Commentary for Deuteronomy 29:9

Deuteronomy 29:9: It appears to me to say the following about this verse: it says earlier in the Torah [in the previous chapter] that "...until this day, Hashem did not give you a heart to know, ear to hear, eye to see" [Deuteronomy 29:3]. [This means that] the entire service of Moshe Rabbeinu was for the Jewish people to hear all mitzvot from his mouth; his intent was to imbue their hearts with the power of holiness of Hashem with his holy words. The Shechina would speak from his throat, and the goal was that the Jewish people would not be able to transgress anything in the Torah. It says in the Torah, "just like snow comes from heaven and never returns... so, too, My words will not return empty-handed [Isaiah 55:10]. This was the level that Moshe spoke [to Hashem], and Hashem answered him [directly] with a voice and He wanted to place a holiness within him so that [listening to Moshe's words would] be equal to hearing them from Hashem. This is the meaning of the previous verse, "Hashem did not give you a heart to know...": The Jewish people were lifted up to a very lofty level after 4o years [of being in the desert], and it says "...on this day, you've become a people for G-d" [Deuteronomy 27:9]. [This means that] at the end [of the Jewish people's journey], when Moshe Rabbainu would speak, the experience was that of Mount Sinai (--of G-d speaking--) and thus the Torah would never be removed from their mouth. This is also explains the verse: "I heard the voice of my G-d and did according to all that was commanded me" [Deuteronomy 26:14]. "I heard to voice..." means that I did what G-d commanded and I'm listening now just like I did at Mount Sinai; I did all that I'm commanded and I haven't missed anything. [Moses] successfully elevated you so that you can stand before Hashem without any separation. Moshe Rabbainu expresses this covenant with everyone, not just the generation of the desert [Deuteronomy 29:14]. In the future of the generation, the tzaddik of the generation will also be speaking. This is [literally as if] Moshe Rabbainu [is speaking to you], which, [in turn, is as if] you're hearing it from G-d. As it says in the original verse, all will stand before G-d [meaning] in every future generation through the tzaddik.

אתם נצבים YE ARE STANDING THIS DAY [ALL OF YOU BEFORE THE LORD] — This teaches that Moses assembled them in the presence of the Omnipresent on the day of his death, in order to initiate them into a covenant with Him.

YE ARE STANDING THIS DAY ALL OF YOU BEFORE THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D. The meaning thereof is that you are standing and ready before G-d to be initiated into His covenant. For, in order to accept the Torah with its interpretation, they had gathered before him [Moses], or they may have stood before the ark of G-d. The covenant was the oath and imprecation which he mentioned — that thou shouldest enter into the covenant of the Eternal thy G-d, and into His oath.¹Verse 11. It is possible that he made another covenant with them like the first covenant which he made with them at Mount Sinai,²Exodus 24:4-5. namely, that he offered a burnt-offering on their behalf, and took half of the blood to sprinkle upon the altar and he sprinkled half of the blood upon the people, but it was unnecessary for him to mention this. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], I have already informed you of [the secret of] this covenant.³See Ramban to Leviticus 26:12.