On the last day of his life, Moshe gathers all the people, young and old, lowly and exalted, men and women, in a final initiation. The covenant includes not only those who are present, but even those generations yet unborn. Moshe admonishes the people again to be extremely vigilant against idol worship, because despite having witnessed the abominations of Egypt, there will always be the temptation to experiment with foreign philosophies as a pretext for immorality.

Moshe describes the desolation of the Land of Israel that will result from failure to heed Hashem’s mitzvahs. Both their descendants and foreigners alike will remark on the singular desolation of the Land and its apparent inability to be sown or to produce crops. The conclusion will be apparent to all — that the Jewish People have forsaken the One Who protects them, in favor of powerless idols. Moshe promises, however, that the people will eventually repent after both the blessings and the curses have been fulfilled. And, however assimilated they will have become among the nations, Hashem will eventually bring them back to the Land of Israel. Moshe tells the people to remember that the Torah is not a remote impossibility, but rather that its fulfillment is within the grasp of every Jew. This Torah portion concludes with a dramatic choice between life and death, with Moshe exhorting the people to choose life.

PARSHA INSIGHTS

The Myth of 'Talmud Korea'

“You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem...” (Devarim 29:9)
After reading my piece last week, Torah Weekly reader Ze'ev Smason pointed out
(according to Chat GPT) –

• Myth: South Korea teaches the full Talmud in schools.
• Reality: Some Koreans (especially parents and educators) use simplified

storybook versions of the Talmud to impart lessons in wisdom and ethics.

• Depth: Its mention and lessons, not deep study.

I appreciate the clarification; what I wanted to point out was that “...unlike other nations who nurture the poisonous illusion that the Jews conspire to control the world, the Koreans came to a much more honest conclusion: they said, maybe the Jewish people are more successful because their guidebook to life is wiser than any other guidebook. They said, we want to understand the Talmud.”

Large numbers of chidushei Torah will not be flowing from South Korea, and the Mir Yeshiva will not be opening a branch in Seoul, yet the fact that they recognize that there’s something special unusual about the Jews – and not because of the mythical “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” – is a reminder that Hashem blessed us above all nations and we need look no further that our own back yard. We don’t need to get a stiff neck contemplating our navels on top of the Himalayas.

Some have felt that it was “odd of G-d to choose the Jews” (not odd at all, the Goyim annoy’Him), but like it or not, we have been placed at the pinnacle and the fulcrum of existence. That is what one needs to keep in mind when “You are standing today, all of you, before Hashem...” at the coronation of the King next week. May all Israel be written in the Book of Life!