History rarely announces its turning points.

When Theodor Herzl convened the First Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897, few could have imagined that his vision would lead, just half a century later, to the rebirth of Jewish sovereignty. When David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, no one knew whether the fledgling state would survive its first week. Even the extraordinary victory of the Six-Day War in 1967, which reunited Jerusalem with the Jewish people after two millennia, did not bring the peace many hoped would follow.

Each generation believed it had reached the destination.

Instead, it had arrived at the next stage of the journey.

Perhaps one day historians will say the same about October 7, 2023. Not simply because of the horror of that day, but because it marked the beginning of another chapter in the story of Israel.

That, I believe, is one of the profound messages of Parshat Devarim.

Standing on the plains of Moab, Moses knows he will never cross the Jordan. His task is no longer to lead the people but to prepare them. Devarim is often read as a summary of Israel’s past, yet it is really a preparation for Israel’s future. Moses is teaching a new generation how to understand history, because the generation that enters the land will face challenges very different from those that left Egypt.

One detail in the parsha captures this beautifully. God tells Israel, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain” (Deuteronomy 1:6), urging the nation to move towards the Promised Land. Fear, however, overwhelms faith. The opportunity is lost, and what should have been a short journey becomes forty years in the wilderness. Four decades later, a new generation hears another command: “You have skirted this hill country long enough; now turn north” (Deuteronomy 2:3).

The promise had never changed.

Yet even crossing the Jordan did not complete the story. Joshua secured important victories but never conquered the entire land. The period of the Judges was marked by repeated invasions, internal divisions and political instability. David united the tribes and established Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but he spent much of his reign fighting wars and confronting rebellion within his own household. Solomon built the Temple, only for the united monarchy to fracture soon after his death.

The Promised Land was never the end of Israel’s story.

It was the beginning of the........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)