Parshat V’etchanan; Deuteronomy 3:23 –7:11 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger
This week we revisit both the Ten Commandments and the one of the central prayers of our tradition the Shema and V’ahavata. In Moses’ continuing final discourse to the Children of Israel, he reiterates the covenant made at Sinai. In particular reminding this group that the covenant wasn’t just made with their ancestors but with them! “It was not with our fathers that Adonai made this covenant, but with us, the living, everyone of us who is here today.”(Deuteronomy 5:3) They have to hear that this covenant is binding upon them and Moses describes the power and awe of the Sinai revelation to each of them. “Face to face Adonai spoke to you on the mountain out of the fire” (Deut. 5:4).
Tradition teaches us that the Children of Israel actually only heard God’s voice speak the first two commandments. Moses speaking and reiterating the rest of the commandments. But here, to the next generation, Moses reads aloud all of the commandments reminding them that their stake in this covenant is just as powerful and immediate as their parents’ stake in the covenant. And although the two version of the Ten Commandments, Exodus and this one in Deuteronomy vary slightly, they are basically the same.
The Ten Commandments give way in the Torah portion to the Shema. This statement of our faith becomes in essence our love song to God. Just as God gave the Ten Commandments to the Children of Israel as a gift for all generations, so the Shema is a gift we sing back to God. Hear O Israel, we say. We remind ourselves to listen and pay attention. Adonai is our God. We cheerfully and proudly proclaim our loyalty to the One God. We proclaim our allegiance. Adonai is One. And then we proclaim our God a singular experience or Force. We proclaim to ourselves and the world that by our singing and stating this aloud, we can unite with that oneness and unify our people in service to Adonai. By singing the Shema and its following paragraph the V’ahavta—our love song to God proclaims commitment and the words of the V’ahavta remind us to take that commitment everywhere we go. Our faith is not something to be boxed up and used only at special times—but we take it with us on our way, in our home, when we lie down and when we rise up. We even mark the sign of the faith on the doorposts of our homes and our gates!
All too often critics of Judaism state that the God of the “Old Testament” is a God of Law while the God of the “New Testament” is a God of Love. But as you read this portion nothing could be further from the truth. The gift of the Ten Commandments and the gift of Torah is indeed a sign of God’s eternal love for the Jewish people. As the Torah portion says, “ For you are a people consecrated to Adonai your God….God chose you to be a treasured people… God set God’s heart on you and chose you.” (Deut. 7:6-7). These are words of love.
And our recitation of the Shema morning, noon and night, is our reciprocal gift of Love to a God of Love. Let it flow freely and often from our lips.
Posted by Lee at August 7, 2006 09:18 AM
