The Rebuke and the Aftermath

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on that side of the Jordan in the desert, in the plain opposite the Red Sea, between Paran and Tofel and Lavan and Hazeroth and Di Zahav. [Deuteronomy 1:1]

The book of Deuteronomy differs from its predecessors. Unlike Genesis and Exodus, no stories are told. Unlike Leviticus, there is nothing about the priests and their service in the Tabernacle. Unlike Numbers, there are no trips — just millions of Israelites listening along the bank of the Jordan to their leader.

Much of what Moses says comes down to one sentence: “You blew it! We could have been talking in the Land of Israel nearly 40 years ago. But your obstinacy led to decades of wandering through a barren desert.”

“It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea.” [Deuteronomy 1:1]

Most of the commentators focus on Moses’ words. But Chaim Ibn Attar, known as the Or Hachayim, goes beyond, pointing out that Moses was not commanded to address the Jews. He initiated this.

Why? Isn’t this G-d’s job?

In the desert, G-d was always talking to Moses and by extension to the Children of Israel. But now they were going into the land of the patriarchs, and this would be different. In the Land of Israel, a leader — whether prophet, sage or simple rabbi — would be responsible to talk to his flock. He would encourage them to serve G-d. When they wouldn’t, the leader would rebuke them. G-d would help but avoid direct intervention.

And that makes all the difference. Criticism and rebuke often lead to resistance and even confrontation. How often have you heard somebody — perhaps even you — lash out: “Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?” Or, “Who the hell are you to judge me?”

Most of the kings of Israel have said this: Ahab even appointed a prophet council to counter Elijah, who warned the monarch against idolatry. Ahab told Elijah, “That’s just your opinion, man. I’ve got 400 prophets who say otherwise.”

Thirty years ago, the Jewish people lost their greatest leader in modern times. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, essentially departed from virtually every other sage soon after World War II. They all saw Zionism and the new State of Israel as illegitimate, a tool for assimilation, a recipe for disaster. But unlike his peers, the Rebbe saw that millions of Jews were living in Israel, and they required protection and spiritual nourishment. That meant he had to engage with leaders of the state.

From at least the mid-1960s, the Rebbe hosted Israeli leaders. He had been in contact with senior politicians and military commanders throughout the 1950s. But in 1966, Israeli President Zalman Shazar bucked his secular milieu and went to the Rebbe’s office in Brooklyn. Within years, the pilgrimage expanded to include most prime ministers, Knesset members, military commanders and others who simply sought guidance. The Rebbe’s message was usually the same: You are in a position of power. Use it to help Jews, not hurt them.

The Rebbe initiated many of these meetings, particularly with people he believed would rise to leadership. In 1969, he sent a letter to Ariel Sharon warning that the Bar-Lev Line along the Suez Canal would not defend Israel and would lead to a calamitous war. In 1984, the Rebbe summoned Binyamin Netanyahu, just appointed Israel’s envoy to the United Nations. The message to the 34-year-old diplomat: “Your mission is to light a candle for truth and for the Jewish people.”

After their first meeting in 1972, then-Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yitzhak Rabin, reflected in amazement: “That man knows more about what’s going on in Israel and the Middle East than most members of the Knesset.” Within two years, Rabin would become prime minister.

The hardest part was the aftermath. The Rebbe pleaded with Menachem Begin not to give up Sinai. Begin did just that. He urged Sharon not to go into politics rather remain in the military. Sharon launched his drive for the premiership, his last days marked by the expulsion of thousands of Jews. He warned Rabin that caving in to international pressure would lead to chaos and war. Rabin embraced Yasser Arafat.

But there was one warning that fell on the deaf ears of even those who revered the Rebbe. It was 1979 and Iran underwent an Islamic revolution. The Shah fled and the ayatollahs took over. Their first target was the U.S. Embassy in Teheran, and 50 staffers were taken hostage for well over a year.

In a gathering of his disciples on Nov. 20, the Rebbe warned that Iran would not stop there. The Persians would move to take over the Middle East and dominate the world. Washington and its allies would appease the mullahs at the expense of Israel and the Jews. The 50,000 Jews in Iran would not escape danger. He urged his colleagues to proclaim a fast day so that G-d stop this.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli leadership chuckled. Soon, they would secretly sell weapons to Teheran, tolerate and even groom their proxies and exploit the Iranian threat whenever they wanted more money from Washington. To many of the politicians, it was a game.

Then came October 7.

Moses would go on to speak to the Israelites for weeks, recounting their travails in the desert, reviewing laws of their new land and warning against idolatry. But in our Torah portion Devarim, the outgoing leader would make one thing paramount. The Chosen People, regardless of their spiritual state, must not fear any man. Throughout Jewish history, that would mark the main message of his successors.

Behold, the Lord, your G-d, has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord, G-d of your fathers has spoken to you; you shall neither fear nor be dismayed. [Deuteronomy 1:21]