Division Of The 10 Dibrot | Rabbi Neil Winkler | November 6th 2025

It's funny. I see it. Ah, here. This the back of this. All right. Um, yeah. I had we had begun really. It's funny. I say this, it's just we've had two shirum on just the introduction to Sepher Dvarim because it needs an introduction. The other ones all have nice stories, you know, and we know what Beresit's going to be about. And primarily Schmote is the story and then the laws of how they built the Mishkan as well as the story of course of the golden calf and then and we know that Vayik, the laws of the uh Corbanote and that and also has stories there and we skip 38 years, but that's okay. And we go to the 40th year and we really in the middle of umbar in paratukat we have already been been introduced hello we're in the 40th year of the desert uh what happened last time we read the stories it was in the second year of the desert but that's exactly what they do that it skips over so when it comes to dvarim where as I've shown you it is not a repetition of the Torah Mishnet Torah Not at all because there's not one there's very little of each of these books of the Torah of Besitra and Bidbar that is found in Dvarim. People always know the stuff that's familiar to them but it's primarily not that at all. I told you nothing in embraced is found in andote as important as the splitting of the sea may be and how about the e exodus from Egypt and how about oh the terrible um tortures they had in Mitim and not we don't find that the plagues not found in not at all and so I finally got to ah but the is both inmote and finally We find it in Dvarim. And what did I do last week? I showed you that not really much of the debt. What was the purpose why Dvarim now suddenly mentions a second time had debro? It isn't so that we're going to have books and books written about oh you know the difference on this wording over here where it really would have [gasps] and that's wonderful rabbitic thoughts and phil uh philosophical openings perhaps for people but the simple that's not what it was. It was never meant to be a repetition of what was taken uh what what was going on in 40 years earlier or 39 years earlier in um safer and I'm sorry for the um initro. Not at all. It's not what it was. And I proved it to you a number of times. By the way, I don't think I even brought it up. The fact that when the thero are now introduced inim there it says that God spoke. You know the difference of is rather than saying means God spoke these words. However, when it says that God spoke kind of something like these words, in other words, it's not supposed to be not meant to be a word for word repetition. And I what we're going to do here is going to show the differences, by the way. Uh and uh uh if it really is, you know, well, I'm not going to touch it here. the point that and that's I told that was last week's sh where I showed you that the brought were there not to repeat what happened not to remind them by the way this is what happened because they knew about it it was taught to them but the primary primarily the message that Moshe is trying to give the people before they now are going to enter the land and Moshe is not going to be with them was the fact that here he is and he tells them in this introduction of Darim, I'm here to speak to you and to teach you and to remind you and to review with you all the laws that I've taught you in the 40 years here in the desert since the the um brought and if I would take you back to Mishim in Sepher where which says that now God gave her got safer than the the book it says it says what was safer what mitzvot that was basically the um mitzvot what we call al but the rest of the mitzvot that were not included in exactly there invar he now includes these mitzvot that had been spoken and taught in the forh 40 years weren't included in those other books of the Torah. But now Mos is reminding them. By the way, you know, I taught you this stuff also, even though I didn't write it down over there. That's basically that's what was so important. And that even that was not the crucial point. He's telling them, "Look, you know me. I'm Moshe. I've been teaching you 40 years, but most of you don't know me for 40 years. This is a second generation. All those who were 20 and above have now died off. Those are the ones who are hanging around. Those are the ones from Egypt and from the first years there. But this new generation, the bulk of the population was not there at Hashi. So he comes now and says, "Now I'm going to teach you. I'm going to remind you of all the mitzvah I've been teaching you." And a simple question that the na natural younger people might ask and that is what when did God die and you took over from him? Well, if God gave us these mitzvot isn't he wisely given to us? Why are you teaching us now? That was why they mentioned here the hari because that's where Moshe tells them remember what happened there and the quotations what why did Moshe have to speak to them and tell them the mitzvot because what they were afraid and it says there when they heard God's voice they ran away and they said please Oh Moshe, you speak to us and you tell us what God has told you. You get it to God and bring it to us, but don't make us have to have to listen to God for we might die. That fear that fear is says Moshe why I'm teaching it to you. Because you asked me to do it. I it wasn't my idea. Never wanted to be a teacher anyway. He's smart. you know, I I have to be a teacher here, but it's Mosher Raenu because he was the best teacher, the finest teacher. I mean, you hear it from God, you ain't going to mess around with it. You know, you're going to say it, right? But it was so crucial for this new generation about to enter Israel without having a Mosher Rabenu there to accept the mitzvote even without Mosher Rabenu. It was crucial that he tells them it's not my mitzvot. I didn't make them up. This is what God told me and he really wanted to tell you. Remember I told you God's ideal was to teach them 613 mitzvah but they couldn't do it. They had to run away. And God responds if you recall from last time God responds to them um when they said no no Moshe you teach us. God said to Moshe don't be angry with him. That's a great idea. And he sets up the concept of of rebi and talid of parent and child of passing down the tradition rather than seeing, oh good, I have it in the book. I don't have to. You know what's good about having things in the in a book and you know it's down there. That's about the only thing that's good because the great thing about books is I can put in the in the bookcase and never open it. And the fear that the Jew Oh, I I got to tell right you know I think I put it down in the basement. It's there someplace and it doesn't become a living thing for them. That's what would happen if it's just that God gave it to them and they put it away. Ah but if it's not taught by Moshe and Moshe says these were the words that God told me and you told me to and to to tell it to you. So now it becomes a tradition. now becomes a misora and now instead of putting it in in the bookcase you end up sitting there and learning it uh 3,000 years later still haven't learned it but we're still teaching pretty remarkable one thinks about this when you think that uh let's say the that um um hari Hari it took place approximately let's see 3,500 years ago I say 3500 years ago because we do know by the text found in it says there that the beginning of building the behame mikdash which is by the way about the year 1 BCE uh that happened uh he said uh 480 years after they left Mitzim right there you have 1,400 years right here we are in year 2000 whatever right I wasn't kidding around when I said actually it is 3500 because it's 80 years and this we have 20 years now 3500 years they got ago it got the Torah and you crazy Jews are still listening to it and they're still studying it and they still can't understand it completely and they spend their lives trying to understand it. It's fantastic concept. No other nation has something like that. It's remarkable. Why? Because Moses said to them, I'm teaching this to you because you couldn't hear it from God. And now he creates the concept of a remarkable thing of a misora. So that was the introduction that I said yesterday uh last time. What we're going to do and it's still the introduction to um the varim what's it doing and what I want to do this time this at least to start with is I think you have it on the oh let me see if you'd like a kote. Okay there's one for me one and Yeah. >> Ah, yeah. Good. These two. All right. >> Thank you. >> Here's the uh what I'm going to do this now. Okay. >> Okay. >> And what I did is all the all the whatever I use I also have in English. >> Okay. >> Fine. >> Okay. Good. Now, >> there's the glass of water. >> Here's the glass of water over there. Just be careful. >> Oh, thank you so much. Oh, thank you so much. I might have kicked it over. I don't know if it's fresh fresh or not, but anyway. >> Can I get you one? >> Please do cuz it's half the No, it's 3/4 gone. All right. Um, good good good. So I um if you look over at this side where I have the chart here at that side the chart I [snorts] want to give you the second concept or the second purpose of the oh keep on I'm sorry I keep on walking back and forth I got to stand there got a moving thing for me. Um that the second purpose really of the uh if I could say repetition of the Hadro is also as it going to be an opening to the um the order the logic the sections of the book of the Dvarim And I think you'll find it very very interesting. the debro as I've mentioned a number of times when we're discussing debro but I will repeat it because I probably forgot but any rate um the common mistake that we make with our wrote is you ask most students in school uh uh how many commandments are there in the ten commandments and they say it's a stupid question there are 10 of course that's not True. That's why I asked the question because I love to see the stupid answers. It's not true because dro does not mean commandments. How do you say commandment in Hebrew? >> Ah, it's very good. What would it usually say? It's a command. A commandment. What do you call it? >> A mitzvah. Right. So, it would be doesn't say that. Why does it say not my reason the Torah calls it not once not twice but three times twice in once anyway um it it calls it and that's why dro were from the word dair it is 10 dro 10 pronouncements these were god's 10 pronouncements at hari I that you listen to I told you the last time they heard more than two the like to play with that but they learn 10 andro pronouncements every doesn't have one mitzvah let me give you an example right you have to sanctify Shabbat that's one mitzvah don't do. Well, that's a negative and go down. So, there's two mitzvah there and more. So, and so forth. Um, you go go down there approximately. Look uh lo there could be no other gods. I should a better word of is is of the word Elohim is not necessarily the the Elohim the Elohim means power. Now let me give you a for example I love people don't think about this. It says who is like thee among gods? There are no other gods. It means powers. There are no other powers like you god. If I recall correctly and I recall correctly this is parat vets the end of vets. Um, Lavan is chasing after Yakov who's running away and he catches up to him, right? Hilad and God had appeared to Lavan and threatened him that he better not harm YaKob. And when he gets there and Jacob says, "What did you do to me that you chose you you you you actually ran after me and you chased me uh for what I did." And and uh Lavan had one of the worst answers ever after most um Yako gives the most to me penetrating emotional things that he gives them and 20 years I've been working for you. You haven't lost one uh on one of your flock. I kept care all of them. One of they were stolen in a day and then I paid for it and and after all of that you cheated me 10 times over. Now you're trying to kill me. And what does he say? Love on nice guy. He said >> he said very he says not true. everything you have is mine. He says and he says however your father your god came to me another way he said you know he says the following it is my in the god know it is in my power to harm you he says but your god came and told me I should so we understand we have that a number of times inim and even in our ding that people don't think of it but this term eloh means uh primarily means powers. We're never saying that rightem there's no other there not no other god and there there's none no powers like you god so because otherwise you're going to say well there are other gods can't say that right so anyway that's the to the point is that in the you look at that secondra So you're not allowed to have any other gods. Same the same commandment number two is all of these are more different mitzvah. There are four mitzvah in that one commandment. So understand that it's not ten commandments. It's 10 10 pronouncements in which there are about uh 16 commandments. That's why it's hard to be a Jew. He says 10, he means 16. But this you have to understand. At any rate, so I'm giving you this what I just gave out just to give you that this what's happening now is that the >> safer safer. It's okay if it's an agent. It's important if if it's there you have now God in effect the the book is how isim going to be set up what sections will there be and when we go through the you'll see >> amazingly it's going to actually reflect the fir the next sections that you'll See right after you broke, we begin with a section called mitzvah. Well, I mean that's what I'll tell show you or the you know the big ones you know believe in God uh you know the important ones and then there's a second section of the more detailed ones who now if I would take you back to safer and mishim which of course I won't do um [gasps] you will see I don't think I did anyway no um yeah you will see that it says after the wrote in you go back then that says I've given you give you the it's a great great concept because when you're teaching it to kids or even not to kids isn't it easy to simply say God's going to give you all the laws and that's not true there's a difference between mitzvot of course we usually ignore that because it's a lot easier but there are differences as we'll see is divided and you will see as I go on that now having given the introduction having me told you that the only reason we have a second dero is not because it's repeating it because it's not a repetition it says I'll give you some mosha said um it was only to squeeze into that experience at Sinai why Moshe is now telling you all the mitzvah year 20 the bulk of the people have died out this is now a new generation they weren't at Sinai suddenly comes Moshe who has been teaching them but now comes and says I'll I'll remind you of all these mitzvah well wait a minute I told you I'm just telling for the people who just came in uh you know what why are you teaching us if it's God's mitzvah. Why didn't God teach me? So he goes over at the experience at Sinai where Israel said, "No, no, no. We don't want to hear from God." It says they they ran away. They heard that please Moshe, you teach us and we'll listen to you and you listen to what God said and pass on to me, right? And but let us not have to listen to God, we might die. So as I said before this is why we [clears throat] have the debro only for that reason but also in that brother as I'm going to show you now it's going to help us a hint of what we're going to now see in the setup of the uh speures of um Moshe over these t this time what sections are going to be. So look at things short. I gave you this chart I gave you [snorts] where you'll see uh starting from the left side because uh the computer doesn't like go the other way around. So therefore we'll go English. You know the first mitzvah of I'm not going to go into it. I know it's not by according to everyone is not a mitzvah but most of the say it is a mitzvah. Um, you know what? I'm going to see if I find any more of these. I didn't give them out. Ah, good. I have more. I'll give it to you. Okay. Good. These are the good ones cuz they hadn't been used yet. [laughter] Yeah. Okay. This should be helpful to you. Okay. I'm sorry. I'll give you one. Hey, stay. Stay stay. I'll give it to you. >> Good exercise. >> Yeah. But for me to take this out of the thing is my emphasize here. Okay. Good. All right. Good. So he starts by saying this. Okay. Um so I start saying so the first mitzvah I'm following Rashi and the majority of them not Izzra and not others who say that I am the Lord your God is not a mitzvah because if it were a mitzvah it would say thou shalt thou shalt >> give me this. Oh, you want to get two of them for nothing, huh? Uh you thou shalt, you know, it would say thou shalt believe that I am your God or you know, however would say it sometime, but it doesn't say there's no verb of what you should do. So that many say this is not really a mitzvah. What is it? Hello. Poor the poor Jews are staying there on a volcano in front of them and they hear this powerful voice. They said, "What the hell?" You know, and he says, "Don't worry. I know. You know who you hear? It's Mia's talking. So then listen to what I have to say." Now comes the mitzvah number one, which now is really number two, right? But I this is that's the minority of views even though I think that's the right one. But anyway, um that begins that first one is a theme of belief in God or love of God. Right? So it doesn't say or but it does know that says it's the first one and that is a mitzvah. You see it's a section is a belief in God is a mitzvah. Then you have um the second one that you shall have no other gods not to worship other gods with that but there's also a mitzvah you cannot do this thing now comes something else when we get to the third you'll notice I really shouldn't have done this but you'll notice that number okay one okay is found in this chapters 6 to 11 this concept cept of a mitzvah section, the belief in love and and love of God. And we're going to get to that if we have time today yet. The second one talks about not to have other gods, the prohibition of idolatry. That's also found in the 6th to 11th chapters of realizing that the really start uh is in the fifth chapter and I told you that's part of the introduction. So now you know this now by the sixth one. Now we're talking about you know the heavy stuff now the commandments the laws that's what it is also mitzvah. Then comes the uh the the third mitzvah the uh is not to take God's name in vain right and that is the idea of to establish God's name in the mikdash specifically that we find in chapters 12 to 14 it repeats and that's part not the just mitzvah but is a little different section it's part of theim and uh the the laws and and the what should I say Mishkim and the not I had it before and then it flew out of my ear just now I had it in my uh statutes not the ones with statues it's statutes okay I don't know the English difference but I used to you some people think I know something yes >> yes so I a little I would like you to explain not to take Hashem's thing in vain because there are so many different explanations I'd like to hear. [clears throat] >> Look, you're you're right and I would love to go through the mitzvah of what it is and what is the specific thing. There are people, for example, it's great. I grew up in in America. I didn't really grow up, but anyway, in America and um Hashem, Elohim, Kale, Shakai, come to Israel. They're saying they're saying that Elohim, Hashem, they do say, but they often say God's name. They don't they don't believe it. in when it comes to studying and speaking Torah that one is taking God's name in vain. And which God's name? Well, what? Let's face it. I still I have the habit of saying God g dash D. Why? Because that's what they told me how to do it. I can't say God's name and name. That's not God's name, right? >> You know, if God has a name of Irving, I couldn't say Irving, you know. Well, that's really a verb. It's, you know, one shiller. Now, it's a Monday Irving. But anyway, you know, that's not God's name. That's a shame hashem as as is in Hebrew, you know, but we're very careful about that here. I found that that's really not. So, I'm trying to break that that uh habit that I have, but as with many habits, I'm don't quite do it. So when I'm writing these articles and in tidbits so I find myself some saying the g-d jin dish I mean I do it on the computer d it it always finds dash and gots a d in the next next line drives me crazy but anyway um the what it is exactly to establish God's name is a very good question it's somewhat complicated but it does not mean in my humble opinion which is correct um that God said, "No, in God, you know, people go around in America and they want to have soda, they ask to have some ginger kale." You can't do that. It makes no sense. Um at any rate that's part of the third section section of as is to observe Shabbat Shabbat show which includes not only the the sabbatical week the weekly sbatical but the annual uh not annual the seven annual that too and also under that any any concept of lot you're not allowed to do work whether It is working in the field or it is working on Yant. That's all part of the Shabbat. The idea of the one must must uh um uh rest not do that's all part of and we'll find that in especially primarily I should say in chapters 15 and 16. [snorts] Then of course uh should I call it menshite you know how you behave with people that's the most difficult mitzvah I found when I come here to Israelite um so you have here to respect one's parents one's elders which is laws not just for uh parents elders for leadership let me I mentioned this to you but I'm sure you may not have remembered it cuz God knows I really remember anything myself. The concept of is the essential concept of any mitzvah any misor. If you have no respect of what your parents, your teachers, your leaders have taught you, then why are you going to listen to the Torah? Ah, he's an old man. What does he remember? And there goes the whole beauty of the misora. There's no misora where you have no respect for past uh for past generations. There can be over respect to it also. tell a story which is a true story by a very fine rabbi who told the story and he was saying he was a very successful rabbi still is uh when he was in the states uh and he brought a lot of uh not yet religious Jews to become religious. They had a wonderful shoo did a great thing and a young man had become religious and was very happy. He gets a call from the mother. She said, "I'd want to come and see you, Rabbi." He said, "Sure." He said, he said, "I always love getting I'm get pat. Oh, thank you so much." Oh, he he will left he left religion, but you've brought him back. So, he said, "Fine. In come this woman, Hungarian thick accent, knew Yiddish, and so did he, but she spoke in English, and came to sit down there. Rabbi, what did you do to my son? I spent years making sure he doesn't get to this oldtime religion stuff. Who? What did you do? So on and so forth. And she starts yelling and screaming. He said, "I'm sorry. I did what was best, my belief." And he seems to take it. Said, "I don't you know people. You think all Hungarians were all very of these things." So I was Hungarian. The bulk of the Jews had Christmas trees as well. >> Christmas trees. And that's why not every Jew lived in a state in Europe. Not every Jew sat and learned all the time. The bulk of the Jews did not. There was never as much Torah learning in the world in all of the years than you have here in one month in Israel. People forget that. Oh, but over there, you know, there was Come on, get real. Yeah, they ran. They ran to get the the wonderful uh the Messiah that they thought was going to be right. Chapter 3. And when he and then he said, "Oh, sorry about that. Oh, Amir and Sultan. Uh, I'll become a Muslim." Do you know how many good Jews jumped into the water and they drowned themselves and suicide? You know how many Jews died because of this false messiah? Do you know why the villag was strongly powerfully against the kidic movement when it began? He said all we need is one rebi who's going to say I can do this. Come here. I'll make you I'll heal you. Come here. Don't worry. He dies and he's buried but they still think he's alive. said, "What's going to happen? We're going to have another another [snorts] and more suicides. You can't make a a person a god or a msiach when he's not." That was his powerful againstism. Has changed tremendously since that time when it began. But that was a fear. At any rate, that was keeping an understanding past generations and what they have indeed taught you within the what we would say the um god the the halakic system. I'll say it that also found in the 17th and 18th is fine. Then of course the prohibition against lots murder capital crimes um the laws of war and included under that and of murder and capital punishment you find that in chapters 19 to 21 by the way um I'll have one of them will probably be afterwards about the um laws of the what we call the woman uh who has found in an a you know a a P who uh is taken by a a Jewish soldier who wants to marry her you know asa it's called very first part of kit it's very interesting sh as to where it belongs is it part of the law of of of war or is it part of the war of I should say of society social laws Interesting. >> Could I just go back to um the point of right my father was a ra and he lived with mo in war for seven years and then he got and then he got smith I can say I come from a mixed marriage. Why? My wife her father was al is al was also a ro but she was from >> and she is a direct descendant >> of the and the kinska's daughter >> and those you can't put in the same category as a happy clappy >> which is Why I said >> the are you kidding the the changes within the first and second generation after BMTO made a complete difference >> part of it I mean remember when it first started and it started for very good reasons because a lot of you know the the the regular people weren't sitting and learning they couldn't they had to make a living and yet the uh you know the Great great dom like the goon said if you're not studying Torah what kind of Jew are you how do I they people felt that they couldn't be really Jewish that they aren't good if because they can't be learning Torah all the time and they felt very bad along come says you don't need to be sitting and learning all the time you can also get close to God through the dating through the all and through dancing and enjoy and it brought a lot of Jews back to Yiddishkai not to feel guilty that all were not good Jews. It's a phenomenally important thing. No, we look back after the 200 two 200 300 years 250 years of kasidism and stuff like that and saying well maybe we're a little too tough on them oh vagon um or maybe the learned I mean for example when came and said that that they said no learning is important that was a big turnaround for the kasidic movement who was saying it's not important soism properly defined itself a little different with still the the basic ideas are still there but it moved more for the so that all of the opposition was less and therefore where it's no longer as you said a a mixed marriage not mixed marriage nowadays nobody thinks about you know or you know ordam all the hope is just are they Jewish? That's what we're worried about now. >> Um and then we have the uh last section, the the seventh, 8th, 9th, and 10th. Loaf lo not to commit adultery, not to kidnap, not to testify falsely, uh not to coveret somebody else's things. And these are the miscellane miscellaneous laws. We we say the social war laws uh what I say >> how you should be a person that's the weakest part I find here and I hate to say this it's painful in certain areas here in Israelite it's very difficult there is a culture a certain culture someplace sometimes even within the uh the kim and anything of an elitist well we're more important important than these people. We're we're better than them. And that's why we don't have to, you know, give things like that to them. And and it's a and the greatest of rabbis, and I'm not going to mention names, who say things that are suddenly outrageous. Uh almost as if they never knew the real people who are running around there, who are people that he should say he shouldn't do this and that. What are you talking about? Do you know who you have there? So this elitism and this gap and unfortunately a a part aparture from the real uh society makes people less likely to listen to rabbis >> because they said come on what are you talking about you know it's a part of the problem we have with the with uh the army you know things like that to different camps that totally don't understand each other and they're both right and they're both wrong because they don't understand each other then but that's part of the and primarily that's the 21st to 25th chapters in now after that that's when Mosha's name is is mentioned for the first time in I mean not the first time in it says and and Moshe said with this the first verse of uh V after that who knows where Mosha was he was just kept on talking and talking that's why Rabbas talks so much it's no Mosha Rabenu did it not my fault so he gave spoke and spoke finally in this 26th chapter kavo then in effect go he had gone through the history and the laws the basic laws now and now he can go speaks to him and says Okay, I hate to tell you this Moshe, but you're just about about to die in the next couple weeks. So therefore, do the following things. And that's the first time Moshe comes and speaks about that. That's why we have the laws and the and the ending on 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32. That's the final chapters where um Moshe dies at the very end. of course the blessings that Moshe gives uh the Yoshua taking over all these things that we find but anyway that's a section and the these separations I suppose of the boat now when we're going to start and go into the sections now the division of which I think I did get that one out after the introductory fence we have now as I said the mitzvah section is as it says 6 to11 and I'll go through with that but I'm going to go through with that. I think we're about to finish now but I want to tell you what is the the mitzvah. I'm going to show it to you. God forbid I have a here. Let me show you how we start. What words? Why do they I mean who's saying this besides me? Because I learned it from others. Um, who says it? Oh, the sections of the mitzvot and theim start in the sixth uh the sixth chapter. Okay, let me see. Um, well, note what it says. First words of the sixth chapter. And here are the laws, the mitzvah, the kukim, and the mishbatim that God commanded I should teach you that you should keep them and follow them when you enter the new land. So I didn't say it that the Torah said this is this section se section begins in parag and begins with the first words of parag and it goes and says the reason is so that you you will fear God and follow all mitzvot you and your children and grandchildren forever and so that you will have a long life and listen to these words therefore and be careful to observe serve them so that you can have a wonderful life in the new land. Those are the first three verses of this new section. You know what the first words are of the new section of the mitzvah is a first mitzvah. What's the first wrote? [snorts] I am God. Hello. That's the beginning. You know why makes such a big deal? You have to say you have to say, you have to know it. I know how important it is because I listen every morning and every evening to people diving into my fitness first. You know how important this is the opening to the mitzvah and the and the but the mitzvah section and the mitzvah section is the big ones you know believing in God that's a pretty important thing is now isn't it amazing that we for all years have been studying and listening to we had no idea this is what it's about that's why to me it's so important that you come here. I can share some of this with you. It's amazing. It's just amazing. And next time we'll go on for the mitzvah and what mitzvot are found in the mitzvah section. Thank you so much for coming.