The Idea that Changed the World (Rabbi Sacks on Va'etchanan, Covenant & Conversation)

The Office of Rabbi Sacks

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 601 Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2024

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Welcome to Covenant & Conversation essays, Rabbi Sacks' commentary on the weekly Torah portion, explores new ideas and sharing inspiration from the Torah readings of the week. You can find both the video and the full written article on Va'etchanan available to watch, read, print, and share, by visiting: https://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation/vaetchanan/the-idea-that-changed-the-world/ A new FAMILY EDITION is now also available: https://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation-family-edition/vaetchanan/the-idea-that-changed-the-world/ For more articles, videos, and other material from Rabbi Sacks, please visit www.RabbiSacks.org and follow @RabbiSacks. The Rabbi Sacks Legacy continues to share weekly inspiration from Rabbi Sacks. This piece was originally written and recorded by Rabbi Sacks in 2011. With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship of Covenant & Conversation, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Our subject this week is Vaid Khanan, the idea that changed the world.
0:06.0	And what was that idea?
0:09.0	Well, let's turn to some really extraordinary words, spoken by Moses in this week's Parasha.
0:17.0	He tells the Israelites,
0:19.0	You shall be very careful to fulfill the chukim and misbatim the laws that I've mentioned to you.
0:27.6	Because that is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations
0:35.6	who will hear about these decrees and say,
0:39.3	surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. Now, listen to this for a moment.
0:45.4	It's an extraordinary remark. Moses is saying, non-Jews will see the wisdom of the Torah.
0:53.3	He is even implying that non-Jews may sometimes see the wisdom of the Torah. He is even implying that non-Jews may sometimes see the wisdom of the
0:57.6	Torah more clearly than Jews. And it will be the fact that non-Jews respect it that may even
1:03.3	lead Jews to respect it. And that's really extraordinary. I mean, think about when this was said
1:09.8	and how it was said.
1:11.6	Here is a moment in history when the Israelites have just been slaves.
1:17.4	They still don't even have their own land.
1:20.4	They have no influence on anyone.
1:22.3	They have no power whatsoever.
1:24.3	And yet 3,300 years ago, Moses is saying one day, your story, your laws, your Torah, will inspire the world.
1:34.3	And that is really rather remarkable.
1:38.3	And I want us to witness how this actually happened.
1:42.3	We're going to watch a couple of little moments,
1:45.2	a few moments from history,
	...

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