The Words That Build - Five Lessons from Moshe Rabbenu on Rebuke, Love, and Leadership

 This week’s
Shabbat morning class explored one of the most surprising lessons in Sefer
Devarim. As Moshe Rabbenu delivers his final words to the Jewish people, he
waits until the very end of his life to offer rebuke. Why did he wait? Drawing
on the teachings of Rabbi Amram Sananes, we discover that the Torah’s goal is
never simply to correct behavior—it is to build people. Through the examples of
Yaakov and Reuven, the episode of the meraglim, the Dubno Maggid’s moving
parable, and the unforgettable stories of Rav Shlomo Wolbe and Rav Elḥanan
Wasserman, we learn that truth is heard only when it is wrapped in love,
wisdom, and compassion. 

This
class was delivered on Shabbat morning and, after a number of congregants asked
that it be made available, it was recorded after Shabbat for those who wished
to hear it again or share it with others. As we approach Tish’ah BeAv, may we
all choose words that heal rather than hurt, encourage rather than discourage,
and strengthen rather than divide. If sin’at ḥinam contributed to the
destruction of the Bet HaMikdash, then every act of ahavat ḥinam and every word
that builds another person brings us one step closer to its rebuilding.