Welcome to the final installment of Trip I Wiggity Wainer Wednesday. This week we have the privilege of reading the first portion from the book of Deuteronomy, appropriately titled Devarim. In this parasha, Moses begins his final words to the Israelites before they enter the Land of Israel. The Torah tells us that it actually only takes 11 days to get from Mount Sinai to the edge of the Land of Israel where the people had gathered to listen to Moses. If this is the case, then how come it took them 40 years to get to that point if it could have only taken 11 days? We know that throughout their journey, the Israelites were engaged in various battles; however this is not the only reason that it took the Israelites 40 years. The book of Deuteronomy is essentially a recounting of the journey that the Israelites had taken. The people that Moses was speaking to at Mount Sinai were not there for the beginning of the journey. These people did not know what it was like to be slaves in the land of Egypt. They had no memory of being slaves, getting freed, or receiving the Torah. The only thing that these people could remember was wandering in the desert. Maybe the reason that Moses had to retell the whole story was because of the idea: “those who forget the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.” The story of the 40 years in the desert is not something that Moses wanted anyone to have to repeat. In Moses’ speech, he reminds the people of how hard the journey was, and he urged them to try harder in the future. He reminded the people about the various laws of the Torah that had been given to them throughout the course of their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Some of what Moses sad was scolding them for the things they did wrong. Moses also encouraged them to keep the Torah and observe its commandments in the land that God was giving them, Israel. By retelling the story to the Israelites, Moses is giving he people ownership over their story, their history. He doesn’t want the Israelites to make the same mistakes as they did before, so Moses reminds the people that God will keep God’s promises as long as we hold up our end of the bargain too – following Gods commandments. As we reach the close of Trip I 2013, we are privileged to have Solel host Shabbat. This is something that they have been looking forward to all session, and they have been sure to share that excitement with everyone! All of Solel worked very hard together to pick this week’s theme—You can’t look to the future unless you throw back. As this is their final Shabbat and summer as campers at Camp Wise, Solel wanted to give tribute to everything that they have learned throughout all of their summers as campers. They are looking forward to imparting wisdom, through their Solel speeches, to all of the younger campers. Over the course of this week, Solel has come together as a group to write a pageant, choreograph a dance, make decorations, learn a song and create a special and meaningful Havdalah service for all of camp. We can’t wait to see Solel 2013 throw back to the past, as they transition from campers into future staff members of Camp Wise.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 21:06:51 +0000
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