So, the book of Devarim is not just a collection of laws or a historical account. It is a covenant, a sacred agreement between God and the Israelites, with each individual taking on the responsibility of upholding it. By structuring the book in this way, Moses emphasized the importance of the covenant and the role of the people in maintaining their relationship with God.
In conclusion, the book of Devarim is a unique and significant part of the Torah, providing a framework for the relationship between God and the Israelites. Its structure as a covenant reflects the ancient political treaties of the time but with a revolutionary twist, placing God as one of the parties and involving all the people in the agreement. Understanding the covenant nature of Devarim helps us appreciate its importance and relevance in the broader context of the Torah.
Regenerate
Every Jew had to know the story of their people, reciting it on Pesach and when bringing first-fruits to Jerusalem.
This is covenantal politics, a unique form of political structure based not on a hierarchy of power but on a shared sense of history and destiny. It is a moral politics, dedicated to creating a just and gracious society that honors the dignity of all, especially the downtrodden, the poor, the powerless and the marginal: the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.
The structure of the book is now clear. It follows precisely the structure of an ancient suzerainty treaty between a strong power, G-d, and a weak one, the Israelites. Politically, such treaties were well known in the ancient world, but religiously this is unique. For it means that G-d has taken an entire nation to be His “partners in the work of creation” by showing all humanity what it is to construct a society that honors each individual as the image of G-d.
We now understand what Mishneh Torah means. It means that this book is a “copy” of the covenant between G-d and the people, made at Sinai, renewed on the bank of the Jordan, and renewed again at significant moments of Jewish history. It is the written record of the agreement, just as a ketubah is a written record of the obligations undertaken by a husband toward his wife.
We now also understand the place of Devarim in Tanach as a whole. It is the axis on which all Jewish history turns. Had the generation who left Egypt the faith and courage to enter the promised land, all Jewish history would turn on the revelation at Sinai. In fact, though, the episode of the spies showed that that generation lacked the spirit to do so. Therefore, the critical moment came for the next generation, when Moses at the end of his life renewed the covenant with them as the condition of their inheritance of the land. The four previous books of the Torah lead up to this moment, and all the other books of Tanach are a commentary to it – an account of how it worked out in the course of time.
Devarim is the book of the covenant, the center-point of Jewish theology, and the project it defines is unique. For it aims at nothing less than the construction of a society that would moralize its members, inspire others, and serve as a role model of what might be achieved were humanity as a whole to worship the one G-d who made us all in His image.