DRASH – KI TAVO

Rabbi George Mordechai

Emanuel Synagogue, Woollahra

The book of Deuteronomy is a fascinating study. It is the fifth book of our Hebrew Bible. Even though the narrative traditionally is presented as Moses interpreting and verbalising the laws already given in earlier books, scholars believe Deuteronomy was actually written in the mid to late 7th century BCE in the court of King Josiah. It takes its final shape around the mid to late 5th century BCE among the exile community in Babylon and the Shivat Tziyon, those who returned to build the second Temple. If we accept this thesis, then the retelling and subtle reinterpretation of laws and stories articulated in earlier books do not reflect the religious, political and social realities of the Israelites as they wandered through the desert from Egypt to the Land of Israel. Rather it is articulating the concerns of a people who were experiencing greater centralisation of cult worship and power, then destruction, exile to Babylon and, for a small group, return to rebuild their community in Judea.

For this exile community in particular memory was very important. Memory is what kept the community functioning in exile and additionally allowed many among them to return and rebuild the Temple. It is also true in our times. If not for the continuous retelling of our stories year after year we would not have kept our communities together throughout 2,000 years of diaspora life. Without memory and retelling the State of Israel would not exist and Judaism would not have been able to evolve.

Perhaps the most powerful example of the commandment to remember is found in this week’s torah portion.

The authors of Deuteronomy, through the personality of Moses, instruct the people to bring the first fruits of their harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem. In the Mishna (later Rabbinic work) it describes the scene as people would come from all over the country to Jerusalem bearing their first fruits. There was music and celebration throughout Jerusalem. What is important for us though is that each person was also required to make the following declaration as they offered their choicest produce at the Temple.

“My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and lived there, few in number. There, they became a great people, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians made us suffer, subjecting us to hard labour. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery and oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with signs and wonders.” (Deut 26: 5-8).”

The people were instructed to remember their past, the journey of their ancestors, the years of slavery at the hands of the Egyptians and the freedom that came at the hands of God. In Biblical times this formula was recited during Shavuot at the Temple. After the destruction of the Temple however it was inserted into the Haggadah and is recited by us at the seder every year during Pesach. There is a reason why these verses were not discarded from our rituals and liturgy once the Temple was destroyed. With all the blessings of freedom in the various countries that Jews live in today as well as the blessing of the State of Israel, it might be difficult for us to put ourselves in the position of people who are destitute or refugees suffering under intolerable conditions. By reciting these verses found in our parsha and internalising the message, we become a compassionate people always aware of the voices of those who are suffering and who cry out due to misery and oppression. By remembering these verses and reciting them annually we are compelled, commanded to champion the cause of those in our time who cry out and are suffering, for we were once oppressed. We feel their pain because their pain was once ours.

Our tradition is clear that God’s lovingkindness can only be activated in our world if we treat one another and all creation with respect, love and justice. God needs us to do this work in the world.

We were oppressed, we cried out and were liberated. May we always be present to the cries of the oppressed and those less fortunate than us, for our liberation as a people can only be completed when all people are truly free.