THE PENTATEUCH: Deuteronomy

The fifth and last book of the Pentateuch returns to a focus on legislation, albeit interspersed with the continuing narrative of the people of Israel just before the entry into the Promised Land. This is reflected in the source of the word 'Deuteronomy', which is derived from the Greek term deuteronomion, meaning 'second law' or 'the repeated law.' Jews however often refer to this book as devarim ('words'), which in itself is an abbreviation of 'elleh haddevarim, the opening sentence of the Book ("These are the words....").

Whereas Leviticus was mostly concerned with priestly laws, Deuteronomy is the core of the 'Torah' or the 'Law of Moses' that influences the future nation of Israel. Its principal focus is preparation for Israel's life in the land of Israel, prescribing a concrete code of conduct that will anchor the faith of every Jew and ensure a nation ruled by righteousness and justice

To a great extent, Deuteronomy is presented as a series of sermons by Moses to his people in which he reaffirms the principal instructions of God. His key tenets are that (1) everyone, including priests, is subject to the Law; (2) that the Lord can only be worshipped in one sacred precinct (a reference to the future Temple in Jerusalem); (3) that the faithful implementation of the Law will bring continued prosperity, whereas (4) the abandonment of God and his Law will result in swift punishment. To drive this point home, Moses follows up with a summary of specific curses that will afflict the people of Israel if they would ever stray from the path of the Law. The warnings are seen in the series of calamities that are detailed in the subsequent Books of the Prophets.