Re’eh
Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17
Précis: Moses begins by quoting God, saying “Behold (re’eh), I set before you a blessing and a curse this day.” The blessing flows from observance of the laws and the curse results from violations. A concern with idolatry permeates the following verses. The parasha explains that there will be a single site for sacrifices. A test for a false prophet and the punishment of an idolatrous city are included. The parasha then shifts to other subjects: a prohibition against self-mutilation, the biblical basis of the laws of kashrut, tithing so that the needs are met for the Levite, the "stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.” Remission of debts, freeing of Hebrew slaves, and the dedication of firstborn cattle are discussed, as are the commandments for the observance of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
Deut. 14:1 “You are the children of Adonai your God. Do not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads on account of the dead.”
Writing in Weekly Jewish Wisdom (8/12/10) my teacher Erica Brown discusses an emotion appropriate to the season: love. She asks us to consider what does being a child of God have to do with making a bald patch between your eyes?
In many ancient societies, marking one’s body with the names (or icons) of the deceased was a widespread mourning ritual. This need to demonstrate an attachment is probably what motivates a person to put his beloved “Mom” on his (or her) arm in the growing use of tattoos in our society. Jewish tradition suggests that such attachments are not healthy: our love should not be so great as to do harm to our bodies or ourselves. This verse symbolically states that our devotion to another human being cannot supersede our relationship with God.
This reminder of the power of love is appropriate during the Hebrew month of Elul, which will begin during this coming week. The word “Elul” can be construed (imaginatively) as an acronym for "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine." This verse, often recited beneath the marriage canopy, is an expression of the mutuality of love, or as Erica Brown calls it, the “reciprocal” nature of love. To be real, love must be mutual and reciprocal, whether between humans and God or between human beings.
Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17
Précis: Moses begins by quoting God, saying “Behold (re’eh), I set before you a blessing and a curse this day.” The blessing flows from observance of the laws and the curse results from violations. A concern with idolatry permeates the following verses. The parasha explains that there will be a single site for sacrifices. A test for a false prophet and the punishment of an idolatrous city are included. The parasha then shifts to other subjects: a prohibition against self-mutilation, the biblical basis of the laws of kashrut, tithing so that the needs are met for the Levite, the "stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.” Remission of debts, freeing of Hebrew slaves, and the dedication of firstborn cattle are discussed, as are the commandments for the observance of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
Deut. 14:1 “You are the children of Adonai your God. Do not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads on account of the dead.”
Writing in Weekly Jewish Wisdom (8/12/10) my teacher Erica Brown discusses an emotion appropriate to the season: love. She asks us to consider what does being a child of God have to do with making a bald patch between your eyes?
In many ancient societies, marking one’s body with the names (or icons) of the deceased was a widespread mourning ritual. This need to demonstrate an attachment is probably what motivates a person to put his beloved “Mom” on his (or her) arm in the growing use of tattoos in our society. Jewish tradition suggests that such attachments are not healthy: our love should not be so great as to do harm to our bodies or ourselves. This verse symbolically states that our devotion to another human being cannot supersede our relationship with God.
This reminder of the power of love is appropriate during the Hebrew month of Elul, which will begin during this coming week. The word “Elul” can be construed (imaginatively) as an acronym for "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine." This verse, often recited beneath the marriage canopy, is an expression of the mutuality of love, or as Erica Brown calls it, the “reciprocal” nature of love. To be real, love must be mutual and reciprocal, whether between humans and God or between human beings.
