אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֞ת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב עַ֖ל יַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵחֽוֹ׃
Itulah perintah-perintah dan peraturan-peraturan yang diberikan Yang Mahakekal kepada orang Israel melalui Musa di dataran Moab, di tepi Sungai Yordan dekat Yerikho.
Rabbeinu Bahya
אלה המצות והמשפטים, These are the commandments and the ordinances, etc.” the third Book of the Torah, the Book of Vayikra, known as Torat Kohanim concluded with the words “these are the מצות, commandments which G’d commanded Moses.” The fourth Book, the Book of Bamidbar, is also concluded (sealed) with similar words except that the Torah added the word והמשפטים, “and the ordinances (social laws).” The reason is that it contains the laws of inheritance, the legislation about murder, all laws governing the way people interact with one another.
Rabbeinu Bahya
It is up to us to understand why in Bechukotai the Torah describes the laws as being commanded את משה, whereas in our verse here the Torah describes them as being commanded by G’d ביד משה, “through”, or “by means of” Moses. The reason is that after the first covenant which the Children of Israel received and accepted at Mount Sinai the King (G’d) canceled it when they traded the invisible eternal G’d for the image of an ox, i.e. the golden calf. Their erstwhile glory turned to a source of destruction; when Moses observed the letters on the Tablets flying away he threw the Tablets on the ground.
Now, however, when the second covenant was made with the next generation in the wilderness of Moav, this covenant between G’d and the people was permanent. For the mountains may move and the hills be shaken (Isaiah 54,10), rocks may be dislodged from their place (Job 14,18), but this covenant will never be annulled, the strong bond of love between G’d and His people will not be torn asunder. The words of this covenant were accepted by an oath and a curse [in case we should renege, (Sotah 37)]. Keeping all this in mind, the Torah wrote as its concluding words: “these are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to conclude with the Jewish people in the land of Moav in addition to the covenant He made with them at Chorev.”
Now, however, when the second covenant was made with the next generation in the wilderness of Moav, this covenant between G’d and the people was permanent. For the mountains may move and the hills be shaken (Isaiah 54,10), rocks may be dislodged from their place (Job 14,18), but this covenant will never be annulled, the strong bond of love between G’d and His people will not be torn asunder. The words of this covenant were accepted by an oath and a curse [in case we should renege, (Sotah 37)]. Keeping all this in mind, the Torah wrote as its concluding words: “these are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses to conclude with the Jewish people in the land of Moav in addition to the covenant He made with them at Chorev.”
Rav Hirsch
V. 13. אלה המצות וגו׳: Die vom 22. Kapitel bis hier berichteten Gebote und Rechtsordnungen: die erneute Volkszählung, die Landesverteilungsordnung, die Einsetzung Josuas, die nationalen Pflichtopfer, das Recht der freiwilligen Gesetzgebung, die Behandlung aus nichtjüdischem Besitze übergehender Speisegeräte, Rechte und Pflichten der in den transjordanischen Besitz gelangenden Stämme, die Säuberung des Landes vom polytheistischen Unwesen, die Grenzbestimmungen des Landes, die Miklatstädte, die transitorische Maßregel bei Verheiratung erbberechtigter Töchter, alle diese Gebote und Verordnungen stehen mehr und minder im Zusammenhange mit der bevorstehenden Besitznahme des Landes und wurden daher an der Grenze, im Anblick desselben, erteilt, בערבות מואב על ירדן ירחו.