{"id":49350,"date":"2019-02-13T10:11:16","date_gmt":"2019-02-13T08:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=49350"},"modified":"2022-09-07T08:15:49","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T05:15:49","slug":"devarim-the-discourse-of-moses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/devarim-the-discourse-of-moses\/","title":{"rendered":"Devarim – The Discourse of Moses"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Parashat Devarim<\/span><\/i>, which opens the Book of Deuteronomy, relates Moses\u2019 discourse to the Israelites just before they enter the Promised Land: \u201cIt was in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month that Moses addressed the Israelites in accordance with the instructions that the Lord had given him for them\u201d (Deut. 1: 3). The younger generations were to be told about events that had occurred before they were born. Moses spoke about some historical episodes and not others. What is the significance of the selected episodes? What can we learn from the way \u201cMoses undertook to expound this teaching\u201d (Deut. 1:5)?<\/span><\/p>\n

Avner Moriah\u2019s picture for this <\/span>parasha<\/span><\/i> is a three-part painting framed on top by a range of red hills rising beyond a blue strip of sea, alluding to the Dead Sea and to the land of Canaan beyond it. On the right a weary Moses, holding his staff, is looking across at a group of Israelites in green garments with ornate white decorations figured on the far left. In the rectangular space in the center are three registers of schematically drawn illustrations detailing some of the episodes in their forty-year history.<\/span><\/p>\n

From right to left the top register shows the people after God \u201chad defeated Sihon king of the Amorites\u2026and King Og of Bashan\u201d (Deut. 1:4). Next we see the Israelites standing in front of a flaming Mount Horeb. To the left is a battle scene marked by the spiral image of the <\/span>spirit of God, <\/span>depicting the victories God gave the Israelites on their way to Canaan. In the second register the judges named by Moses are standing near the bench of judgment and listening: \u201cYou shall not be partial in judgment, hear out low and high alike. Fear no man for judgment is God\u2019s\u201d (Deut. 1:17). <\/span><\/p>\n

Next we see a rendering of the story of the spies that were sent to Canaan. Two of them, holding a branch with a single cluster of grapes, are agitating against Moses and Aaron. The third register figures the cloud of God leading the Israelites: \u201cWho goes before your journeys \u2013 to scout the place where you are to encamp \u2013 in fire by night and in cloud by day, in order to guide you on the route you are to follow\u201d (Deut. 1:33). Although aware of God\u2019s constant presence the Israelites manifested a lack of faith in Him and so were punished. To the left of the third register we see them being defeated by the Amorites when they went into battle without God\u2019s sanction. <\/span><\/p>\n

Moses\u2019 teaching here clearly emphasizes that success in the future, as in the past, would lie not in military strength but in an unbroken covenantal relationship with the Lord, Who alone could bring victories.<\/span><\/p>\n

Artwork by: Avner Moriah, by courtesy of the artist<\/span><\/p>\n

Text by: Dr. Shulamit Laderman, PhD in Art History, publications on Jewish and Christian influences on biblical interpretive illustration.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the entire weekly portion series, please visit:<\/span> https:\/\/avnermoriahprints.com\/collections\/parasha<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":49351,"id":49351,"title":"44 Devarim","filename":"44-Devarim.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/devarim-the-discourse-of-moses\/44-devarim\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"44-devarim","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":49350,"date":"2019-02-13 07:11:49","modified":"2019-02-13 08:11:14","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2500,"height":1599,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim-300x192.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":192,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim-768x491.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":491,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim-1024x655.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":655,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":982,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1310,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim-1200x768.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":768,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/44-Devarim-657x420.jpg","home_baner-width":657,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Devarim - 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