Next week’s Shabbat (Aug. 1-2) will mark the start of the Book of Deuteronomy, which reads: “These are the words (d’varim) that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan …”
Deuteronomy is also referred to as Mishneh Torah, or the repetition of the Torah. Others call it Sefer Devarim, the Book of Words.
There are many unique themes in Deuteronomy. One topic is the refutation of other gods and their existence. Monotheism is a recurring idea. This is a reaction to the rampant assimilation and adherence to paganism at the time the book was discovered. Another theme is a fierce loyalty to God. All history depends upon adhering to the laws set forth.
Law, law and more law is given and expounded upon, as is the idea of sacrificial centralized worship. The laws are accepted as a basis of the Israelite’s national life in the Promised Land. And so, we read a series of discourses, poetry and more words.
How we use our language is pivotal. In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” we read, “Words, words, words,” insinuating that Hamlet believes words are trivial, not substantial. Words are meaningless.
And yet, are they? Where is the balance between not enough words, too much silence and the abundance of chatter?
Moses was a prophet of few words. His self-proclaimed speech impediment led to his brother Aaron joining Moses as they approached Pharaoh.
Words are important to our story as a People. We tell and retell the Exodus from Egypt. We recite words of repentance leading up and during the Days of Awe. Silence is a crime against humanity when we sit and watch others harm humanity.
Language, speech, expression of all kinds is one of God’s most precious gifts to the world. How we utilize it defines our humanity. In the Zohar, Jewish mysticism, it reads, “The punishment meted out to [one] who speaks evil words is also meted out to [one] who has an opportunity to utter good words but does not speak them.”
There is a Hasidic saying: “Human beings are God’s language.” Imagine if our words reflected the holiness we strive and pray for in our daily lives, how much healthier and enriched our minds and souls would be. We speak God’s language when we remember that we are each created in the Divine image, worthy of a holy spark.
The value of a word: invaluable. And the sound of the shofar: wordless, stirring our hearts to action.
After the silent prayer, we often ask God to guard our mouth from evil and our lips from speaking falsehood. May this be our guide, the prayer which leads us to a life worthy of God’s blessing and the blessing of humanity. May it bring us wholeness.
How easy it is to forget to taste our words and be cautious with our speech? Do you remember to talk about what is important? What were the last words of kindness or love you spoke? Do you recall words of beauty that were addressed to you?
And words are important if they bring us to action. Rabbi Jordan Shaner wrote, “The 19th-century rabbi, Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, known as the S’fat Emet, points out that Moses’ journey from man-of-action and killer-of-taskmaster to prophet of God’s Torah is bookended by the phrases ‘am not a man of words’ and, in our parashah, D’varim, ‘These are the words. Where Moses couldn’t use his words before, now he can’t stop, repeating and clarifying words of Torah for a new generation.’ ”
A short poem by H. and B. Overstreet: “Words are medicine that can make us whole And keep us whole — When they are the right words, About the right things, Spoken with the right intention.”
Use your language cautiously, and use it well in a timely manner. Search for wholeness, for peace, not only for yourself but for others.
May your words and actions be worthy to create a Divine spark. Then shall the holiness of Shabbat rest in our midst.
