While Nisan is the beginning of the Jewish people, Tishei reminds us that we are responsible for our actions as a free people.

One of the most important lessons of the Torah is that we have to make an effort and God will then help us. That said, we should never say that God did not have a hand in our success.

Moses's final message to the Jewish people is that they have to maintain the standard of morality that they achieved in the wilderness.

The central message of this week's portion is that leaders come and go but the institutions of the Torah are eternal,

When we are called the Chosen people, it means that God chose us to show the world how a moral and ethical society behaves. We are not superior to others.

The commandment to keep accurate weights and measures in business comes before the commandment to destroy Amalek. The meaning is simple. Unethical business practices will destroy society from within. That is when Amalek strikes.

The Torah commands us to treat people as adults. That, as adults, we are responsible for our actions. We treat children as children until they reach adulthood.

In this week's portion Moses gives his last speech to the Jews. This is the last day of his life and he wants to stress that their fate is in their hands. That we are not fated by our birth or status. We can overcome our difficulties through keeping the commandments.

God wants us to serve Him with joy. That we can show the world what true service to God is. That we serve God, not only in prayer but in how we treat each other and that we treat each other morally and ethically with joy.

Being grateful to God is one of the hardest things to do when we are successful. That is why there is a special commandment in the Torah to remind us of this.