A Twin Message

The book of Devarim at first glance could seem extraneous; in most senses, it is a recap of the annals of events that relate to the Jews that transpired before it. Its aim is not to give over a multitude of new laws, or share how new earth-shattering events unfolded, but rather to tell over, and recount what was already known. 

On a parental level, and an educational level, I can relate to the central idea of the book of Devarim. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks shared another idea, or concept, in a different context that I think could be instrumental in understanding my intent. He argued in one of the articles in his Covenant and Conversation series that the societies, or people, who are most successful are those who tell over the story right (he suggests that that could be the reason for the mitzvah to relate the Exodus to our children), and in another piece, he shares that an individual or family which celebrates its achievements is most likely to succeed. Those ideas are particularly insightful, and something from them can be taken for this context. 

Regarding parenting, studies show that talking to your children about their day, better helps them remember the things that happened in their lives (I am not sure it has to be parents; it could likely be a close friend, confidante etc.) Furthermore, educationally, more and more, the central approach has been to mindful instruction where teachers engage in a reflective approach where students assess what they themselves have learned, in the form of metaperception (introspection) - where they then apply the things that they've learned. 

In essence, perhaps, that is the central theme or idea in the book of Devarim. It is a way for us to learn to tell the story right, but furthermore, in so far as it also embeds within it instruction for how a leader is to view his mission, it also teaches the Jewish people how to be followers. 

As a case in point, take the "Sin of the Spies," a sin tradition teaches us reverberates from one generation to the next, whose repercussions we still feel until this very day. In Shelach, its initial telling, there are a few stark differences between how the story is told in this week's parshah. For one, in this week's parshah, Moshe says that the nation, in its entirety, asked for the spies; in Shelach, Hashem commands Moshe to send spies, in keeping with his request. In Shelach, the spies, save Calev and Yehoshua, cause the people to think poorly of the land; in Devarim the blame is placed squarely on them; in Shelach, Moshe tells the people that Hashem would not want them to go up against the Amalekites and Cannanites; in this week's parshah, Hashem explicitly tells Moshe to tell the Jewish people not to go up. 

It would seem, in a nutshell, that Moshe selectively chose responsibility for himself over pinning the blame on the Jewish people; and when he did say he too was punished, it was to ameliorate the blow, and suffering they felt - not to Heaven forbid, exonerate Himself from responsibility.