In the concluding sections of Moshe’s final speech to the Jewish people, he reminds them of the binding covenant between the people and God that spans generations. A promise made to our forefathers playing out in the generation about to enter the land of Israel, extends also to future members of the nations. He warns them about abandoning the covenant, that it will lead to their being expelled from the land. The paragraph concludes with an enigmatic statement.

דברים כט

(כח) הַנִּ֨סְתָּרֹ֔ת לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְהַנִּגְלֹ֞ת לָ֤ׄנׄוּׄ וּׄלְׄבָׄנֵ֙ׄיׄנׄוּ֙ׄ עַׄד־עוֹלָ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת אֶת־כׇּל־דִּבְרֵ֖י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

Devarim 29

28 The hidden things belong to the Lord, our God, but the revealed things apply to us and to our children forever: that we must fulfill all the words of this Torah.

The Torah states that “hidden things” belong to God, while “the revealed things are for us and our children”. What is the meaning of this sentence and what does it aim to convey to the people? How does it relate to Moshe’s message at this time?

רלב"ג דברים כט

(כח) הנסתרות לי"י אלהינו והנגלות לנו וגו' – אמר זה כי אולי יחשוב חושב כי האדם יחטא אם לא יושגו לו כונות התורה ואם היה שהישירה אליו מקניין השלמות האנושי ואם היה כן היה בלתי אפשר שיהיה אדם צדיק בארץ שלא יחטא כי לא יוכל לעמוד על כונות התורה בשלמות ואם היה זה כן איך יתכן שיצוה השם יתעלה לשמור כל מצותיו ואם לא ישמרו כלם יגיע להם אלו העונשים הנפלאים.

והנה להסיר זה הספק אמרה התורה כי הנסתרות שבמצות התורה – והם התועלות אשר תכוין אליהם בהם מפני היותם על מה שהם עליו – הם דברים לא יושגו על תכליתם כי אם לשם יתעלה לבדו ולזה לא ייוחס חטא לבלתי עומד על כונותיה ואולם הנגלות ממצותיה והם הפעולות והדברים שצותה התורה לעשות או להמנע מהם הם חובה לנו ולבנינו תמיד לדורותינו לעשות כפי מה שגזרה התורה מהם.

Ralbag on Devarim 29:28

(28) "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children..." – This statement addresses the concern that one might think a person will be sinning if he does not reach the [lofty] aims of the Torah, and if he does not acquire the ideal perfection of the human being. If this were the case, it would be impossible that a person could be righteous and not err. For it is impossible to reach the true intention of the Torah in its entirety. If this were the case, how could the Exalted One command us to keep all of his commandments, and if we don’t keep all of them [perfectly], we will receive these astounding punishments.

To remove this doubt, the Torah says that the hidden aspects of the commandments — those are the benefits to which they are ultimately intended — they are matters that only Hashem the Exalted can truly grasp, and therefore, no sin is attributed to someone who does not fully comprehend their objectives. However, the revealed aspect of the commandments, those are the actions and matters which the Torah commands us to do or to avoid, they are obligatory for us and our children perpetually for all generations, to be performed as the Torah prescribes.

The Ralbag explains that the statement from Moshe regarding the hidden and revealed is designed to dispel a particular notion. One might think that the Jewish people would be held fully accountable for not reaching the greatest aims of the Torah. Perhaps the punishments are a result of the bar being set too high. We are assured by Moshe that this is not the case. The hidden, according to the Ralbag, refers to the ultimate objectives of the mitzvot. We are held accountable for our observance or abandonment of the revealed and accessible aspect of the mitzvot. While the Torah indeed has lofty and magnificent objectives, the hidden, our covenant relates to the basic performance of the commandments, something that is imminently achievable. This theme is echoed a few verses later.

דברים ל

(יא) כִּ֚י הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לֹא־נִפְלֵ֥את הִוא֙ מִמְּךָ֔ וְלֹ֥א רְחֹקָ֖ה הִֽוא׃(יב) לֹ֥א בַשָּׁמַ֖יִם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲלֶה־לָּ֤נוּ הַשָּׁמַ֙יְמָה֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יג) וְלֹא־מֵעֵ֥בֶר לַיָּ֖ם הִ֑וא לֵאמֹ֗ר מִ֣י יַעֲבׇר־לָ֜נוּ אֶל־עֵ֤בֶר הַיָּם֙ וְיִקָּחֶ֣הָ לָּ֔נוּ וְיַשְׁמִעֵ֥נוּ אֹתָ֖הּ וְנַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃ (יד) כִּֽי־קָר֥וֹב אֵלֶ֛יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר מְאֹ֑ד בְּפִ֥יךָ וּבִֽלְבָבְךָ֖ לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃

Devarim 30

(11) For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away. (12) It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” (13) Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” (14) Rather, [this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.

רלב"ג דברים ל

(יג) ואינו גם כן מאופן מהעומק שיצטרכו לשוטט מעבר הים – להבין דבריה כי המצוה מעניינה והיא עשית המצוה הוא דבר קל מאד להגיד אותו בפה ולצייר אותו בלבבו וזה כי לא צותה התורה להעמיק העיון בה עד שיעמדו על כונותיה לפי מה שאפשר אך בטחה כי זה יתכן שישלם עם מה שהישירה אליו מזה מענין הבדל הכהנים והלוים לעבודת השם יתעלה כמו שביארנו במה שקדם

Ralbag Devarim 30

(13) Nor is it so profound that one needs to travel across the sea to understand its meaning. For the essential [requirement] of the commandment is to perform it, which is a very easy matter. To express in words, and to conceive it in one's heart. This is because the Torah does not require us to delve in depth to the greatest extent possible, but rather assures us reward for what we are directed to do, as we understand from the distinction of the priests and levites to serve Hashem the Exalted as we have explained previously.

Moshe’s message is that Torah observance is accessible. Indeed the mitzvot are aimed to lead us toward the loftiest goals for the human being. But we demonstrate our commitment to the covenant by engaging in the basic performances of the Torah. That is what we are accountable for. Not achieving the ultimate perfection does not violate the covenant we made with God. The mitzvot themselves, these pathways to perfection, are not in the heavens or across the sea, but right in front of us.

References

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

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