. *Jonathan Sacks. ''Covenant & Conversation: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible: Deuteronomy: Renewal of the Sinai Covenant'', pages 289–308. New Milford, Connecticut: Maggid Books, 2019.

External links

What is the Meaning of Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV, NIV and ESV?

Texts

Hear the parashah chanted

Commentaries

Academy for Jewish Religion, New YorkAkhlah: The Jewish Children's Learning NetworkAleph Beta AcademyAmerican Jewish University — Ziegler School of Rabbinic StudiesAscent of SafedBible OdysseyChabad.orgeparsha.comG-dcastJewish Theological SeminaryMechon HadarMyJewishLearning.comOhr SameachON Scripture — The TorahOzTorah, Torah from AustraliaOz Ve Shalom — Netivot ShalomPardes from JerusalemProfessor James L. KugelProfessor Michael CarasikRabbi Jonathan SacksRabbiShimonRabbi Shmuel HerzfeldReconstructionist JudaismSephardic InstituteShiur.comTeach 613.org, Torah Education at Cherry HillTheTorah.comTorah from DixieTorah.orgTorahVort.comUnion for Reform JudaismUnited Synagogue of Conservative JudaismYeshivat Chovevei TorahYeshiva University
{{Weekly Torah Portions Weekly Torah readings in Elul Weekly Torah readings in Tishrei Weekly Torah readings from Deuteronomy

Readings

First reading — Deuteronomy 31:1–3

Second reading — Deuteronomy 31:4–6

Third reading — Deuteronomy 31:7–9

Fourth reading — Deuteronomy 31:10–13

Fifth reading — Deuteronomy 31:14–19

Sixth reading — Deuteronomy 31:20–24

Seventh reading — Deuteronomy 31:25–30

Readings for Parashiot Nitzavim-Vayelech

Readings according to the triennial cycle

Key words

In ancient parallels

In inner-Biblical interpretation

In early nonrabbinic interpretation

In classical rabbinic interpretation

31:1–9 — "Be strong and courageous"

31:10–13 — reading the law

31:14–30 — writing the law

In medieval Jewish interpretation

In modern interpretation

In critical analysis

Commandments

Haftarah

Notes

Further reading

Biblical

Early nonrabbinic

Classical rabbinic

Medieval

Modern

External links

Texts

Commentaries