216 Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, Devarim (Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22), Source Book Keys, PLYN DEUTERONOMY | 1:4 after — DEUT2 Rebuke is most effective when it can be rec... DEUT2 Rebuke is most effective when it can be received as being sincere. The Torah emphasizes that Moshe rebuked the Jewish people after he had smitten Sichon and Og. Moses reasoned, "If I rebuke them before they enter at least part of the land, they will say, 'What does this man have against us? What good did he do for us? He has only come to vex us to find a pretext since he doesn't have the power to bring us into land." Therefore, Moshe waited until he had conquered Sichon and Og, and then rebuked the people. (Sifre, cited by Rashi). Had the people felt that Moshe's rebuke was insincere and that he had ulterior motives, his words would have been ineffective. A person will only accept review if he feels that the rebuker has his best interest in mind. We also see from here that timing is a major factor in rebuke. In many instances by waiting for an opportune time to deliver admonition a person will be more successful than he would have been had he admonished earlier. Share Print Source KeyPLYNVerse1:4Keyword(s)afterSource Page(s)375 Switch article NUMBERS | 35:34 defile — NUM431 Judaism's discomfort with its own capital ... Previous Article DEUTERONOMY | 1:11 bless — DEUT3 In his last address to Israel, Moses refers... Next Article