Shoval Malachi is a former shaliach in Melbourne (2022 - 2023)
There is one fascinating moment when opening Sefer Devarim. On the surface, it seems we have already learned everything. We left Egypt, received the Torah, built the Tabernacle, and learned the commandments. What else is left to say?
But then Moshe Rabbeinu begins to speak.
Sefer Devarim is fundamentally different from everything that preceded it. The first four books were dictated directly from the Almighty, whereas here, Moshe stands before the nation in the final month of his life, delivering his grand address before they enter the Land of Israel.
Although all his words were spoken through Ruach HaKodesh and are an integral part of the Five Books of Moshe, this time the Torah passes through the human voice of Moshe. He is not merely repeating what has already been said; he is explaining, emphasizing, illuminating, and revealing the hidden depth behind the commandments. Much of what was stated in the first four books was general or concise, and now Moshe teaches the people how to understand these teachings and how to live them.
This distinction is clearly visible when comparing Parashat Pinchas in Sefer Bamidbar to Parashat Re'eh.
In Parashat Pinchas, the Torah details the order of sacrifices for every holiday: how many bulls, rams, and sheep to offer, what is sacrificed, and when. This represents the Torah on a practical level-how to fulfill the commandment. Perhaps it is no coincidence that these details appear in the portion named after Pinchas the Priest, as the Temple service and the offering of sacrifices were central to his calling.
And then comes Sefer Devarim.
Moshe no longer focuses on the number of bulls and sheep. He seeks to teach the people something else entirely: why do we celebrate in the first place?
In Parashat Re'eh, when the Torah describes the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, sacrificial offerings are barely mentioned. Instead, one word echoes again and again: joy.
"And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God… you, your son and your daughter, your male and female servants, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow."
Moshe reveals to us that the holiday is not merely a temple ritual; it is a national event. An event of community, of unity.
Three times a year, the entire nation of Israel pauses its daily routine and travels up to Jerusalem. Rich and poor, priests and Levites, converts, orphans, widows, and servants-all stand together before G-d. There is no private holiday for an isolated individual; there is only a celebration of an entire nation.
Rambam sharpens this concept in his Laws of the Holidays (Hilchot Yom Tov, Chapter 6, Law 18). He teaches that the joy of a festival is not measured by the abundance of food on the table or the warmth of the immediate family atmosphere alone, but rather by who is sitting around that table. He writes:
"When a person eats and drinks, he is obligated to feed the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, along with other destitute, unfortunate people. But one who locks the doors of his courtyard and eats and drinks with his wife and children, without feeding and giving drink to the poor and the embittered-this is not the joy of a commandment, but merely the joy of his stomach."
What sharp language. Maimonides does not merely state that this is improper conduct; he establishes that it is not considered the joy of a commandment (Simchat Mitzvah) at all. If joy remains confined within one's house and fails to reach those who have nothing, it degrades into "the joy of his stomach." Through this, Maimonides interprets Moshe's message: the essence of the holiday is not just to rejoice, but to ensure that others can rejoice as well.
This is perhaps one of the greatest gifts of Sefer Devarim. It teaches us that knowing how to perform a commandment is not enough; we must also understand why we perform it. One can offer all the sacrifices precisely as prescribed and yet completely miss the heart of the holiday. Moshe tells us: only when you create shared joy, when you ensure that those in need can also rejoice, and when you feel that we are all one family before G-d-only then has the holiday fulfilled its true purpose.
Perhaps this is also the call to each of us today. It is easy to get swept up in holiday preparations-the food, the cleaning, the prayers, and every fine detail. But Moshe reminds us to pause and ask: Have we ensured that those around us can rejoice? Is there someone lonely we can invite? A family in need of assistance? A neighbor who needs a kind word?
This is the overarching gift of the entire Sefer Devarim. It does not replace the Torah given in the first four books; rather, it illuminates it. Parashat Pinchas teaches us how to observe the festival-the order of sacrifices, the legal parameters, and the practical action. Parashat Re'eh teaches us why we celebrate-to create one unified nation, one community, and one shared joy before G-d, a joy that leaves room for the stranger, the orphan, the widow, and the Levite.
For when the action is imbued with meaning, the commandment comes alive. And when we merit to rejoice together as Moshe taught us, it is no longer just holiday joy-it becomes true Simchat Mitzvah.
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