Our Parsha this Shabbos that is also the First Day Rosh Chodesh for the Hebrew Month of Elul to come, leading up to Rosh HaShanah in a month's time, is Parashas Re'eh.
This month every morning except Shabbos,we Jews Blow the Shofar as we call all of us to Teshuvah as we lead up to Rosh HaShanah , the New Year, which was also the day Adam ve Chava were Created by HaShem . During this whole time period, at this time of the year, HaShem Comes down closer to the World to Judge His Creation and their Actions , and takes a closer look at this time , at all our deeds , which are put to Judgement and 'Re'eh' - ' Seen,' with a View by HaShem as being Judged by Him with more scrutiny,the Free Choice actions we have chosen to live our lives by. A choice is Given to us on how to behave and we are left to choose either Good , which leads to Brachos - Blessings , or K'lalah - Curses.The Choice is left to us , and this is the start of our Parsha this Shabbos.
This Parsha contains many Laws of morality,including the Sanctity of the Land, the removal of Avodah Zarah - idol-worship,the forbidding of private altars,more Laws about Offerings and Tithes and Laws regarding the consuming of meat, and not to copy the ways of the Canaanim.
The Parsha then warns us about a false prophet.But before that, states very clearly just after the words of warning , against fake deities , that ," Eit Kol Ha Davar Asher Anochi M'Tzaveh Etchem Otoh Tishmeru La'Asot Lo Toseif Alaiv V'Lo Tigra Mimenu," - " The Entire Word that I Command you, that you shall Observe to do,YOU SHALL NOT ADD TO IT AND YOU SHALL NOT SUBTRACT FROM IT ." This Important Law,relates with the Laws against idol-worship, for when people pick foreign false deities, there is usually a book of false doctrine to go with it written by humans.
HaShem Says this is wrong and totally blasphemous .
HaShem Totally Forbids the Writing of anything that is not Torah Tanach or part of the Law or its explanations 'She Be Al Pe,' Al Pi Ha Torah .HaShem Gave us One Testament and no human is permitted to make out that there are more testaments Chas Ve Shalom.Doing so is strictly against HaShem and His Laws and Commandments and against this particular Law . The Law for this very Commandment, is in this very verse in Torah about not being allowed to Add to or Subtract from Torah. Even the last Book of the Chumash, reminds us in the Book of the Prophet Malachi, just near the very end of the Tanach ( Malachi 3:22 ) , "That we are to Remember the Laws of Moshe , Hashem's Servant , whom HaShem Commanded in Chorev ,for all Israel ,Statutes and Laws, " and this Law is at the end part of the Chumash , showing that HaShem's Law and Only that, is True and to remain without additional Changes or Additions or Removals . Thus new additions or testaments are totally against HaShem's Laws of Adding to or Subtracting From The Law , which is Forbidden and against G-D .Doing such an Aveirah would thus be false, and not Written or Inspired by HaShem G-D.
Straight after this as I mentioned, are the Laws of the False Prophet and this is juxtaposed with the Laws of 'Not Adding to or Subtracting from the Torah ', for this is what happens when a new false prophet arrives, where they or their followers, stray from HaShem's Torah , the next step is to start adding false things in the form of a book , to prove false claims, something that is totally untrue, and a direct attempt to try change G-D's Law and an infringement of the Commandments , and such an idea or testament is not from G-D or written from G-D .
The Torah here in this Parsha even tells us about these false prophets and how to recognize such an individual, saying that if this prophet or dreamer of a dream makes signs or wonders, yet tells the people to go serve other deities or ideas foreign to Torah,or tries to change the Torah in any way from how HaShem Commands It , Chas Ve Shalom , we are not to listen at all to such a prophet of falsity. Such a deceiver is still described with the word 'prophet,' as this is how this false fake individual will be thought of , among others and how he tries to portray himself .
One has to ask why then , would HaShem Allows such a person to at first be , and HaShem Answers that question straight away in this portion of the Torah , by saying that HaShem's Reason is To Test us and our love for HaShem, that we will shun such a false individual and have faith in and only follow HaShem .For it is Only to HaShem The One And Only G-D and Creator , that we are to follow and to cleave to . Thus if we truly love HaShem, the One and Only G-D , and Creator , we will remain faithful to Him and never follow anything or anyone but HaShem and never add more than the Torah and Tanach and their 'She B' Al Peh' Explanations , but keep strictly to Torah Law . Thus we are cautioned not to accept a false prophet or false messiah by signs they can perform .In Devarim 18 , we are told also that anyone who comes and changes any Torah Law is a False Prophet . A True Prophet never changes a single word of Torah . This Law goes on in this Parsha to tell of one who entices others astray and what we are Commanded by G-D to Do. The Parsha then talks of the 'Ir Ha Nidachat ,' the Wayward city, and the Laws from HaShem of what to do with such a City. We also learn how one or two charlatans can affect a whole city and affect a world and lead millions to falsity and idol-worship .
The Parsha Continues telling us that we are Children of HaShem our G-D and not to cut ourselves or make a make a bald spot between our eyes for the dead , as the other nations do, for HaShem chose us Jews as treasured unto Himself and then HaShem Instructs about Kosher and Non Kosher Foods and Beheimah and Tzipporim and what may be consumed in Creation and what may not.
Then Tithes are discussed and Remission of Loans and how to treat the poor and also Jewish bondsmen and women. The Laws of Sanctified Offerings are then discussed.
The Parsha continues with the Pilgrimage Festivals of Pesach , Shavuos and Succos and the Omer Count between Pesach and Shavuos and ends by the Commandment to come three times to Yerushalaim with Offerings and not to " Yeira'eh," " Appear " before HaShem Empty- Handed . It is interesting how the root 'Re'eh' that is the name of this Parsha, appears near the end of the Parsha in the form of ' Yeira' eh," which means " Appear. " Thus in discussing the word used at the beginning of the Parsha ' " Re'eh," which has the same root letters, where HaShem Tells us to "See" how the choice is put before us as a "Blessing and a Curse," how the word "Yeira'eh' is also within this word, showing how, if we keep HaShem's Word, His Shechinah can "Appear" to us , if only we all keep HaShem's Torah. This is what Creation has waited for since It was Created by HaShem , to be Holy enough , for HaShem's Shechinah to 'Yeira'eh," - " Appear" to us . This can be one of the underlying reasons for The Laws, to bring up our holiness so HaShem's Shechinah can Appear to us and also to bring us closer to HaShem .
The first verse of this Parsha says ," Re' eh Anochi Notein Lifneichem Hayom Beracha U' Klalah ," - " See, I Present before you today a blessing and a curse ." The verses continue telling us that if we keep to HaShem and His Commandments, we will receive Brocha ,and if not , K'lalah . HaShem Tells us that when HaShem Brings us into the Land , then we are to read these Blessings and Curses , which appear in Parasha Ki Savo , on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eval as soon as we enter the Land. Thus, even though these Blessings and Curses were to be read at a later date as soon as the Children of Israel first enter the Land, Moshe was Instructed now , so the people will realize that us keeping Eretz Yisrael is contingent on us Keeping HaShem's Torah in all It's entirety . Israel is not like any other Physical place on Earth like New York or Paris or London, where anything goes or where any secular practice is done . No, not Israel, for it is a Holy Place and must be kept so, with no paganism or false deities and false Messiahs and false religions. It is a Holy Place , a place of Torah , where HaShem's Eyes are always Upon It , and so , it is to be kept ' Al Pi Torah ' - ' By the Words and Mouth of Torah .' Failure to do so , will be a cause for lack of Brochas .
HaShem , Shows us in this first verse, how , every day " Hayom ", at the start , we are presented with a choice of either doing Good or Bad and receiving a Brocha or a K'lalah . The choice is ours in our life.
As the verse says , 'Hayom,' - 'Today,' at every moment , we are presented with this choice whether to do Good or Bad. The result is our own responsibility.
HaShem Tells us that He "Notein Lifneichem " - " Presents before us " this Choice, in other words , HaShem makes two roads and leaves us to choose which . Thus the purpose of negativity , is there to give us a choice in life and thus allow us to choose the opposite and thus grow Spiritually . So even Negativity has its purpose in the scheme of Creation . All things in Creation , are for our Good , even if we don't always see it at first . HaShem Uses the word " Re'eh " - " See " in connection with this choice for good reason , as HaShem Knows that the Eye sees and that makes the Heart want . Thus it starts with training what and how we " Re'eh " - " See ," things . It starts witth looking up to Heaven and that teaches us how to Love HaShem and " Re' eh " - " See ," the Blessing , and that will help us look and act in the right holy choice of direction. The Eye sees and the Heart wants. Thus if we look toward holy things, the Heart will desire holiness. Within the Word " Re'eh ," is the word ' Yir'eh ,' which means ' to fear ,' thus, we need to fear HaShem in Love and that will lead us away from the "K'lalah ,' and toward the " Brocha ." The word " Re'eh " in Gematriah comes to 200+1+5 = 206 and 2+0+6 = 8 which is the number and represents the time after Mashiach , into the Spiritual Realm and thus , in " Re'eh," - " Seeing ," in making the correct choice, it leads to " Re'eh ," - " Seeing ," HaShem's. Beautiful Shechinah, the Greatest Brocha Reward of all , for us simply making the choice in choosing the Good . In Hebrew , the word 'Ra'ah ,' means ' Lung ' ( Shilo Hebrew Dictionary ) . The Lung is known for Breathing, the Breath HaShem gives us to live . And this Hebrew word has the same root as the name of our Parsha " Re'eh ." Thus Seeing the right path leads us back to HaShem's Breath of Life. At the End of Days , we await HaShem to " Appear ." The Hebrew word for 'Appear,' is R'iyah," ( Shilo Hebrew Dictionary ) having the same root as " Re'eh ," and thus , at the End of Days , ' HaShem Will 'Appear,' to those who choose Him " and His Path of Brocha.
"Re'eh," - " Seeing ," The Right Path , is like "Seeing ," the " Brocha ,' and " Seeing the Deepest " Brochas ," is like " Seeing the Essence of HaShem's Shechinah .
At this time of the year , as we come into the Hebrew Month of Elul , a time of Love For HaShem , which is in the Word Elul as it's first four letters connect to a verse of Shlomo Ha Melech that translates to ' Ani L' Dodi V' Dodi Li ,' 'I am my Beloved's - HaShem - and my Beloved - HaShem - Is mine ' Shir HaShirim 6:3 , and as we head toward the High Holy Days of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur , we need to work heavily on ourselves to choose the right path of Brocha Always and make an extreme effort to come back to Torah and HaShem and to show HaShem utmost love . HaShem Comes Down Closer to us at this time , so let us come closer to HaShem . Let us all work at all times and all year round to coming up closer with love to HaShem . With Love to HaShem , I wish HaShem With Love , a Most Special and Beautiful Shabbos Kodesh and Chodesh Tov Elul with Love , and to all my fellow Yidden, a most Special Shabbos Kodesh and Chodesh Tov Elul with love .
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