Devarim: Moshe's side of the story

Devarim: Moshe's side of the story

 

The book of Devarim is introduced as Moshe's words of recollection and instruction. It is Moshe's perspective.  The first verse identifies the author (Moshe, the audience (All if the Bnei Yisroel), and the place (across the Jordan). 

 

They are on edges, mixtures- in the wilderness: in a place nobody belongs and belongs to no one; where you talk to yourself ( midbar- daber)

 

In the Arava: the mixture, like evening  ( ayrev) is the mixture of light and dark, like the ayrev rav, the great mixture that leads the people astray

Mol sof: the shore of the end, the final deperate beach (D-Day), the shore of the Red sea; people who cannot get past the greatest of miracles

Between Paran ( their glory) and Tofel ( the extraneous, the worthless)

and LAvan: selling yourself to make a living

and Chatzeroth: settling down ( in the suburbs) in a house with a yard ( chatzer)

and Di Zahav: enough gold, economic security, which is an absurdity in the Midbar  where there is nothing to buy.

 

 

Then the conquest is described and its limits are laid out. Not here: given ( by Gd to Esau), not here: given by Gd to Moav, Ammon.  The limited territorial goals are very modern

 

Prior years: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AXfHEywWA3ieZDRobXc5N18yNDVnM2txemhkNA&hl=en