The Original Introduction of D
The book of Devarim has accounts of history, but it does not have any ancient history. It does for instance not mention the creation of the world. While it does mention the fathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, it does say anything about their lives. The question I wish to address is why this is, what is the heart of the matter. The clue is with the fragment Devarim 10:12-22, which in translation is as follows, excluding 10:13 and 10:19:
Later, mentions of the fathers being Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov were added, and the above fragment was replaced. It was conserved as Devarim 10:12-22, or hidden there in the sea of words that were added by the Deuteronomists that would follow. We note that more than one English translation even uses "ancestors" for the fathers who went down to Egypt, while using "fathers" or "forefathers" for the fathers whose seed was chosen, and for the fathers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, and also for the fathers to whom was promised a land flowing with milk and honey, though in Hebrew the same word, אֲבֹתֶיךָ/אֲבֹתֵיכֶם, is used. An error in translation; a further obfuscation of the historical truth.
This contradicts RJE, who exactly through the ages of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, encoded a great secret. But the author of Devarim saw it as his task to write down a constitution for a society led by Levitical priests, by the tribe of Levi. He did not acknowledge a history other than the seventy souls, he did not know about any great secrets. If it had been up to him, we would not have known of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. It is because of this original bias, which was subsequently eased, that the book of Devarim eventually received the status of the fifth book of the Torah.
It should be noted here that the change in the meaning of "fathers," which comes from the change in the flow of Devarim, caused a need for the verse עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר-שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי; וַיִּשְׁמֹר, מִשְׁמַרְתִּי, מִצְוֹתַי, חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי, Bereshit 26:5. This verse provides a new antecedent for "as He swore to your fathers" in Devarim 13:18, which is to overrule the old antecedent, i.e., Shemot 15:26. It could be that for this purpose the word וְהִרְבֶּךָ was added to Devarim 13:18. It modifies the preceding וְרִחַמְך, which is forced by the context and by itself points at Shemot 15:26, to point at Bereshit 26:4,5.
The construction of Sefer Devarim out of the original thus took many small steps. The introduction of Devarim 13:18,19 was one step, the modification needed to point at Bereshit 26:4,5 was another step, and there were many others. Some steps involved changes in other parts of the Torah, some were limited to Devarim. This points at a perhaps unexpected reality of the construction of unity, the construction of a people that believe in unity. That is what Torah is. And it explains the precarious task of Anshei Amanah, to carefully go according to the Truth.
Here is the reconstructed original text of the introduction, in Hebrew. The above translated fragment is in bold. The text has the Tikkunim that were discussed before:
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Behold, unto the LORD thy God belongeth the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that therein is.
Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you, above all peoples, as it is this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
For the LORD your God, He is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great God, the mighty, and the awful, who regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.
He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; Him shalt thou serve; and to Him shalt thou cleave, and by His name shalt thou swear.
He is thy glory, and He is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and tremendous things, which thine eyes have seen.
Thy fathers went down into Egypt with seventy souls; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee--a land flowing with milk and honey,
gets a meaning through what has been said before. That is, the interpretation is the seventy souls, not Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. This is consistent with the many mentions of "a land flowing with milk and honey" in relation to the mission of Moshe. The first such mention is in Shemot 3:8.Later, mentions of the fathers being Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov were added, and the above fragment was replaced. It was conserved as Devarim 10:12-22, or hidden there in the sea of words that were added by the Deuteronomists that would follow. We note that more than one English translation even uses "ancestors" for the fathers who went down to Egypt, while using "fathers" or "forefathers" for the fathers whose seed was chosen, and for the fathers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, and also for the fathers to whom was promised a land flowing with milk and honey, though in Hebrew the same word, אֲבֹתֶיךָ/אֲבֹתֵיכֶם, is used. An error in translation; a further obfuscation of the historical truth.
This contradicts RJE, who exactly through the ages of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, encoded a great secret. But the author of Devarim saw it as his task to write down a constitution for a society led by Levitical priests, by the tribe of Levi. He did not acknowledge a history other than the seventy souls, he did not know about any great secrets. If it had been up to him, we would not have known of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. It is because of this original bias, which was subsequently eased, that the book of Devarim eventually received the status of the fifth book of the Torah.
It should be noted here that the change in the meaning of "fathers," which comes from the change in the flow of Devarim, caused a need for the verse עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר-שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי; וַיִּשְׁמֹר, מִשְׁמַרְתִּי, מִצְוֹתַי, חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי, Bereshit 26:5. This verse provides a new antecedent for "as He swore to your fathers" in Devarim 13:18, which is to overrule the old antecedent, i.e., Shemot 15:26. It could be that for this purpose the word וְהִרְבֶּךָ was added to Devarim 13:18. It modifies the preceding וְרִחַמְך, which is forced by the context and by itself points at Shemot 15:26, to point at Bereshit 26:4,5.
The construction of Sefer Devarim out of the original thus took many small steps. The introduction of Devarim 13:18,19 was one step, the modification needed to point at Bereshit 26:4,5 was another step, and there were many others. Some steps involved changes in other parts of the Torah, some were limited to Devarim. This points at a perhaps unexpected reality of the construction of unity, the construction of a people that believe in unity. That is what Torah is. And it explains the precarious task of Anshei Amanah, to carefully go according to the Truth.
Here is the reconstructed original text of the introduction, in Hebrew. The above translated fragment is in bold. The text has the Tikkunim that were discussed before:
וְזֹאת, הַתּוֹרָה, אֲשֶׁר-שָׂם מֹשֶׁה, לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֵלֶּה, הָעֵדֹת, וְהַחֻקִּים, וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים--אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּצֵאתָם מִמִּצְרָיִם. בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן בַּגַּיְא, מוּל בֵּית פְּעוֹר, בְּאֶרֶץ סִיחֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי, אֲשֶׁר יוֹשֵׁב בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן--אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּצֵאתָם מִמִּצְרָיִם. וַיִּירְשׁוּ אֶת-אַרְצוֹ וְאֶת-אֶרֶץ עוֹג מֶלֶךְ-הַבָּשָׁן, שְׁנֵי מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי, אֲשֶׁר, בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן--מִזְרַח, שָׁמֶשׁ. מֵעֲרֹעֵר אֲשֶׁר עַל-שְׂפַת-נַחַל אַרְנֹן, וְעַד-הַר שִׂיאֹן--הוּא חֶרְמוֹן. וְכָל-הָעֲרָבָה עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן, מִזְרָחָה, וְעַד, יָם הָעֲרָבָה--תַּחַת, אַשְׁדֹּת הַפִּסְגָּה.
וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה, אֶל-כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא אֶת-אֲבֹתֵינוּ, כִּי אֹתָּנוּ, אֲנַחְנוּ אֵלֶּה פֹה הַיּוֹם כֻּלָּנוּ חַיִּים.
שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד. וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ. וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ. וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.
וְעַתָּה, יִשְׂרָאֵל--מָה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ: כִּי אִם-לְיִרְאָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל-דְּרָכָיו, וּלְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ, וְלַעֲבֹד אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשֶׁךָ. הֵן לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם, הָאָרֶץ, וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר-בָּהּ. רַק בַּאֲבֹתֶיךָ חָשַׁק יְהוָה, לְאַהֲבָה אוֹתָם; וַיִּבְחַר בְּזַרְעָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם, בָּכֶם מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים--כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה. וּמַלְתֶּם, אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם; וְעָרְפְּכֶם--לֹא תַקְשׁוּ, עוֹד. כִּי, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם--הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים, וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים: הָאֵל הַגָּדֹל הַגִּבֹּר, וְהַנּוֹרָא, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יִשָּׂא פָנִים, וְלֹא יִקַּח שֹׁחַד. עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם, וְאַלְמָנָה; וְאֹהֵב גֵּר, לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה. אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא, אֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹד; וּבוֹ תִדְבָּק, וּבִשְׁמוֹ תִּשָּׁבֵעַ. הוּא תְהִלָּתְךָ, וְהוּא אֱלֹהֶיךָ--אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה אִתְּךָ, אֶת-הַגְּדֹלֹת וְאֶת-הַנּוֹרָאֹת הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ, עֵינֶיךָ. בְּשִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ, יָרְדוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ מִצְרָיְמָה; וְעַתָּה, שָׂמְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם, לָרֹב.
וְזֹאת הַמִּצְוָה, הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לְלַמֵּד אֶתְכֶם--לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ. לְמַעַן תִּירָא אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבֶן-בִּנְךָ, כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ--וּלְמַעַן, יַאֲרִכֻן יָמֶיךָ. וְשָׁמַעְתָּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשָׁמַרְתָּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לְךָ, וַאֲשֶׁר תִּרְבּוּן מְאֹד: כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֶיךָ, לָךְ--אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב, וּדְבָשׁ
וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה, אֶל-כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא אֶת-אֲבֹתֵינוּ, כִּי אֹתָּנוּ, אֲנַחְנוּ אֵלֶּה פֹה הַיּוֹם כֻּלָּנוּ חַיִּים.
שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָה אֶחָד. וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ. וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם--עַל-לְבָבֶךָ. וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ, וְדִבַּרְתָּ בָּם, בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ בַדֶּרֶךְ, וּבְשָׁכְבְּךָ וּבְקוּמֶךָ. וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת, עַל-יָדֶךָ; וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת, בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ. וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזֻזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ.
וְעַתָּה, יִשְׂרָאֵל--מָה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ: כִּי אִם-לְיִרְאָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ
וְזֹאת הַמִּצְוָה, הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לְלַמֵּד אֶתְכֶם--לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ. לְמַעַן תִּירָא אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבֶן-בִּנְךָ, כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ--וּלְמַעַן, יַאֲרִכֻן יָמֶיךָ. וְשָׁמַעְתָּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשָׁמַרְתָּ לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֲשֶׁר יִיטַב לְךָ, וַאֲשֶׁר תִּרְבּוּן מְאֹד: כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֶיךָ, לָךְ--אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב, וּדְבָשׁ