Tag: v’ahavta

Parashah V’etchanan (and I sought..) Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11

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Moses asks God to allow him to enter the land, and God says, pretty much, “Enough already! Stop whining about this because I told you that ain’t gonna happen! But, I will do this- after you anoint Joshua climb up to the top of Mount Pisgah, and I will let you see the land.”

Some believe, as I do, that not only did God show Moses the land, but also the future. He showed Moses the eventual degradation of the people into idol worship, the consequent dispersal into the Diaspora and exile to Babylon, ending with their return to Israel. I believe this because of the warning Moses gives right after he observes the land, which is not so much the warning of a possible future as it is the narration of events from one who has seen it happen.

This rest of this parashah holds nearly everything that is important to the Jewish people, and thereby the world:

Deuteronomy 5:6-19: Moses reviews the Ten Commandments;

Deuteronomy 6:4:        Moses teaches us the Shema;

Deuteronomy 6:5-10:  Moses teaches us the V’ahavta;

Deuteronomy 6:16:      Moses teaches us a lesson that is used more often in Christianity (from my experience) than in Judaism: Do not test the Lord, your God.

Clearly, there is in just those 4 lessons more than I could write in a single post, unless that post was something like 15 pages or more. Don’t worry- this won’t be.

Actually, the message I have today is not about any of those passages. It is from Deuteronomy 4:5-8, which is what Moses told the people before he told them all those other things:

See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

I often state that the Torah is not just for the Jews, but for the entire world. The Jews received it so to learn it and live it (just like it says here), so that they may be an example to the world.

Shaul says pretty much the same thing, but to a different audience, in Romans 11:11–

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.

Moses is telling Israel to obey Torah so that when the other nations see the wonderful rulings, peacefulness, social closeness, morality and compassion of the people, and how God is always close at hand to help and protect them, they will be jealous and want to be part of it. And Shaul, some 1500 or so years later, tells the Messianic communities that their living in faith to Messiah Yeshua will eventually be an example to the non-believing Jews how much better it is to accept Yeshua and make them jealous for their own Messiah.

Here we have the same message– faithfully believe God and do as He says– being told to Jews and Gentiles first going into the land, and centuries later to Gentiles and Jews who have been living in the land. And the reason is the same: to incite, through jealousy, those living outside of God’s plan to choose to accept God (and His Messiah.)

There are many passages in the bible that confirm this message, and it is unfortunate that much of Christianity has perverted and misused the writings of Shaul to dissuade people from hearing the proper message. Shaul says he is delivering the Gospel to the Jew first, then the Gentile (Romans 1:16); I believe this means if the Good News of the Kingdom of God is not presented in a way that is acceptable to a Jewish person, it isn’t the correct message for a Gentile.

Still and all, we can be confident in this: God’as plan will win out in the end!  Torah will be written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33) and we no longer ask our brother (and sister) if they know the Lord, because all will know Him.

In the meantime, what should we do? Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? Live your life as an example to those who have rejected God and/or Messiah Yeshua to show them how blessed and peaceful it is to be living as God has told us we should.

Most everyone knows that God’s house has many rooms, but what many don’t know is that there is a really big pool in the backyard, which is always refreshing, so to you who are suffering the emptiness, despair, heat and discomfort of living a worldly life…C’mon in- the water’s fine!!!

 

 

Parashah Va-ethchanan (I Pleaded) Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11

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This parashah continues the First Discourse of Moshe, which is the chronology of the travels of the Israelites and starts to go into the Second Discourse, the foundations of the covenant.

Moshe gives us in 6:4 – 9 the Shema and V’Ahavta, the watchword of Judaism: “Hear, oh Israel; the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” The next statements tell us how to act everyday, to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and might, to talk of His laws when we rise, sleep, go out, come in, and to keep His commandments on our hearts and minds and doorposts of our houses.

These statements are repeated together at every Jewish Shabbat service. The most used interpretation of the word echad (one) at the end of the Shema is not what I think it should be, and that is because I agree with the interpretation of R. Rashbam, which is that ‘echad’ should be interpreted as “alone.”

To say that the Lord is one is not so different from the other paganistic religions of the day. I say that because we read in the bible that many pantheistic rulers agreed that the God of the Israelites was a powerful god and He was their god, indicating they believed that, geographically, Adonai was the god worshipped in Israel. If the Israelites say He is their god, and He is one, that simply means that Adonai is a singular god. He is one, not many.

But, if we interpret ‘echad’ as ‘alone’, then we have more than a statement of singular worship- we have a statement of monotheistic truth. The Lord is our God,  the Lord, alone. That meaning is, to me, much more clearly a statement that there isn’t any other God for us. It doesn’t insult or deny the religious beliefs of those nations surrounding Israel, but it does make the point that the jewish peoples do not recognize and will not worship any other gods. That is in keeping with the 2nd commandment about not worshipping any other gods.

The 2nd Commandment doesn’t really state that there aren’t other gods, for in fact, there were. Not that they existed in reality, but they existed in the culture and beliefs of the people surrounding the Jews. God didn’t tell us that He is the only god, He told us not to have any other gods before us. This may sound a little weird, almost as if I am acknowledging the existence of other gods, which I am NOT doing- I am saying that, as a form of tolerance for others, God did not deny their beliefs but simply told His people that they should worship Him, alone. Him, and only Him.

The history of Adonai’s blessing and power and miracles, when compared to the other, false gods of the nations, demonstrates that God, our God, is the only god.

So, I would prefer to use ‘alone’ at the end of the Shema. And, if I ever lead a congregation, I will.

Here’s something really interesting: first we need to know that in the Torah, the Ayin at the end of the word shema is written extra large, as is the Dalet at the end of echad. The Chumash I use (the Soncino Pentateuch and Haftorahs) notes this and says that this was to make sure the words were used correctly, i.e. ‘one’ for echad and ‘hear’ for shema (the difference between ‘hear’ and ‘perhaps’ is that the last letter for perhaps is an Aleph.)

The interesting thing is that when you put these two letters together, Ayin followed by Dalet, you get the word “ed”, which means ‘witness’. So, the last letter of the first word in the Shema and the last letter of the last word of the Shema, together form the word “witness”, which is exactly what the Shema is- a witness to the singularity and uniqueness of the Lord God, Almighty. And every time we repeat it we are all witnesses to the fact that Adonai is our God, and He is the only God.

One last thought for the day: God tells us to worship Him alone, and the Shema reminds us that He is the one, true God, Him alone. It doesn’t tell us we are to tell everyone else that their gods are false or that they are wrong. That won’t win anyone over. Today there aren’t that many pantheistic religions left, but there are monotheistic religions that are not teaching the truth about God. When trying to win people over to the truth about the salvation we have through Messiah Yeshua, we need to demonstrate it by being living examples of His love, mercy, compassion, power, and unique ability to change lives. We need to show what being Born Again did for us and not to tell others what they believe is wrong. Let them see in your life and how you live the truth of God’s salvation.

Parashah Ki Tetze (When You Go Out)

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There is just so much in this parashah. Too much to do in a single drash. Suffice it to say that this parashah is comprised of rules about how to treat each other. It talks of relations between men and women, whether slave, captured enemy, or spouse. It talks about how to treat the property of others , protecting them from fraud and dangerous situations. God commands us to take care of orphans and widows, who is allowed to entry the assembly of God, who is not, which surrounding peoples to detest, and which not to detest. It covers rules for collateral on loans, and so much more. It is, in essence, the penal, tort, and civil laws we are to live by.

What I find interesting is the fact that the next parashah, Ki Tavo (When You Come)  and this one remind me of the V’ahavta line (Deut 6:7) that goes, “Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away,…” The V’ahavta is traditionally recited right after the Shema, and tells us how to treat God’s commandments. This one line, always a little different, essentially covers when you are going out in the world, and when you are in your house. In other words, when you come in and when you go out. Ki Tetze and Ki Tavo, going out and coming in. Ki Tetze rules are about treating each other and the Ki Tavo rules are about following the mitzvot of God. To me, following God’s mitzvot (laws/rules/regulations) is really about how we treat Him. Isn’t it? If we follow His commandments we are showing more than obedience, we are respecting and trustfully worshiping Him. It’s how we are treating God. When we treat what He tells us with respect, we are treating Him with respect. When we treat His words with disdain, well…you get the point.

So, here we have two parashat, one about going out and one about coming in, and each one dealing more specifically with how we are treat each other and how we are to treat God, but clearly (to me, at least)  a reminder of the V’ahavta.

What is also interesting is that the order is reversed from almost every other reference to treating God and each other- usually God is first. Most of the times in the Torah when we are told how to worship, as I recall it is to God first, then to each other. Here, though, with these parashat the order is reversed, and we are told about treating each other then about how we treat God, i.e., by following His commandments.

Why is the order reversed? Actually, it isn’t. Interpreting the Torah requires Circles of Context (look under the Messianic 101 category for Torah Interpretation). Using that, when we look at the entire book, we see that the first 13 chapters are about how we are to treat God, from Chapter 1 through Chapter 13. Starting in Chapter 14 and concluding with Ki Tetze (Chapter 25)  we are told how to treat each other. Ki Tavo begins with Chapter 26 and is a conclusion to not just this section of the book, but to the Torah, itself. It is the ultimate reminder of the goodness God has in store for us and the curses we will suffer if we reject Him. The final chapters are about Moshe, the song he gives to help us remember the main lessons of the Torah and a final blessing Moshe makes upon the children of Israel before he dies. The order remains God first, then us; it is just “stretched out” a little more in this book.

Even though this parashah reads more like the laws about torts, custody and ownership, marital relations and social welfare programs, the message I think we should take away is that in all the things we do, regarding worship, regarding work, regarding relationships, all things we do should be based upon what God wants us to do. It always comes down to the teachings of Yeshua when He said the two most important commandments are to love God, and love each other. That’s the order, and if we do the first we will almost have to do the second. I don’t believe anyone can truly love the Lord and treat people badly. We are all His children, and to love God means to love His children. To paraphrase another thing Yeshua taught us (actually, I think it was more of a warning), He sees the way we treat each other as no different than how we treat Him. If we are kind and respectful to each other, than He sees that as being kind and respectful to Him. Think about that next time you want to yell at someone, engage in gossip, or get an extra dollar in your change from the cashier. What would you do if that other person was Yeshua?

Think about that as you come in and as you go out.