Weekly Shabbat Parsha Thoughts – Vaeschanan – 7.23.2010

This week’s portion gives us one of our most familiar prayers, the shema. The parsha contains the following familiar portion:

“Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One

Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might; And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

I wanted to focus on the first word in particular. Listening is a central concept of Judaism. Even in the Torah, HaShem is a voice to be heard. The last book of the Torah, which we are reading now, is about Moses re-telling the stories of the Torah.

The key is that the people of Israel have to listen. Our oral tradition is as much a part of the beliefs and actions of Torah as the written scripture. In short, to be Jewish means we must listen. People often feel that Judaism has become “all or nothing”, but if we are forced to listen we understand that this type of thinking is not part of our tradition. The principle of listening and evolving our understanding and faith extends to our whole community, and our whole world. This is the key point of this week’s portion and, in many ways, the point of the fifth book of the Torah.

This week we can remind ourselves to listen; listen for meaning, listen for HaShem and listen to each other.

Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Summary

Sefer Devarim is called "Mishneh Torah - The Review of the Torah" because it repeats over 100 mitzvos already mandated in the previous 4 Books. Rav S.R. Hirsch explains that of the 199 Mitzvos commanded in this book, more than 70 are new. The repeated mitzvos focus on areas that will be of greater immediate concern as they encounter the 7 Nations. For example, the prohibition against idol worship. Although already taught, it needed to be reiterated as the Jews would confront the inhabitants of Canaan, who were idolatrous. Those mitzvos whose application was the same, whether in the desert or in the Land, are not reviewed. In Parshas Vaeschanan Moshe continues his final instructions to the Bnai Yisroel.

1st & 2nd Aliyot: Moshe beseeched Hashem to enter the Land. However, he seemingly blamed the nation when his request was turned down. Moshe explained the foundation of our divine mission, which will be recognized by the other nations. Moshe stressed allegiance to Hashem and the consequences to ourselves and our children if we do not keep the law.

3rd & 4th Aliyot: Moshe designated the Cities of Refuge, and reviewed the entire experience of Revelation.

4th, 5th & 6th Aliyot: Moshe stressed the reaction of the nation after te giving of the Torah, and forewarned them not deviate from the Torah, either to the right or the to the left. The first paragraph of Shema is recorded. (6:10-15) Moshe warned the people about the dangers of prosperity, and directed them to keep the commandments and remember the Exodus. Moshe forewarned them about the dangers of assimilation and told them to always remember that they are the Chosen People.