This Shabbat is called Shabbat Shuvah, because of the special Haftarah we read wherein God begs Israel to return to Him for Israel’s sake (Hoshea 14:2-10 et al). This entire week is known as the ?Aseret Yimei Teshuvah” – “The ten days of Teshuvah,” since it is the week between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (inclusively) and the most appropriate time of the year for Teshuvah, returning to G-d.
Numerous Parashiyot [plural of Parashah] start with the words, “Vaydabeir HaShem el Moshe Leimor”–“And God spoke to Moshe, saying….” So one might expect that this week would be no different. However, the opening words of this week’s Parasha are in fact the antithesis (direct opposite) of God speaking to Moshe. “Ha’Azinu HaShamayim Va’Adabeirah”–“Listen, the Heavens and I will speak” (Devarim 31:1). The roles are reversed here; Moshe is speaking to God.
As Moshe’s life approached its end, Moshe could no longer simply stay put and listen to the word of God. He had to respond. The poem Moshe recites in this week’s Parasha is his testimony that Israel will sin after his death, and that God will forgive them. And to this end, Moshe had to speak, because reaction to sin and its aftermath requires speech.
We see this idea in the Laws of Teshuvah [Returning to God] in the Mishneh Torah, a code of Jewish law authored by Rambam, a twelfth century scholar, philosopher and physician. Rambam writes that the first and most integral part of doing Teshuvah for any sin is confessing it verbally before God. Thinking and knowing it is not enough. The Rambam provides a basic template for this confession, including essential specifications: the sin; that one regrets it; that one is embarrassed for having done such a horrible deed; and that one intends never again to repeat the offense.
This Monday, on Yom Kippur, when we recite the Vidui [confession], we should realize the important role it plays in helping us return to God. What a person says will affect the person a great deal more than what he merely thinks. Saying something will help someone internalize it. If we can all see this as the proper route for the often challenging process known as Teshuvah, we shall certainly merit the final Redemption and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash [Holy Temple] very soon.