Ohr HaChaim Yomi: Yitzhak Levi’s weekly question and answer on Parashat Devarim, drawing on the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar.
Question
The Jewish people are finally standing at the border of Eretz Yisrael.
Forty years. The desert is behind them. The Promised Land is in front of them.
This should be the greatest pep talk in Jewish history.
Instead…Moshe starts reminding them of all their mistakes.
The spies. The complaints. The rebellions. The missed opportunities.
At this point you almost want to interrupt him:
“Rabbeinu… they’re about to enter Eretz Yisrael. Can we maybe end on a positive note?”
The Answer: You Can’t Build Tomorrow Without Learning From Yesterday
Moshe wasn’t trying to make them feel guilty. If that were the goal, he would’ve been forty years too late.
He was trying to make sure they didn’t repeat the same mistakes.
There’s a big difference.
Judaism doesn’t study history to make us feel bad. It studies history to make us wiser.
Reality Check
Let’s be honest. Every Jewish parent has done this.
You’re about to leave for college. Get married. Start a new job.
And right before you walk out the door, your father says:
“One more thing…” Twenty-five minutes later…You’re still standing by the door. (We dub this The Deaf Goodbye)
Moshe is giving the original Jewish parent speech.
Notice How Moshe Gives the Rebuke
Something fascinating.
Moshe doesn’t embarrass the people.
He rarely says: “Remember when you did that terrible thing?”
Instead, he hints. He mentions places. He alludes to events. He lets them connect the dots.
Why?
Because the goal of rebuke is growth. Not humiliation.
If someone leaves embarrassed but unchanged…Nobody won.
Lesson: Learn… Then Leave It Behind
Moshe doesn’t ignore the past. But he also doesn’t let the past define the future.
He says: “Learn from it. Grow from it. Then walk into Eretz Yisrael.”
That’s healthy Judaism.
Not pretending mistakes never happened. Not living inside them forever either.
Modern Application: “I Can’t Believe I Did That”
We’ve all had moments we’d rather forget. Things we said. Decisions we made. Opportunities we missed.
Devarim teaches us: Don’t erase your past. Redeem it.
Because the mistake that teaches you something becomes part of your wisdom.
Final Thought
The first words of Sefer Devarim are not about geography. They’re about memory.
Because before the Jewish people could inherit the Land…They had to inherit the lessons.
The past wasn’t given to them to carry. It was given to them to learn from.
And perhaps that’s Moshe’s final gift to the Jewish people.
Not a perfect history. But a history that, if remembered honestly…Could become a better future.