BS”D
Parasha Ve eschanan
Overview
Although Moshe is content that Yehoshua will lead the nation, Moshe now prays to be allowed to enter the Land of Israel in order to fulfill its special mitzvos. However, Hashem refuses his request. Moshe reminds Bnei Yisrael of the gathering at Sinai when they received the Torah - that they saw no visual representation of the Divine, but only the sound of words. Moshe impresses on Bnei Yisrael that the revelation of Sinai took place before an entire nation, not to a select elite, and that only the Jewish People will ever be able to claim that Hashem spoke to their entire nation. Moshe specifically enjoinsBnei Yisrael to "pass over" the event of the gathering at Sinai to their children throughout all generations.
Moshe accurately predicts that after Bnei Yisrael have dwelled in Eretz Yisrael they will sin, be exiled from the Land, and be scattered among all the peoples. They will stay few in number but eventually they will return to Hashem. Moshe designates three "cities of refuge" to which a person who kills inadvertently may flee. Moshe repeats the Ten Commandments and then teaches the Shema, the central credo of Judaism, that there is only One G-d. Then Moshe warns the people not to succumb to materialism and forget their purpose as a spiritual nation. The Parsha ends with Moshe exhorting Bnei Yisrael not to intermarry when they enter Eretz Yisrael, as they cannot be a treasured and holy nation if they intermarry, and they will become indistinguishable from the other nations.
Deuteronomy Ch 4 v 4
Kanfei Nesharim in Mayana Shel Torah
"And you who cling to Hashem, your G-d - you are alive, all of you, today." (4:4)
There's an old philosophical dispute among the nations about the nature of Man's connection to the Infinite One. Some say that G-d is so above us that we need an intermediary. Others say that in this world it is impossible to be in contact with G-d; that only after death is this possible. Still others say that while it's possible in this life to have a relationship with G-d, only unique individuals can attain to this; the vast majority of us, they say, will not succeed. And lastly, there are those who say that true contact with G-d is only possible after a life-time of work and effort.
The Torah teaches us that none of these philosophies is accurate. All Jews, on any level and at any time, are capable of a close relationship with G-d.
We can see this hinted in the above verse: "And you who cling to Hashem, your G-d - you are alive, all of you, today;" Meaning:
"And you who cling to Hashem..." Directly to Hashem - you don't need intermediaries. You don't need the neutral ground of an intercessor. Between the Jewish People and G-d there is no "Switzerland."
"...you are alive..." You can have this contact in this world as well. You don't have to pass on to the next world to be close to G-d.
"...all of you..." It is the birth right of the entire Jewish nation to have this connection with the Creator, not just unique individuals.
"...today..." Being
close to G-d is not predicated on a lifetime's work and struggle; you can have
it today - if you want it.
******************************************************
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
For my past posts with a detailed analysis of the 10 commandments
click on
Part 1 The three faculties of service in the 10 commandments as taught by the Nefesh Ha Chaim, with insights from the Ibn Ezra. I also delve into why certain commandments are placed next to each other on the tablets for example Do not have other gods is opposite to Not commiting Adultry
Part 2
Deuteronomy ch6 verse 2
That you might fear Hashem your G-d to keep his statutes and
His commandments which I command you, and your son, and your son’s son, all
the days of your life.
Why is the underlined part written at the end of the verse,
should it not be written at the beginning like: Keep the commandments all the
days of your life and teach them to your children…son and your son’s son etc.
Rabbi Mordechai Katz brings down the sages teach us, that
the verse words, all the days of your lives, by being written at the end, is highlighting a person needs to guard
themselves till the day of death. Even
when one is very learned and has taught many people and your children, one may
become conceited and confident and then explore other anti Torah ideologies, we
are warned here, not to do it, as the sentence ends, even after teaching and learning, keep on strengthening your Torah learning so you do not stray off the
path at the end of days. After you know you have grown do not stop, keep to it all the days of your life! There should be no need to stray after other
ideologies as we as a nation witnessed Hashem at Sinai, when we were born as
the Nation of Israel, and in this Parasha Moses indicates he never did such a thing for any other
nation.
Ch6 V 18
And you shall do that which is right and good in the eyes of
the L-rd
Do what is right and do what is good
We have already learnt above to keep the commandments so why
did Hashem add this extra instruction, Rabbi Mordechai Katz again brings down teachings of
the sages he says this comes to teach us, that one should not only keep the letter
of the law, but it is commendable and required to go over and above the basic law in one
actions towards others, as this is the Torah way. If we see the Torah wants us to give 10% of earnings, and
it describes basic decency for one to become holy and devout we should serve out of
love and go beyond the basic calling say 20% of earnings if one can afford to, not merely do the basic requirements out of a sense of duty. Just as a bride would dote
after her groom who bestows all of life’s blessing on her. There are many stories of saintly people whom promised little and did much, just like Abraham when he was approached by the three nomads offering water and bread and then personally preparing a three course meal!
I also noticed in the order of the words it states do what
is right and good, I think this may be coming to teach us, that we should always
do what is right first i.e. the end does not justify the means, do what
is right and what is good, not what is wrong even if the outcome may be
good. In a similar vain to what we
learnt from the prophet Hosea when he states " I will betroth myself to G-d in
righteousness, in judgements, and with kindness and mercy I will betroth myself
in faith and you will know Hashem! First
we must do what is right and just and then kindness and mercy follow, but first do not
taint yourself, there are no Robin Hood’s in the Torah. To steal is wrong plain and simple.
We have just completed the three weeks of pain, now as it is
with Hashem the period of comfort is more than double the period of pain, the comforting lasts for seven complete weeks leading up to
Rosh Hashanah. May all those who need
comfort find some light in this period which is set aside for return to our
Father!
Have a good week, and a simchadic Tu Be Av, 15th of Av ; this year falling on the 22nd of July 2013 (the 15th of Av was the day the generation of the spies stopped dying, and the day the rule of marrying into your own tribe only was abolished, a day when young lads and maidens would go to the fields ,the maidens all dressed in white and young couples would try and find their perfect match - it was a joyous day.
Michael
No comments:
Post a Comment