Transitions are never easy. We get used to the way things are, and then suddenly everything changes. One of the best ways to handle a transition is to prepare for it.
That’s exactly what Moshe does in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy).
Unlike the other books of the Torah, which are told in the voice of Hashem and written by Moshe, the book of Devarim is Moshe’s voice. He speaks to the Jewish people as they prepare to enter the Land of Israel. They’re about to leave the cocoon of the desert, where miracles surrounded them, and begin a new life filled with farming, commerce, and physical responsibility.
And with that change comes risk.
Engaging in the physical world means there’s a real possibility of spiritual slippage. Mitzvot might become secondary. Priorities might shift.
Moshe anticipates this. He doesn’t spell out the past mistakes explicitly; instead, he hints at them. He gently reminds the people of where they faltered in a way that empowers them to take ownership of the future. Though Moshe speaks, it’s clear that Hashem’s voice is coming through. Still, Moshe is saying: This time, it’s your turn. You have to live it, you have to lead it, and you have to bring G-d into it.
The Rebbe did something very similar.
When the Rebbe sent Shluchim, emissaries, across the globe, he didn’t give a playbook or a list of instructions. Neither did he micromanage. Instead, the Rebbe gave us a mission: to look at our unique communities and figure out how to meet both their spiritual and physical needs.
We are still in exile. The core playbook remains: do mitzvot. But how we live that, how we make space for spirituality in our busy, physical lives, that’s something we each must discover for ourselves.
What’s your personal way to bring G-d into your everyday life? How do you connect?
Wishing you a meaningful and peaceful Shabbos,
Rabbi Kushi Schusterman