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In Exodus the commandment is to keep the Sabbath while in Deuteronomy the commandment is to remember it. The reason is simple, if you do not remember it there is nothing to keep and if you do not keep it then there is nothing to remember.

One of the prime lessons we learn is that Moses is denied entry into the Land of Israel. One reason is that his time as leader was over. His mere presence would have undermined the leadership of Joshua. A leader has to know when to step down.

There is an idea that we are not responsible for our actions. This is not what the Torah says. Even if it is an accident we hold some responsibility.

The Torah emphasizes our need to do the right thing. It is no accident that this week’s portion is always read during the 3 Weeks of mourning. That is because we lost the Temple because we did the wrong thing.

The Book of Deuteronomy begins with Moses recounting the things that happened in the wilderness. His aim was that we should learn from our mistakes. Greatness comes from someone learning what the did that was wrong and working to correct them.

As we are in the Three Weeks we have to remember that we are only deserving of the Land if we treat each other properly. The reason we lost the land was in our bad behavior one to the other.

The commandment to drive the local population out of the land seems cruel to us today. We have to realize the evil that those societies represented. The Torah was afraid that they would influence the Jews.

The idea of the Cities of Refuge was for someone who accidentally killed another. The were allowed out when the High Priest died. The reason is that if he had been doing his job correctly then the accidental death would not have occurred.

The tribes of Reuben & Gad request permission to settle on the east bank of the Jordan River. Moses grants this on the condition that they help in the mission in conquering the Land. This is to show that we have a duty to our nation.

The Jews receive a commandment to kill all the Midianites, women as well as men. Why? The women were willing participants in the evil plans of Balak. He did not have to force them to do it. They were as bad as the men.