The Israelites are encamped on the east side of the Jordan River, facing Jericho. They are ready, they think, to enter the Promised Land.
The book and parasha begin:
"Eleh had'varim asher diber Moshe el-col-Yisrael ba'ever Hayarden, bamidbar, ba'arava, mol suf, ben-paran o'ven-tofel v'lavan vachatzoret v'di zahav. Achad eser yom meChorev derech Har-Seir ad Kadesh Barnea."
There are two major views on how the first sentence should be translated, and where the words of Moses actually begin. The usual translation treats the second half of this sentence and the second sentence as being the names of places that mark the site of the speech (or speeches), and the sixth verse as being the beginning of his speech. Accordingly, this translation would read (quoting the Hertz Chumash):
"These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan; in the wilderness, in the Aravah, over against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-Zahab. It is eleven days' journey from Horeb unto Kadesh-Barnea by way of Mount Seir."
However, Ramban remarks that this is an awfully long description of a place, and he, Rashi and other commentators hold that the apparent place names refer not to the location of the speech but to locations or incidents in which the Israelites committed major sins, or at least indiscretions. Such a translation would begin his speech with the second half of the first sentence:
"These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan concerning the places where they sinned: in the wilderness, and by the Sea of Reeds, and the sin of the spies in Paran; and complaints about the manna, and at Hazeroth! (either Korach's rebellion or Miriam's slandering Moses). And there surely was enough gold (the calf). It's (normally) eleven days from Horeb (Sinai) to Kadesh Barnea . (but G-d loved you so much he brought you there in just three days. And we could have entered the land then).
But because of the sins of the spies, and of all those who listened to them, entering the Land had to wait until the Israelites had spent forty years in the wilderness.
The Israelites believe that they are now ready to enter the Land. What they don't know is that, before they can do that, they will have to listen to the entire book of Devarim, probably the longest farewell speech in history, said to extend over five weeks, repeating many of the laws they have already been taught. But why? After all, they've grown up with the commandments and laws, as well as with the history of our people. One would think that these lessons would have been implanted within them, and did not need repetition? Is it because Moses has to have the last word?
There are at least two reasons. First, they need to understand, to internalize, that their lives are about to undergo major changes. Up to now, they have seen God's miracles daily and have been directly sustained by them. However, as soon as they enter the Land, those miracles will cease. So they need to understand, in advance, what that will mean. They need to know how to live in the land, how to work the land and grow their own food. Their clothing will now wear out; they will have to make new ones. They will have neighbors who are idolaters; they will need strong faith and self-discipline to avoid being ensnared by them.
Second, they feel that they are different from their parents and, of course will never make the same mistakes; they have faith in G-d where their parents lacked that faith. But they could be wrong; if subjected to the same pressures and temptations as their parents, they could make the same mistakes, commit the same sins, as their parents. So Moses needs to remind them now of the major errors, even the sins, committed by their parents. He needs to remind them of the history that has brought them to this place, both the positive and the negative events.
At times during our lives we stand, literally or figuratively, at the border of a new "land" - a new place, a new job, a new status, etc. At such times it can be a good practice, before entering, to review our individual past experiences. This new "land" will be different from the old in at least a few ways. We don't have a Moses to remind us of everything or give us the proper perspective, so we have to give it to ourselves. We may have to remind ourselves, honestly if possible, of what we have done up to now, of the principles that we have lived by (or at least tried to live by), of successes and of mistakes - even of sins - that we have made. We will need to consider what will be different, so that when we enter the "land" we should learn from our experiences, hopefully enjoy success there (or at least make different mistakes). We might need five weeks, or even more, to think of all of these and to settle our minds on the plan.
Best wishes on crossing over.
Shabbat shalom.
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