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Tag Archive for: Va-et’chanan

Va-et’chanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-25)

July 23, 2021/in Torah Tidbit

This Week’s Torah Portion: Va-et’chanan – וָאֶתְחַנַּן (Deuteronomy 3:23-25)

The most important section of this week’s Torah Portion, Va-et’chanan, are the words of the Shema:

שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהֹוָה  אֶחָד׃
Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.
“Hear O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One.”

That the Shema would contain the most important words in any Torah Portion which it might appear should come as no surprise. These are the watchwords of our faith, the self-defining, single most important value for our people over these past 3500 years. We are the people who worship the One God of Heaven and Earth. What other collection of words might be more precious to us or have had more impact on the world.

And yet, this week’s portion also includes the Ten Commandments, a code of justice and righteousness known the world over and adopted by people of many faiths as their own. But there is a reason why we recite the Shema in our services everyday; why we say the Shema in the morning and at night; why we roll slips of parchment with these words into boxes on the doorpost of our homes; why these are the last words we are meant to say.

There was once a time, more than 2000 years ago, when the Ten Commandments played that central role in the life of our people. Replacing them with the Shema was a thoughtful choice, based on the belief that no list of commandments, however short or long, could answer the question why we should follow these rules.

Choosing the Shema as the watchword of our faith meant directing ourselves toward our relationship with God, as partners in the building of a better world. Shema Yisrael – One commandment that encompasses them all.

Parsha Va-et’chanan Torah Summary:

Moses pleads with God to let him enter the Land of Israel with the people, but God once more refuses his request. (3:23–28) Moses orders the Children of Israel to pay attention and follow the laws given by God in order to be worthy of the land they are about to receive. (4:1–40) Specific areas of the land are set aside to serve as cities of refuge. (4:41–43) The covenant at Sinai and the Ten Commandments are recalled. Once again, the people are exhorted to heed God’s commandments. (5:1–30) Moses speaks the words of the Sh’ma, the credo of Judaism, and commands Israel to show their love for Adonai and keep God’s laws and ordinances. (6:1–25) Moses warns the people not to commit idolatry by worshiping the gods of the nations they will conquer in Israel. (7:1–11) Va-et’chanan

Va-et’chanan (Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11)

July 31, 2020/in Torah Tidbit

This Week’s Torah Portion: Va-et’chanan (Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11)

Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad.
Hear O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One.

(Deuteronomy 6:4)

In the Torah scroll, in every Torah scroll, the Shema is written in a unique and special way. The last letter of the first word, (which is an ayin) and the last letter of the last word (which is a dalet) are written larger than all the other letters in the text. We are not sure when or why this tradition for writing the letters of the Shema first began, perhaps simply to draw attention to these essential Jewish words on the Oneness of God. But why these particular letters? Because together these two letters form the word eid, which means “witness.”

The Shema teaches us that being a witness to the Oneness of God means doing the things, and being the people, that demonstrate God’s presence in the world.

Parsha Va-et’chanan Summary:

Moses pleads with God to let him enter the Land of Israel with the people, but God once more refuses his request. (3:23–28) Moses orders the Children of Israel to pay attention and follow the laws given by God in order to be worthy of the land they are about to receive. (4:1–40) Specific areas of the land are set aside to serve as cities of refuge. (4:41–43) The covenant at Sinai and the Ten Commandments are recalled. Once again, the people are exhorted to heed God’s commandments. (5:1–30) Moses speaks the words of the Sh’ma, the credo of Judaism, and commands Israel to show their love for Adonai and keep God’s laws and ordinances. (6:1–25) Moses warns the people not to commit idolatry by worshiping the gods of the nations they will conquer in Israel. (7:1–11)

Va-et’chanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11)

August 16, 2019/in Torah Tidbit

This Week’s Torah Portion: Va-et’chanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11)

“I pleaded with Adonai … and God did not hear me” Moses begs God to let him cross the Jordan into Israel, God answers: enough, I do not want to hear this no more.

From Moses we learn that not all our prayers can be answered. We always need to desire and want more, knowing that not everything we want to achieve in our lives, not everything we wish for will be answered.

Va-et’chanan Summary:
Moses pleads with God to let him enter the Land of Israel with the people, but God once more refuses his request. (3:23–28)
Moses orders the Children of Israel to pay attention and follow the laws given by God in order to be worthy of the land they are about to receive. (4:1–40)
Specific areas of the land are set aside to serve as cities of refuge. (4:41–43)
The covenant at Sinai and the Ten Commandments are recalled. Once again, the people are exhorted to heed God’s commandments. (5:1–30)
Moses speaks the words of the Sh’ma, the credo of Judaism, and commands Israel to show their love for Adonai and keep God’s laws and ordinances. (6:1–25)
Moses warns the people not to commit idolatry by worshiping the gods of the nations they will conquer in Israel. (7:1–11)
I [Moses] Pleaded with the Eternal
Deuteronomy
3:23–7:11
I pleaded with the Eternal at that time, saying, “O Eternal God, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.” – Deuteronomy 3:23-25

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