Timeless Torah

“Eileh hadvorim…” means so much more than simply, “These are the words.” They are the immortal words of Israel’s most humble leader. They are the final rebuke of an individual who had lived, suffered, and now was about to die because of the events that he would presently refer to. They are the words of Moses who begins his last speech by reminding his fellow Jews of the many national shortcomings and sins that had occurred since their Exodus from Egypt.
While Moses certainly knew what he was talking about, to whom was he complaining? For the most part the subjects of Moses’ rebuke, the people who had actually sinned, weren’t even alive any more. They had all died during the forty years in the desert. He was therefore addressing their children. But why rebuke them?
The Chidushei HaRim (first Rebbe of Gur) explains that every individual, in every time period, if he would but examine himself under the penetrating light of Moses’ words, would find that in some way he too had fallen victim to the mistakes of that generation. These then are words that Moses spoke to all of Israel in every era.
This is highly unusual. Rebuke should be specifically focused. But Moses as the quintessential leader had a personal connection with every Jewish soul in all generations. This concept is reminiscent of a well-known story with the Tzemach Tzedek (Third Rebbe of Lubavitch) who once delivered a scathing critique of a certain behavior. Afterwards, a number of his disciples complained that they had been publicly embarrassed, since his scathing rebuke had obviously been directed at him.
The Rebbe replied, “Did I mean each of you? In a way, I did. You see, I am a like a hat-maker who fashions a hat and places it in his store window. People come in and try the hat on, until eventually someone finds that it suits his head perfectly. Whom did the hat-maker have in mind when he made this hat? Why the very customer who finds that it fits him! So, whoever feels that my words apply to him, for him in fact, my criticism was meant.”
Perhaps though, the most critical aspect of rebuke is not how it is said, but how it is received. One who constantly seeks to improve his character finds rebuke in almost everything he sees and hears, and he loves it, as in, “Rebuke the wise, and he will love you.” (Mishlei 9:8) As for he who closes his mind to criticism, there are no words, no matter how eloquently spoken that will change him, as in, “Do not rebuke the scorner, lest he hate you.”
There is a wonderful tale of the time the Yetzer Hara (Satan) approached G-d: “I have a complaint about Reb Asher the carpenter,” he said.
“What could you possibly have against Reb Asher,” asked the Almighty. “He is among the righteous?”
“True,” replied the Yetzer Hara, “but he hasn’t been truly tested! Allow me to take him for one evening. Then we shall see where his piety stands.”
That evening, as Reb Asher walked home from his shop, he felt drawn by a sudden uncontrollable urge to enter a theatre. The performers were acting out a satire, and the audience sat mesmerized; laughing and cheering. Asher stood at the back of the theatre, not uttering a word. The longer he stood, the happier the Yetzer Hara became. Soon it was close to midnight, the play ended and everyone, including Reb Asher went home. His wife, who knew he always came home right after work, was frantic with worry. “Where have you been?” she nervously blurted. “At the comedy theatre,” he replied simply.
“Aha,” she said sarcastically, not for a moment believing that her husband, the pious Reb Asher, would ever go to a theatre renowned for its profanity and vulgarity. “And what did you discover there?”
“I learned how poorly I serve Hashem,” he answered.
“You see those that go to the theatre like I, have worked a full day. Yet this does not deter them from sitting for many hours, attentively taking in every moment. And all for folly and nonsense! How much more so should I go to the Study Hall at night, to study the holy Torah with energy and enthusiasm!” And from then on, Reb Asher studied even longer and harder than he had in the past.
Thus we see that for those wishing to spiritually progress, even a subtle rebuke to another generation long gone is an opportunity to improve. Conversely, for those unwilling, even direct finger-pointing will have them wondering why are you looking at them.
“Eileh hadvorim…” are so much more than simply words, they mean you.