Congregation of Jacob

One of the most famous verses in Parshat Vezot Habracha is the verse "Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe". It is a verse that every child knows!

The Torah that Moses commanded us is the heritage of the Congregation of Jacob" (Deut. 33:4)

"Our Rabbis taught, when a child begins to speak, his father must teach him Torah and Keriat Shema. What is Torah? Rav Hamnuna says: Torah Tziva lanu Moshe Morasha Kehillat Yaakov" (Talmud Sukka 42a)

A heritage means that the Torah is the property of generations before and after, as Rabbi Mordechai Gifter explained, it is incumbent upon the heirs to preserve it intact.

Rambam teaches that since the verse is using the phrase "Congregation of Jacob", and not "Children of Israel" as in the previous verses, it conveys a meaning that the Torah is the heritage not merely of those born of Jewish parents, but it is shared by every soul that joins the Jewish nations and accepts the Torah.