Word(s) Count: Va’Ethannan Why does Moses alter God’s words? Moses prepares the children of the slaves to enter the Promised Land. He repeats the Ten Commandments, but with changes. Exodus 5:1-14 is the immediate account of Mount Sinai. Deuteronomy 5:6-18 is Moses’ retelling. The first seven verses, 103 words are identical with the exception of…

This week is a double portion that concludes the book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Torah that covers thirty-eight years of travel through the desert. The people are now poised to enter the Promised Land. Mattot means tribes. Each of the twelve tribe had a distinctive identity as part of a larger collective.…