The speech is delivered at the end of the services. It starts with welcoming everybody. It continues with an insight from the parasha in which we can learn a lesson from. Then you acknowledge that you've become an adult and that you are responsible for your actions. Last but not least, you thank everyone for coming.
Parasha Vaetchanan Speech Example
Good morning everyone,
The Book of Devarim is the last will of Moses to the Jewish people. It is a series of discourses that took place over the last weeks of Moses’s life. It reviews key lessons and warnings that the Jewish people will need to draw on as they move forward through history.
At the beginning of this week’s parasha, Vaethanan, Moses tells the Israelites how his plea to enter the Promised Land had been rejected, how he was just allowed to climb to a mountain from where he would see the land. Moses prayed one last time to G-d to be allowed to enter the Land. However, these prayers were refused, and he had to accept the decree that Joshua would lead the Jewish people into the Land promised to their forefathers. All this is because of the incident that happened previously when the Hebrews complained of not having water to drink in the desert and Moses angrily hits the rock instead of speaking to it, as G-d had commanded him.
In this week’s parasha, we find a compilation of the torah’s greatest and most famous stories, both in laws and narratives.
In fact, this week’s portion is very rich in texts known by all of us. Such as some Passover Haggadah verses, the Ten Commandments and the first section of Shema Israel that I read during the prayer.
The Passover allusion is seen in this following verse that we read every seder nights in the Haggadah. Moshe instructs the Hebrews how to respond to their children who might inquire about all the commandments. As it says “If your child asks you tomorrow, “What are the testimonies and the decrees that Hashem our G-d commanded you?’ You shall say to your child, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and G-d took us out of Egypt with a strong hand.” We are therefore reminded to recall our redemption from slavery in the land of Egypt. This is also an allusion to the story of the 4 children mentioned in the Haggadah. There are 4 children, all with different learning styles, and the job of our parents is to be able to teach the meaning of Passover to each of them.
The parasha continues with a re-stating of the Ten Commandments, which are: (1) To know there is a G-d who took us out of the land of Egypt; (2) Not to have any other G-ds; (3) Not to say G-d’s name in vain; (4) To keep the Sabbat; (5) To honor one’s father and mother; (6) Not to kill; (7) Not to commit adultery; (8) Not to steal; (9) Not to bear false witness; (10) Not to covet.
The parasha also includes the first chapter of Shema (Hear O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One), a prayer familiar to all of us, perhaps the most famous verse of all. In fact, I read it today during the morning prayer.
Why does this verse stand out so much and why are we specifically instructed to read this verse twice a day?
Rashi, a famous commentator that lived in France in the 11th century, notes that the first half of the verse refers to Hashem as "our G-d," whereas the second half uses the term "One." He explains that today, he is only the God of Israel, but the day will come when the entire world will recognize Him as the only One.
The paragraph that follows contains the mitzvot of belief in love of G‑d, the mitzva of tefillin, the mezuzah and Torah study. This text asks the Jewish people to love G-d with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their might.
These verses also emphasize G-d's oneness and Israel's undivided loyalty to Him. This loyalty was to be achieved through observance and teaching of His Commandments, which were to be remembered by means of a "sign" upon the hand, a "reminder" between the eyes, symbolized by the Tefillin that I wore today for the first time, and the mezuzah that can be seen on my home’s and on every Jewish home’s doorposts.
I would like to thank …