V’etchanan, Deuteronomy 3:24 – 7:11

In the second portion of Deuteronomy, Moses continues with his theme of reminding this generation to stay the course of the covenant and not to be distracted by idolatry. He reminds the Children of Israel particularly about the importance of the law and the rules of our tradition and of observing them scrupulously.

Because of recent brushes with idolatry at Baal –Peor and by coming into contact with the many nations they will battle to capture the Promised Land, the temptations to throw off our covenantal traditions will be many. Moses warns the Israelites that their idolatry will lead to their downfall. But he offers sage advice that stands the test of generation.
In verses 29 and 30 of chapter 4, Moses tells the Children of Israel, “But if you search there for Adonai your God, You will find God, if only you seek God with all your heart and soul, when you are in distress because all these things have befallen you and in the end return to Adonai your God and obey.”

The path to teshuvah, to return to God is always possible. One must search not only the land but within oneself to seek that connection with God.

This portion is read on Shabbat Nachamu—that Shabbat that follows our national day of mourning, Tisha B’Av the ninth of Av. On this day we remember and lament the destruction of both the first and second temples in Jerusalem. We read the book of Lamentations, fast and mourn the many difficult moments in our history, from the exiles of Babylonia and Rome to the Inquisition and the Warsaw Ghetto.

One traditional explanation for the destruction of the Temples has been the idolatry of the Children of Israel. Thus when we read Moses words warning the Children of Israel about the importance of maintaining the covenant and the connection to the Holy One of Israel’s Covenant during a time we mourn the destruction of the very site of the Holy One’s dwelling place upon earth-we cannot help but try and heed his words. We must search the land but also within ourselves to rebuild, renew, and reconnect with God. Even as we lament and ask why the destruction of our sacred Temples, we must begin a journey to reconstruct our relationship with the Divine. Even as we question, we must search our very being to rekindle the flame of faith.

No wonder that in this parasha Moses repeats the Ten Commandments. Through the law that makes us a people, through the core values of our covenant, we can begin to renew and make stronger those bonds that we may feel have been shattered.

And to truly build upon and meditate upon our path to renewal of our relationship with God, Moses recites the Shema and V’ahavta. Through these sacred words that have become central to our worship service, the Jew search heart and mind and soul to build a love of God and Covenant. Through these holy words we connect to one another as a Jewish people across time and space and we connect to the Divine Spirit of the Universe—that we Jews call God.

Yes, whenever we have doubts, whenever we are tempted by the idolatry of our day and time, be it money, power, sex or drugs; whenever we want to rekindle our faith and seek and search our hearts, the Shema prayer can help us connect through words to a holy place.

Moses seems to have understood this in this week’s parasha. The Rabbis who in there wisdom created the cycle of reading of this week’s portion to be read following Tisha B’Av when our people experienced such pain and grief and mourning and questioning of their faith understood the healing power of the Shema as well.

May we put the Shema prayer upon our lips and use it to connect, rekindle and seek out our relationship with the Divine.

Devarim; Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

This week’s Torah portion begins the book of Deuteronomy, the last of the five books of Moses. This entire book is considered Moses’ farewell address to the Children of Israel, taking place “in the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, that Moses addressed the Israelites in accordance with the instructions that Adonai had given him for them.” (1:3)

But interestingly enough, forty years have passed when the journey from Horeb only took eleven days. In the intervening years a generation has died and a new generation that did not know slavery grew up. As they are poised to enter the Promised Land, now on the steppes of Moab across the Jordan from Eretz Yisrael, this new generation that did not know Egypt, can perhaps say to themselves, “If only Mom and Dad were here to see this.” A short trip of eleven days turned into an odyssey of forty years for Moses. Moses oration is aimed at this generation and conveying to them the consequences of the previous generation’s faults and of the inherited laws, judgments, statutes, and yes, story of the Israelites to carry with them into the Promised Land.

Moses in many ways gives this generation that is about to come into its own a pep talk as they prepare to become a conquering army. They have had skirmishes and battles with various peoples and Kings but now it is their turn to fulfill God’s promise made to the ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses who will not be there to guide them in this next phase must leave stirring words for the Children of Israel to rely upon and remember when he is gone. He must remind them of the proof of their worthiness and their ability and he does so.

The portion ends with Moses’ reminder almost a prophecy for the Children of Israel. “And I commanded you at that time saying, Adonai your God has given you this land to take possession of it. You shall pass equipped, all the warriors in front of your brothers, the Children of Israel…You shall not fear them because Adonai Your God, is the One fighting for you.” Moses stirring speech reminds them that it by the very power of God that they can win the day. They are the instruments of God strength, power and plan. This is important because they are as a generation just coming into their own, soon with their own leaders—Joshua and Caleb at the helm. Moses’ speech to them will serve as a vital reminder of their strength and ability. But they must remember that they can not do this alone, they must have a strong connection to Adonai and to keep connected to the central idea of God’s blessing and God’s covenant and that their journey and battles are the fulfillment of the covenant.

In our own day and time it is easy to get distracted from our connection to God and to the covenant of our People. Work demands so much from each of us and taking care of our families too. But at the core of a spiritual life for the Jew must be a foundation and connection to our system of mitzvot and our God. Just as it was for the Israelites, so too for us. We must remember that God is the One fighting for you.

Maatot- Maasei, Numbers 30:2-36:13

This double portion concludes the book of Numbers and brings the Children of Israel to the edge of the Promised Land. In fact in these portions the first permanent settlements of the Children of Israel are founded on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The tribes of Gad, Reuben and one half of the tribe of Manasseh is allowed to stay if their men continue on to help capture the rest of the Promised Land on the west side of the Jordan River.

The first portion Maatot describes the battle with the Midianites and their success in defeating them and then Maasei recounts the wanderings of the Children of Israel and outlines the future borders of the land of Israel.

But Maatot begins with a section on vows. Vows, solemn promises are something of great importance in Jewish tradition. A person’s word and promise obliges the individual to fulfill that oath. The vow is sworn before God and God can hold one accountable for the non-fulfillment of a vow.

Interestingly, the portion continues in a section about women’s vows. Since at this time in history, women were not independent, it would seem that they did not have the power to make their own vows. Women were attached generally to their father’s house if underage or not married or to their husband’s home. But the Torah portion records that a woman can independently make a vow and still be obligated by the vow if her father or husband makes no objection when he finds out about the vow. Thus it gives her extraordinary power that in the biblical world was not often accorded women. So too for a divorced or widowed woman, her vow stands.

Further the text says that if her husband or father annuls the vow, God forgives her. She does not stand in trouble with God for violating her vow.

While today, our core religious and spiritual values call for women’s complete equality in the world, we can see a unique window to the Jewish past in these verses that allow for some freedom for women to build their own unique relationship with God. While today we would only let a father abrogate a minor child’s vow, a woman single, married, divorced or widowed after the age of majority is responsible for her own vows and for the consequences of fulfilling or not fulfilling them.

This equality in religious obligations is a core value of our Reform Judaism.

Pinchas, Numbers 25: 10-30:1

Parshat Pinchas is named after one of the grandsons of Aaron and son of the reigning High Priest, Eleazar because Pinchas at the conclusion of last week’s portion—slays an Israelite and his foreign wife for the sin of idolatry. More technically, they are killed by Pinchas for violating the boundary of the Tabernacle. For this act of sacrifice—Pinchas stays God’s anger at the Children of Israel and is rewarded with the priesthood for himself and his descendants.

Pinchas’ zealotry is rewarded. The text says, “… he took an impassioned action for his God, thus making expiation for the Israelites.” To the Biblical ear this seems a reasonable task. Time and again God admonishes the Children of Israel to keep far from idol worship. Time and again, the Children of Israel violate the rule of idol worship and are punished. Whether it is with the sin of the Golden Calf or in this case of Zimri son of Salu, Chieftan of a Simenonite ancestral house, the Children of Israel must atone for this grave sin. Through Pinchas’ slaying of Zimri and the woman, Cozbi daughter of the Midianite chieftan atonement is made for such a grievous sin. Further, whenever a non-priest tries to enter the Tabernacle for any purpose or even a false purpose as with Nadav and Abihu, the punishment is immediate death. Zimri and Cozbi too, whatever their purpose in trying to enter the Tabernacle are killed.

Yet, in our day and time such zealotry as displayed by Pinchas as well as the idolatry displayed by Zimri is both an anathema. Faith is one thing, but when one’s faith leads to murder I believe we must raise serious questions and challenges to our spiritual beliefs. Further we much question the use of what appears to be human sacrifice to atone for the sins of the idolaters.

It is such impassioned actions based on religious principles that continue to cause incredible murder and violence in our world today. One look at the suicide bombers and the terror and murder they inflict should give us all pause to examine our hearts and our faith and how we express that faith.

We can learn from this text by also continuing to read the rest of the parasha—it says.
“Command the Israelite people and say to them: Be punctilious in presenting to Me at stated times the offerings of food due Me as offerings by fire of please odor to Me.”

We learn yet again, that the expressions of our faith require a certain focus and concentration. Our expressions of faith require concentration and fulfilling the requirements with 100 per cent effort. Our faith requires us to live it fully. But we are also to live our faith by choosing life as it teaches in Deuteronomy.

Thus our faith must be life affirming in all we do.