By Alysse Fuchs

This week's pharsha is SUPER JUICY.

If you want a more in depth summary, take a look here.

Here are some of the events that take place:

1. Moses is not allowed to enter the Promised Land

2. Moses talks about the importance of remembering the teachings of God and teaching them to children

3. Moses reminds Israelites that they are the “chosen” people, and refreshes The Covenant and the Ten Commandments.

4. Moses predicts that the Israelites will stray from obedience to laws established by God, and warns them.

5. Israelites violently enter the Promised Land

There is a lot that can be said about this Parsha, but I’m going to focus on one idea –the importance of remembering God’s commandments and not falling into disobedience once in the Promised Land, and the second is the notion of Israelites as the chosen people.

The first image in the portion is Moses looking at the Promised Land by the banks of the Jordan River. He gives a final speech in which he asserts Joshua as the new leader of the Jewish people and reminds Israelites to follow commandments and to teach their children the laws. Remember, Moses never enters the Promised Land – an entity that functions almost as a utopian ideal, and represents the entire future of the Jewish people.

In the movement, we have goals and dreams that are similarly utopian. We work towards “a new world order”, we dream of progressive egalitarian Jewish state, and we re-envision a society in which Capitalist values (ie: valuning money and profit) are replaced by system in which the value of people is central. Yet when we think about all these things, how often do we stop to reflect on what has occurred within our history as a movement? And even more importantly, how often do forget what our utopian visions are? Do we let the vehicles we use when striving to create a better world become the end goal? Do we forget our vision - instead convincing ourselves that the movement’s aims end in building interpersonal relationships and having strong kvutzot?

There is no doubt that we prioritize “teaching our children” the laws, ie: ensuring the continuation of the movement amongst our chanichim. Yet I wonder if we, like the Israelites, have to reminded not to worship false idols.

There is actually so much more to say, but I got to go do some stuff at Miriam.