דברים, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ח

As the establishment of the desert judicial system is finalized, Moses shifts his focus from the newly appointed judges to the general public. He issues a clear warning to the Israelites, demanding that they maintain a deep respect and reverence for the law and its judges, mirroring the earlier cautions given to the judges themselves [קיצור בעל הטורים, שפתי כהן]. Furthermore, Moses makes a point of absolute transparency. He assures the nation that he did not withhold any laws from the judges in an attempt to preserve his own power or keep them dependent on him. Instead, he taught them everything openly [מלבי״ם].

Regarding the exact nature of the instructions given to the people, the primary approach among commentators is that the focus remains strictly on the legal system. Specifically, Moses is teaching the ten fundamental differences between monetary civil cases and capital cases involving the death penalty [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה, ברטנורא, חומש קה״ת]. These distinctions were designed to make capital trials far more strict and careful, affecting the required number of judges, the order of proceedings, the rules for changing an opinion for or against the accused, and the timing of the verdict. Some note that these ten legal differences are subtly woven into the surrounding events [משכיל לדוד].

Another perspective suggests that Moses is referring broadly to all the laws, statutes, and Torah he taught the Israelites directly [אבן עזרא, רמב״ן, הטור הארוך, רש ר הירש, ביאור יש״ר]. According to this view, Moses emphasizes that while he accepted his father-in-law Jethro's advice to delegate the burden of judging, he kept the responsibility of teaching the Torah entirely to himself. Notably, Moses omits Jethro's name here. This omission may stem from Moses's own humility, a desire to avoid reminding the current generation about Jethro's Cushite wife, or simply because the delegation of judges was ultimately carried out only after consulting God and acting upon His direct command [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך].

A completely different approach suggests that the instructions actually refer to the physical preparations for traveling through the desert. The phrasing subtly minimizes the Israelites' own efforts, hinting that their survival and readiness on the journey were primarily the result of miracles rather than human labor [העמק דבר].

Finally, the specific mention of the time when these commands were given carries its own significance. One explanation is that Moses highlights the timeframe to prove that the people learned the entire Torah very quickly. Consequently, their forty-year delay in the desert was entirely the result of their sins, rather than a need for additional time to study [חזקוני]. Another interpretation connects this timing to Moses's promise to handle the most difficult legal disputes. He assures the people that whenever a complex case is brought before him, he will not delay justice. Instead, he will immediately seek God's word and provide a swift, decisive answer right then and there [כלי יקר].