How to Read a Map Are we on the “Other Side of the Jordan” or at “the Plains of Moab”? The final verse of the fourth book of the Torah states explicitly that the Jewish people were at the plains of Moab: These are the commandments and the ordinances that the Lord commanded the children of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho. (Numbers 36:13) Yet, the next verse, the first verse of the fifth book of the Torah, refers to the same geographical location by the name "The other side of the Jordan": These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on that side of the Jordan in the desert (Deuteronomy 1:1) How do you define your state of being? How do you define your “place” in the world, based on where you are, or based on where you are heading? The fourth book of the Torah tells of the forty-year journey through the desert, a challenging journey both physically and spiritually. The Hebrew word “plains”, Arvot, shares the same letters as the word for “Erev”, evening, representing the spiritual darkness and challenge of the journey. The conclusion of the fourth book represents the triumph over the challenges and difficulties. Finally, they crossed the desert, learning from and ultimately transforming the painful experiences. The fifth book of the Torah presents a completely different model of how to live in this world. We are not in the “plains of darkness”, but on the other side of the Jordan. Our existence is defined in relation to the holiness and land of Israel, which we are working toward. Our perception while facing the darkness is not confusion and melancholy, but rather the clarity and optimism that comes from being on the precipice of a bright future, when we will cross the river and enter the holy land. When you look at your life, when you look into the figurative map to locate the “you are here”, remember that it's up to you to define your position. Are you at the plains of Moab, or at the other side of the Jordan? Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Shabbat Devarim 5788
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