Soothing words, sweet nothings: Devarim 5785

The parsha of Devarim traditionally precedes the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, Tisha b’Av. There are many connections between the parsha and the fast, but I feel that the main connection lies perhaps in the word “devarim” itself. It means “words” and, as Rashi points out, the nuance in Hebrew is quite harsh. The words of Moshe in Devarim are stern and reprimanding. They spell out the bitter truth that people are so loath to hear. 

Soothing promises and vague commitments are much more popular and acceptable to the public. However, the rabbis of the Midrash emphasize Solomon’s statement that it is better to hear criticism from a true friend than to flattery and compliments from an enemy.  This precept should always be remembered. The enemy that the Midrash refers to is Bilaam and the friend is Moshe. The flattery of Bilaam led eventually to thousands of Jewish deaths, while those of Moshe have preserved the Jewish people for countless generations. And this is the connection of Tisha b’Av to the parsha and the word “devarim.” 

The prophets of Israel (Yeshayahu, Yirmiyahu, Amos and Hoshea, among others) all spoke harsh words to Israel and warned of their impending tragedy. The false prophets who are always to be found in our midst retorted with soothing words and lies that were sweet to the ears of the public. This made the destruction of the Temple and Jewish sovereignty inevitable. We always prefer sweet lies over painful truths.  

The haftorah of Shabbat Devarim is always the first chapter of Yeshayahu, which begins with the Hebrew word “chazon.” Indeed, the Shabbat preceding Tisha b’Av is known as Shabbat Chazon. Why? Because “chazon” means vision, prophecy. Vision can be positive or otherwise. A madman has a vision of world domination and the extermination of other human beings. A righteous person has a vision of a better, more peaceful, moral society. The great Chasidic masters stated that we are judged in heaven not only on what we accomplished or omitted to do, but on the visions and goals that motivated us in this world. 

Though “chazon” may often indicate a negative or sad prophecy, the word itself is a neutral one. One can choose whatever vision one wishes to choose.  Yeshayahu therefore chooses the word “chazon” to begin his book of prophecy. What is the vision of the Jewish people? What kind of a nation do they wish to be? This choice is specific and pertinent to individual human beings as well. Hearing the words of Moshe and of Devarim can be of immense help to us in deciding what our “chazon”—both national and individual—should be.  

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein

For "Impossible Demands", Rabbi Wein's devar Torah for parashat Devarim/Chazon last year, click here.

Impossible demands?: Devarim and Shabbat Chazon 5784

The nine days of mourning for Jerusalem’s fall and the destruction of the Temples are upon us. This Shabbat, which always precedes Tisha b’Av, takes its name from the haftorah of the prophet Yeshayahu which we read this week in the synagogue. The words of the prophet condemn the social ills of his time and the society in which he lived: governmental corruption, unequal distribution of wealth and a lack of legal and social justice. But these are the same problems that have plagued all human society since time immemorial—and they are ever-present today. 

A first glance, one could conclude that the prophet is making impossible demands, since human behavior and social interaction can never eliminate these issues fully. However, as we well know, the Torah never demands the impossible of its human adherents. So what is the point of the prophet’s criticisms and harsh judgments? What is it that he really demands from us fallible mortals? 

I believe that what Yeshayahu demands of us is that we at least realize and recognize that these shortcomings are part of our reality. We may not be able to correct them all completely, but we should still know that they exist. We should never allow apathy the ability to overwhelm our better instincts or to arrest our never-ending quest for an improved social structure. 

The prophet demands that we remain relentless in trying to improve the social conditions of the world we live in, even if we know at the outset that complete success is beyond our human capabilities. By accepting our societal deficiencies without a murmur of regret or complaint we become complicit in our own eventual destruction. 

The Chafetz Chaim is reputed to have said that what motivated him to write his monumental work about the evils of slander and evil speech was that he noticed that people who had engaged in such speech no longer exuded a sigh of regret over their words. Evil speech had become socially acceptable: there was no sense of shame or embarrassment about engaging in such behavior. 

Shame is a great weapon for good. When it disappears from society, when brazen self-interest and greed become the norm, the prophet warns us of impending doom. Disgraced politicians openly vie again for public office as though serving one’s time in jail or being forced to resign from public office permanently wipes their slate clean. A society that knows no shame, whose leaders never recognize the moral turpitude of their behavior, dooms itself to the ills of favoritism, corruption and unfairness that will plague its existence. The prophet demands of us that, even if we are unable to correct all ills and right all wrongs, we should at least be ashamed that such ills and wrongs exist within our society. 

That recognition, and the sense of shame that accompanies it, serve as the bases for possible necessary improvement in social attitudes and societal behavior. Then the prophet’s optimistic prediction, “Zion shall be redeemed through justice and those who return to it will also find redemption through righteousness,“ might yet be fulfilled.

 Shabbat shalom,  

Rabbi Berel Wein