Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

The Beginning of the Oral Law

Devarim 1:1 These are the words which Moshe spoke to all of Israel, across the Yarden, in the wilderness, in the plain over-against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Chazerot, and Di-Zahav אלה הדברים - Eleh HaDevarim These are the words- Moshe, the man who started his career not speaking well, begins a long monologue with the second generation of Israel.  The book begins with the word HaDevarim that means “the words” that Moshe began his speech with.  Many commentators point out that these are Moshe’s words and not Hashem’s words as they were for the last four books in the Torah[1]where it frequently says, “Speak to the Children of Israel,” or “speak to Aaron saying etc.” and thus is called Mishneh Torah (Repetition of the Torah). In Devarim things are spoken to Israel in the 1st/2nd person whereas, the rest of the Torah is written in the 3rd person.  This shows us that the first four books should be seen as objective reality, outside Moshe and us a people.  Devarim is separate even in its beginning without a conjunctive ו vav which connotes connection to the previous subject within Torah.[2] It must be noted that in this light we have to ask the question, of how this can be called Torah if it did not come directly from Hashem’s mouth as it was previously given. We understand that there was none like Moshe in Hashem’s house,...