{"id":7458,"date":"2026-07-12T18:42:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T23:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hebrew4christians.com\/training\/?p=7458"},"modified":"2026-07-12T18:49:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T23:49:39","slug":"parashat-devarim-podcast-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hebrew4christians.com\/training\/parashat-devarim-podcast-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Parashat Devarim Podcast…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Our Torah reading for this week (i.e., parashat Devarim<\/a>) is the very first portion from the Book of Deuteronomy (i.e., Sefer Devarim:<\/em> \u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05d3\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd), which is always read on the Sabbath that immediately precedes<\/em> the somber holiday of Tishah B\u2019Av<\/a> (\u05ea\u05e9\u05e2\u05d4 \u05d1\u05d0\u05d1). In Jewish tradition, this special Sabbath is called “Shabbat Chazon” (\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05ea \u05d7\u05b7\u05d6\u05d5\u05b9\u05df), “the Sabbath of Vision,” since the Haftarah that is read (i.e., Isa. 1:1-25) comes from the vision of the prophet Isaiah (\u05d9\u05e9\u05e2\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d1\u05d9\u05d0) regarding the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. In both Jewish tradition and liturgy, teshuvah<\/em> (repentance) and viduy<\/em> (confession of sin) are the themes of this preparatory Sabbath.<\/p>\n

The book of Devarim (i.e., \u05d3\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd, \u201cwords\u201d or \u201cthings\u201d), is so named from the phrase eleh ha\u2019devarim<\/em> (\u201cthese are the words…\u201d) found in its opening verse. In our English Bibles, Sefer Devarim (\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05d3\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05dd) is known as the Book of \u201cDeuteronomy,\u201d from a Greek word meaning \u201csecond (or repeated) law\u201d (\u03b4\u03b5\u03c5\u03c4\u03b5\u03c1\u03bf\u03bd\u1f79\u03bc\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd), a term used to translate the phrase mishneh ha-Torah (\u201ccopy of the Torah,\u201d Deut. 17:18). Generally speaking, this book represents Moses\u2019 \u201cfarewell address\u201d to Israel, where he reviews and summarizes the history and the laws given to the people and repeatedly warns that obedience will bring blessing while disobedience will bring disaster. The series of personal discourses (or sermons) in this book all have the tone of rebuke and admonition, and indeed some sages say it resembles a sort of \u201cdeathbed blessing\u201d not unlike Jacob\u2019s blessing given to his sons.
\n\u00ad<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00ad<\/p>\n