דברים, פרק א׳, פסוק ה׳

The final stop in the desert, just moments before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, marked a profound historical turning point. Moses transformed from the leader of a wandering nation into a teacher cementing an eternal legacy. Knowing he would not cross the Jordan River to guide the people in the days ahead, he gathered them to offer warnings, clarify lingering doubts, and review the Commandments. His goal was to remind them of past failures, such as the sin of the spies, to ensure these mistakes were not repeated. He sought to instill a deep understanding that their future success in the land would depend entirely on their moral loyalty to God, rather than their military might [ספורנו, רלב״ג, רש״ר הירש]. Furthermore, Moses wanted the new generation born in the desert to hear the Ten Commandments and the laws directly from a faithful prophet, just as their ancestors had, thereby clarifying and strengthening their faith [אבן עזרא, חזקוני, רבנו בחיי].

This monumental gathering represented a fresh beginning, initiating a new phase of profound explanation [רש״י, דברי דוד]. Moses approached this task willingly and with immense generosity of spirit, taking it upon himself to provide this clarity, a decision with which God fully agreed [בכור שור, ביאור יש״ר, העמק דבר]. Others understand this moment as the establishment of an oath, where Moses brought the Israelites into a binding covenant to uphold the teachings [פענח רזא, צפנת פענח, שפתי כהן]. Regardless of the exact nature of his initiation, Moses engaged in this work with extraordinary mental fortitude and deep focus. His thought, will, and action united seamlessly into a single, powerful movement [אבן עזרא, אבי עזר, הכתב והקבלה].

In this context, the teaching served as comprehensive guidance rather than just a set of rules [שד״ל]. Throughout the years, Moses had taught the Commandments piece by piece as he received them. Now, nearing the end of his life, he was required to finalize the teachings, write them down, and explain them in a way that would be accessible and clear to any future reader, rather than leaving the knowledge solely in his own prophetic memory [מלבי״ם]. He also took this opportunity to teach the people the methods and principles for deriving laws independently from the texts [העמק דבר]. Some traditions even note that this extensive explanation was physically recorded on stones that Moses erected across the Jordan [תורה תמימה].

A classical tradition suggests that Moses delivered this sweeping explanation in seventy languages [רש״י]. The primary approach among commentators is divided on how to understand this. One school of thought takes the concept literally, explaining that Moses translated the teachings into all the world's languages. On a practical level, this ensured that every single individual in the massive crowd could understand the message perfectly [לבוש האורה]. On a spiritual level, it established a precedent that sacred teachings could and should be studied in everyday, secular languages, thereby elevating and infusing holiness into all aspects of worldly reality [חומש קה״ת]. A contrasting approach rejects the literal translation, arguing that the Israelites had no need for foreign tongues. Instead, they interpret the seventy languages metaphorically as seventy facets of wisdom. According to this view, Moses did not translate the words for foreign nations, but rather illuminated the profound depths, the hidden inner meanings, the various layers, and the diverse methods of studying the laws [הכתב והקבלה, ברכת אשר, העמק דבר].