Parashat Va’etchanan

In this parashah Moshe encourages Bnei Yisrael in the fulfillment of the mitzvot, clarifying to them that the Torah must be kept intact, without adding or subtracting any precept, and reminding them of the sad end of those who participated in the sin of idolatry and promiscuity of “Bal Peor”, as opposed to those who chose to stick to God, which allowed them to enter Eretz Yisrael. Moshe also clarifies to them that if they follow the path of the Torah, they will generate a special relationship with God, which will gain the respect of the nations. This is a great message for those who entered Eretz Yisrael, as well as for us. How many times, consciously or unconsciously, are we ashamed of our beautiful legacy? We are afraid of what people will say, or we fabricate with the stormy criticisms that will never come, criticisms that rise like an imposing wall in our path of spiritual growth. Moshe taught us the opposite, that the nations take pride when we follow the Divine covenant. The pre-nazi Germany saying “behave like a Jew at home, but outside like the nations”, was spread by people of our people, who perhaps out of fear or other reasons slowly began to devalue the Torah. May the eternal voice of Moshe vibrate forever in our hearts.