Parshat Nitzavim Vayelekh
by Rabbi Avi Billet
With two exceptions, the phrases in the title – which are comprised of the same two words just inverted (though a letter Heh (ה) is added to Eileh when it is the second word) – refer throughout the experience of Moshe Rabbenu to the Torah/ Ten Commandments or simply the word of God that is to be followed. The two exceptions are when Moshe conveys to the people the fallout and repercussion for the incident of the spies, and when he finished explaining what is about to happen to Dasan and Aviram just before the ground opened up to the destroy them. In those two cases Moshe finished speaking HaDevarim HaEileh (these words/things) and the repercussion followed.
In the following chart I present the context (in Hebrew) and a brief summary (in English) of how the phrase is utilized
