Two-Line Torah: Devarim 5777– May we embark on a journey

May we embark on a journey, bringing with us moments of revelation and learning.  

In Devarim, the first parsha in the final book of the Torah, Moshe does a recap – repeating laws of the Torah to prepare the people for living in the Land of Israel. As the parsha begins, the people are at the verge of entering the promised land.  Moshe recounts how an 11 day journey took 40 years of wandering. He begins with leaving Mount Sinai…

G‑d spoke to us in Horeb, saying: “You have long enough stayed at this mountain. Turn away, and take your journey …” (Devarim 1:6–7) The mountain here is Sinai – the site where we received Torah. G‑d firmly insists we move on, continuing our journey to the promised land. Many of us disperse for the summer to learn and grow off campus; our moments of holiness and enrichment expand across the country or the world.  Each of us might experience moments of revelation. But by the end of the summer, it is time for us all to return to campus. Can you imagine if all our experiences and learnings didn’t make it back with us? 

Just as the Jewish people had to bring the wisdom of Sinai with them to the promised land, it is essential that these gems of revelation and enrichment travel with us from their original sites back to campus. We can integrate what we each have learned and seen into the whole community. What moments of revelation can you share from this summer?

May we all have moments of holiness and learning in the coming weeks, and the intention and ability to bring them back to share with others.  

Aliza Caplan is a Springboard Innovation Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.