At the beginning of Deuteronomy, Moses begins his series of diatribes to the Jewish people. He begins to recount the events and experiences that he and the people endured together.
However, the commentators teach that each place Moses mentions is an allusion of a sin or failure the people have made. The Sifri explains that some of the locations don’t even exist. Rather, Moses was using geographical landmarks to help the children of Israel understand where along their journey they went astray.
Some may say that at the end of his life, Moses should have merely offered words of comfort to the people. However, in these final days, Moses still offers important life lessons to future generations.
From whom are we most likely to hear harsh but truthful words about our own behaviors? Strangers can be written off, but loved ones, especially those we admire, may serve as the best sounding boards. Moses knew that he could use his precious time to tell the Israelites what they wanted to hear. Or he could use his time to tell them what they needed to hear.
How we share feedback is for a different D’Var Torah. But Moses opens our eyes to a real necessity: if we truly love someone, sometimes, the hard, honest truths need to be shared.
For if we don’t, will any of us ever become the best versions of creation that God intended?
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is senior rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
