Hebrew Insights into Parashat Ha’azinu – D'varim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 32

 

Parashat Ha’azinu, which consists almost entirely of the ”Song of Moses” - Shirat Ha’azinu in Hebrew - is the crescendo that has been building up in the Dvarim (Deuteronomy) account. It is a recitation that summarizes the Israelites’ history, projecting future situations, while at the same time continually revolving around a central pivot - YHVH as the Almighty and as the loving Father of His people. Shirat Ha’azinu (the Ha’azinu song or poem) was to bear testimony for future generations. Last week, heaven and earth were also summoned as “witnesses”, as they are, indeed, here too: “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth” (32:1, italics added). The imperative “ha’azinu” (“listen”) is a derivative of “ozen” – “ear”, and would therefore be best translated “give ear”.  Psalm 80 also opens up with: “Give ear- ha’azina - O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!” Perhaps if we “give ear” to the Shepherd of Yisrael, He will also give ear to our cry.

The common Hebrew word for “scales” is “moz’na’yim” (e.g. Lev. 19:36). The ancients must have known that the ear is responsible for balance, thus connecting the two words which stem from the root a.z.n (alef, zayin, noon). With that said, the picture depicted before us is of heaven and earth acting as scales that are to weigh Israel in the balance. You will notice that many of the verses are made up of couplets, where the same point is stated once and then repeated with a slight variation. Perhaps this device highlights all the more the ‘weighing scales', as well as being a double witness. The first two verses of the poem serve as a good example of this poetic device, which is so typical of biblical poetry:

 

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;

And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

 My doctrine shall drop as the rain;

My speech shall drop down as the dew,

 

As the small rain on the tender plant,

And.aslthe;showerslon;the;grass((vs.1-2).          

These words find their confirmation in the following: "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11). 

YHVH’s love and care for Yisrael form the backdrop against which Yisrael’s past and future are respectively described and cast. According to the poem, the people’s relationship with and toward YHVH appears to be a primary cause of the events (past, present, and future) which befall them. 

Verse 4 exclaims that YHVH is “the Rock whose work is perfect”. The word used here for rock is “tzur”. This word is repeated a number of times in the poem, and thus we read in verse 13, in reference to YHVH’s benevolence toward Yisrael, “He made him suck honey from the rock and oil out of the flinty rock” (italics added). In response, Yeshurun (Jeshurun) – rooted in “straight”,?acts?more?like?apYa’acov (root of "crookedness”), and; “scorned9the?Rockbofftheir Salvation” (v. 15).  Verse 18 reads thus: “You forgot the Rock who birthed you”. The verb used here for “forgot” is “teshi” of the root n.sh.h (noon, shin, hey), which is also the root for the name Menashe (Manasseh). The imagery of the “rock”, a substance that is definitely not associated with tenderness, much less with motherhood, is juxtaposed with metaphors related to birthing and suckling. This type of unusual imagery is echoed somewhat in 1^st Corinthians 10:1 and 4, where we read: “Our fathers…. all drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Messiah”.

In verses 30 and 31 there are several more references to “tzur” ("How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and YHVH had surrendered them?  For their rock is not like our Rock.."), while in verse 37 the “rock” is the one in whom “refuge is taken” ("He will say: 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?") “chasayu”, ch.s.h., chet, samech, hey – is to “take refuge”, being a more conventional usage in relationship to the rock metaphor. Because the idols of the peoples were often made of stone or carved into a rock, “tzur” is also used here regarding the gods of the pagans (e.g., verse 31), contrasting the term with Yisrael’s Elohim, who is totally detached from the literal substance of the rock.

Other parts of our text appear to highlight different attributes of Elohim, one, in particular, is found in verse 27, but let us also include verse 26. YHVH says about His treacherous people: “I will make an end of them, I will make their memory cease from among men. Were it not that I dreaded the enemy’s provocation, lest their adversaries should misconstrue, lest they should say, ‘our hand is exalted and not YHVH has performed all this’” (italics added). This last verse (27) contains a very daring anthropomorphism [personification-humanization of YHVH], “indeed attributing to Him the sentiment of fear, as it were… has no parallel in the Torah”. In this commentary Nechama Leibowitz includes other instances where Moshe expresses concern over the desecration of YHVH’s name among the nations and concludes: “This concern over desecrating the Divine name… assumes a much more intense and extreme form in our sidra [Parasha]. Here it is the Almighty Himself who is, as it were, “concerned” over the world being misled and diverted from the path leading mankind spiritually forward. He is filled with apprehension lest His name be brought into disrepute instead of sanctified and His sovereignty universally recognized and acknowledged, which is the ultimate goal of all creation.”[1]  

“I will make an end of them…” (back to verse 26) is couched here in a very unique term, which appears nowhere else in the Tanach (O.T.) - “af’ey’em”. Several possible interpretations of this term have been extrapolated. Most “have traced its meaning to the word pe’ah – “corner”, while others connect it with af (anger)”. Rashi breaks up the word into its three syllables and comes up with: “af ey hem”, which is a question that reads as follows: “In anger (“af” meaning YHVH’s anger), where are they?” Thus implying that YHVH’s anger has reduced them to non-existence.[2]?Da’attMikra4offersyanother interpretation, with the same “pe’ah” – “corner, edge” in mind: “I will not leave of them as much as an edge”,[3] or being picked up in the shemitta year by anyone who so wishes, and/or being scattered to the utmost ends (symbolized by the edges of the fields).

Another verse that requires some attention is verse 5, which says: “They have corrupted themselves: they are not His sons; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation”. And although the Hebrew is somewhat obscure, according to Da’at Mikra it should read, “His sons’ blemish is theirs” (literal translation), that is to say: “their perversion is of their own making. Hence it may then be said that they are “lo-banav”- “not-His-sons”  (although there is yet another, alternate, though a similar, reading of this). This is also reminiscent of the name that will be given at a much later date to Ephraim - “not-My-people”0(“Lo-Ami”.oHos.1:9). ? In contradistinction, verse 6 names YHVH as “your father, the One who purchases you” – “kone’cha”. Quite often the term “koneh” (k.n.h, kof, noon, hey) – to “buy, or purchase” – is synonymous with redeeming, and lends the latter act its graphic meaning, as the role of the redeemer is primarily to pay for and buy that which is lost (such as freedom or property). In 1^st Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23, Shaul (Paul) reminds the redeemed community: “You are bought with a price”. “Kone’cha”, with its similarity to “ken” (a “bird’s nest”), inspired Rashi to suggest that this is a reference to the nest that YHVH is making for Yisrael (see also verse 11). [4]

At this point, starting with verse 6 and through 14, the poem expounds very tenderly on the establishment of the Israelite nation, and on the care and love bestowed on it by its Maker. That Yisrael, even in its nascent state, had a major role in global affairs is made apparent from verse 8: “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance; when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the sons of Israel” (italics added). When one takes into consideration the fact that the above separation took place after the Flood, and more particularly that YHVH scattered the people during the Tower of Ba’vel (Babel) era (see Gen. 10:25, 11:8), this statement becomes all the more significant and points to an even greater future for Yisrael.

A string of verbs, which follow one another in progressive intensity and describe YHVH’s involvement with Yisrael is introduced in verses 10 & 11. “He found him…He compassed him about … He cared for him…. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest… He hovers… He spreads his wings… He takes him… lifts him….”  The “desert land”, the “waste”, and the “howling wilderness” mentioned here (v. 10) bring to mind a lost entity wandering around, and thus these verbs appear as the solution and response to the people’s dire condition. These verbs are fraught with activity: “vay’vone’nehu” (root b.n.h, bet/vet, noon, hey), translated “cared”, in actual fact could relate to “bina” – “wisdom” and thus may read: “endowed him with wisdom”. Another possibility is that the above verb stems from “hitbonen”, which is to “look closely, watch”, or to “boneh”, “build, build up, or edify”. “Guarded him” is a translation of “yitz’renhu” and continues, “as the apple of His eye”. The latter is the pupil, “eeshon”, which literally is a “little man”. When one looks into someone else’s eye, one sees a miniature reflection of oneself.  “Hovers” is particularly interesting, as it is “ye’ra’chef”, of the root r.ch.f (resh, chet, pey/fey), which is found in B’resheet (Genesis) 1:2 in reference to the Spirit of Elohim. We recall the idea of being protected from above as well as being airborne in Parashat Va’era, in Shmot (Exodus) 6:7, 8, where we read YHVH’s promise: “And I will take you…. to the land concerning which I lifted up My hand…” (italics added). In Sh’mot (Exodus) 19:4, YHVH addressed Yisrael: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself”. Parashat Ha’azinu, therefore, echoes and captures promises of the past, transferring them to the Israelites’ present reality on the threshold of the Promised Land.

Next is the enumeration of the goodness and plenty that was conferred upon Yisrael, and with which she shall be blessed in the future ("He made him ride in the heights of the earth, that he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock;  curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs; and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the choicest wheat; and you drank wine, the blood of the grapes" vs. 13-14). Verse 15 witnesses a transition, and once again, there is an inventory, if you will, of densely listed verbs. Unfortunately, not all of them can be translated into verb form in English: “Yeshurun grew fat… kicked… became fat… became thick… covered in layers… forsook Elohim his maker….” In Hebrew, all these are in verb form and follow one another thusly: “va’yishman… va’yiv’at… shamanta, avita, kasita, va’yitosh… vay’na’bel”, almost in stampede fashion. Just as before, where YHVH’s intense activities around His people were depicted in verb form, action-laden, so too here, the Israelites’ intent on turning away from their Creator is described in a chain reaction of fast moves.

The excerpt of verses 28-35 presents a controversy, which has been engaging the commentators for generations. Who is the subject of verses 28-29 ("For they are a nation void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them.  Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!")? Is it Yisrael, or is it the enemies? In verse 30 ("how could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight…"}, again, who is being chased, is it Yisrael, or the enemies? Verse 36: “For YHVH will bring His people justice; and He shall have compassion on His servants…” seems to indicate that the former section would have referred to the enemy. However, according to verses 30 and 31 again, it would appear that Yisrael is the subject of the section: “How shall one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight unless their Rock had sold them and YHVH had shut them up?  For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges”. Who is it that YHVH is “selling”? (Remember verse 6, where He was depicted as the Father and the “buyer”?) Does He not sell that which belongs to Him? And in verse 31, in the references to “their rock” and to “our rock”, is there, not a distinction made between Yisrael and the other nations?  Verses 37 and 38 ("He will say: 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?  Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, and be your refuge") present a similar dilemma. Again, is it Yisrael or is it the nations that are the subject of this brief portion? Having just read that YHVH will have compassion on His people, this could possibly refer to the enemies, whose rock and god (the rock being the "god" and not a mere metaphor for strength, unlike the Elohim of Yisrael, who is symbolized by the rock but is not the rock itself) is unable to help them. Conversely, this could also be talking to Yisrael, who had been leaning on false gods whom they trusted to no avail. What do you think?

“And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel. And he said to them, ‘Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your sons to observe and to do, all the words of this law; For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life. And by this word you shall prolong your days in the land where you go over Jordan, there to possess it’” (vs. 45-47 italics added). Thus, Moshe seals these most solemn words of the testimonial poem. The words, “for it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life” are rendered in Hebrew, “for it is not an empty word for you, because…” and here it is possible to read, “He is your life…"  “I am the way, the truth, and the Life”, were Yeshua’s words in John 14:6. And just as Shirat Ha’azinu was to bear a testimony, so did the Word-made-flesh (John 1:14) who bore testimony in His very being, “so that all may believe…” (John 1:7).

Once the recitation of the poem is over, Moshe is told by Elohim: "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession" (Deuteronomy 32:49). "Abarim" – avarim in Hebrew pronunciation - is rooted in our familiar "over", to cross or pass over. Thus, although Moshe was not to cross over to the land of C'na'an, there is another crossing that awaits him… from this present world to the next…

 

[1] New Studies in Devarim, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman. Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora. Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.

[2] Ibid

[3] Da’at Mikra, A’ahron Mirski, Rav Kook Inst., Jerusalem, 2001

[4] Ibid.

The Reversal of the Curse – or Not

 Those of us who are following the readings of the Torah portions which are now coming to their annual cycle’s end, are always faced with the amazing prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 30.  This whole chapter is very relevant in unveiling a mystery that has been hidden for three thousand years.  In this case, the meaning of one Hebrew word can help to disclose the identity of YHVH’s ancient (and who were to become hidden) people.  Such is, for example, verse 4: "If your outcasts (nadach) are at the ends of the earth, from there YHVH your Elohim will gather you, and from there He will bring you back” (Deuteronomy 30:4 emphasis added).  In Isaiah 11:12 the same word is used again:  “And He [YHVH] will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished (nadach) ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah” (emphases added).  Then verse 6 of Deuteronomy 30 is all about the promise that will be fulfilled in the New Covenant, as is recorded in Jeremiah 31:31. “Moreover YHVH your Elohim will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6).

The season before Yom Kippur is a time of introspection, but we also have to look at it as a time to remember these words of Moses that pertain to Israel as a whole.  Our history is of utmost importance in the overall witness of our covenant-keeping Elohim and regarding the return of His redeemer son, Yeshua.  We have been, and still are, His ensign throughout all generations, especially now in the latter days (see Jeremiah 31). 

I received today a link to a TBN interview with Jonathan Cahn about his new book, Harbinger II, subtitled “the Shaking of America to its Core”.  In some of his books Cahn speaks about the judgements upon ancient Israel and then makes an application to the United States and the Church.  It always amazes me that of all the mysteries that he speaks about, the one that he does not yet see is the “mystery of the blindness of Israel” (ref. Romans 11: 25-26), the uncovering of which could turn around the judgments of the Almighty upon a nation.  The last chance before employing the curse, that the prophets of old give is at the end of Malachi: "And he [Elijah] will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children/sons, and the hearts of the children/sons to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse" (4:6).  

What is hidden in Moses’ prophecy in Deuteronomy 30 is brought to light at the end of the age, when this Elijah message reveals the faithfulness of YHVH to the covenants that He made with Israel’s forefathers.  The revealing of the Abrahamic faith in His people, especially the lost sheep of the house of Joseph, is paramount to the reversal of these end time curses.  The condition for overturning curses is laid out clearly in 2^nd Chronicles 7:13-14, which also enumerates the curses that we are facing, "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,  and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (emphases added).  YHVH has been revealing in these last days who are His people. He has conferred upon Jacob, and then Joseph and his two sons Ephraim and Menashe, as well as upon both Houses of Israel (Ephraim and Judah) the same name as the one by which He names the Messiah - “Israel” (ref. Isaiah 49:1-3). What has been hidden is now being revealed in the very Gospel of the Kingdom which is being restored to those to whom it belongs (Acts 1:6-8; 3:19-21). 

Immediately upon embracing by faith Elohim’s resurrection of His Son, (see Romans 3:23-25), newly-come believers should be told about the faith of their father Abraham, who believed that Elohim could bring forth life from a dead womb. The apostle makes a very strong case for the person who believes this fact: “… those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16). Then again in Galatians he writes about those who are in Messiah, as having the faith of Abraham their father “And if you belong to Messiah, therefore you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise” (3:29 “therefore” is in the original Greek).

 As long as there is a denial of our identity as being the seed/sons of those covenanted forefathers, the curses will continue to be in effect and most likely get worse.

Parashat Va’yelech – Dvarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 31

 

While Parashat Nitzavim (“standing” as compared to “and he went/walked”) focuses on the “crossing over” of the Hebrew people, Parashat “Va’yelech” starts with… the “going” of Moshe: “va’yelech Moshe,” that is “and Moses went,” and continues with: “and spoke these words to all Israel” (31:1). These words of introduction, “Moses went”, regarding the statements that the elderly leader was about to make to his compatriots is quite curious. Was it a hint of his impending departure, and that he was ready to proclaim this fact to all Yisrael? Indeed, Moshe continues: “I am a hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Also YHVH has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan’” (31:2, italics added). Notice the elderly leader’s words, “I can no more go out and come in,” which in Hebrew is: “la’tzet ve-lavo” [literally “to go out” and “to come in”). The previous Parashot [plural for Parasha], Ki Tetze, “when you go out”, and Ki Tavo”, “when you come in”, seem to be related (respectively) to these words of Moshe about “going out to war” (Deut. 21:10), and “coming into the land” (26:1). Thus, paraphrased, Moshe is implying the following: “I am not able to lead you in war, and neither am I able to enter the land with you”,

But whereas Moshe will not be accompanying the people, he consoles them saying that “YHVH your Elohim will cross before you” – which is once more the familiar “over” (a.v.r – the root of “Hebrew”).*  “He will destroy these nations before you,” and in addition, Yehoshua will also “go – pass, cross - “over” - before you” (v. 3). Verses 6, 7, and 8, spoken to Yisrael and to Yehoshua summarize all of the above:  "’Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them [the people of the land]; for YHVH your Elohim is the One who goes ["holech", from the same construct as "yelech"] with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.’  Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, ‘Be strong and of good courage, for you will be the one to go with this people to the land which YHVH has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it.  And YHVH is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed". Notice the repetition of “be strong and of good courage”, and of “YHVH is the One who goes with/before you”. YHVH is with His people, He is also with their leader, and at the same time is also going before/ahead of both. Thus, the "going" and the "crossing" which Moshe is unable to do, will be undertaken by Elohim Himself, being strongly emphasized in the opening passage of the Parasha. 

The third expression, which is repeated in the above passage: “He will not fail you nor forsake you” is “lo yar’pecha, ve-lo ya’azovcha”. “Yar’peh” – translated “fail” - is rooted in r. p/f. h (resh, pey/fey, hey), meaning to “become weak, let go, be negligent, or remove”. In Tehilim (Psalms) 46:10 it says, “Be still and know that I am YHVH”. However, in Hebrew, the rendering is “harpu”, literally “let go”, or “become weak”. Because YHVH will not “let go” of His people, they are the ones who must do the “letting go” and become “weak” before Him, and in so doing, they will know that He is the Elohim who alone can give them strength. Shaul (Paul) echoes this when he says: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Messiah may overshadow me” (2^nd Corinthians 12:9 italics added). The next verb (of the above-mentioned expression, “lo yar’pecha ve-lo ya’az’vecha”) is Azav (ayin, zayin, bet/vet), and means, “leave, abandon or forsake”. It is also used elsewhere in our Parasha, although in a different connotation, as we shall see at once.

Thus, verses 16 and 17 of Dvarim 31 record: “And YHVH said to Moses, ‘Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. And this people shall rise up and go lusting after the gods of the strangers of the land into which they are going, into their midst. And they will forsake Me – ve’azavani - and break My covenant which I made with them. Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them - ve’azavtim…’” (Italics added). Verse 5 reveals to us that there is a condition for being preserved by YHVH: “…do to them [the nations in Cna’an - Canaan) according to all the commandments which I have commanded you,” to not “go lusting after [their] gods,” thereby forsaking the true One. Nevertheless, in verse 16 we read that “This people shall rise up…” which is “ve’kam”. In last week’s Parashat Nitzavim (Det. 29:13) it said: “…that He may establish you today for a people to Himself…” which is literally “that He may raise you up… - hakim”. Hence, it is the very people, whom YHVH was raising up – establishing - who “shall rise up and go lusting after the gods of the strangers…” (italics added).

In the two examples above (and in many similar ones throughout the Tanach, some of which we examined very recently), we see the usage of identical words or derivatives of the same root for the purpose of conveying contrasting messages. This method highlights or enhances an idea, and at times adds a touch of irony and a moral to the story or the description at hand.

YHVH is commanding Moshe to call on Yehoshua in order for both to “present” themselves in the Tent of Meeting (31:14); a command which is designated by the imperative “(ve-hit)yatzvu”, of the root y.tz.v that we encountered in Parashat “Nitzavim”.  In presenting himself, therefore, Yehoshua is to make a “firm stand” and a commitment.

Last week we encountered "the hidden things – "nistarot" - that "belong to YHVH", while "those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law (29:29). This renders the Torah laws as not hidden or mysterious, in other words, "doable". In the present Parasha, the sins that Yisrael will be engaging in will incur "hiddenness"… of YHVH's face from them (31:17).. In contrast, beforehand, He is said to be taking care of that which is hidden, relieving His people of certain burdens, now it's their lack of obedience that will cause Him to hide His very face (rather than taking care of the "hidden matters").

Further connection to Parashat Nitzavim is evident in the concept of “witness” – testimony “ – “ed”, masculine, and “eda”, feminine. In the previous Parasha, heaven and earth were summoned as witnesses (30:19). Now the “Song” (which constitutes the following Parasha), the book of the Torah (which of course contains the "Song"), and heaven and earth (again) are singled out as witnesses. The “Song”, in particular, is to “testify as a witness” against the people, “when many evils and troubles have found them” (31:21). “Testifying” in this particular case is “an’ta” (of the root a.n.h – ayin, noon, hey), meaning to “respond or answer”, as according to verse 19 the “Song” will be “in the mouths of the Children of Israel.” Therefore, when they recite this Song, their own words shall “respond” to, or echo, their evil actions and become a testimony against them. This brings to mind Parashat Nitzavim’s: “the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may do it” (30:14 italics added), which is the other side of the same proverbial coin. Another usage of “ta’aneh”, “respond”, in relationship to “witness” is found in Sh’mot (Exodus) 20:16 and Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 5:20, where it says: “You shall not bear – “ta’aneh”- "respond” - a false witness against your neighbor”. In view of this, we may ask: are the things that we say and do but mere responses, or answers bearing testimony to a ‘Primary Moving Cause’ (be it YHVH or the adversary)?

In 31:10-11 we read: “And Moses commanded them, saying, ‘at the end of seven years, at the set time of the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel has come to appear before YHVH your Elohim in the place which He shall choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.’” The word for “read” is “kara” (k.r.a, kof, resh, alef), meaning to "read, recite, call”. At the end of the Parasha, in verse 29, it says: “For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will happen to you in the latter end of the days…”  Moshe predicts that “evil” will “happen to you”, which is rendered here ve’karat, and shares the same root as the aforementioned “kara” (“read”). However, as a rule, the spelling for “happen” (albeit of the same sound as “read” or “recite”), is different and therefore has another root (as we have seen several times already in the past). Thus, the special rendering and spelling of “happen” in this particular case incorporates, as it were, the verb for “reading”. Hearing the Torah read while turning away from it and from its Giver will result in evil befalling or happening to those who know better yet choose to rebel against its Giver (and against their own better judgment).

*“Over” is pronounced like “overt,” minus the “t” sound

The Truah of YHVH

 The first day of the seventh month is called, ”the Day of the Remembrance of the Loud Sound” (“truah”).  What this “sound” or “voice” is understood to be about, is the sound of the Shofar on Mount Sinai at the time of the giving of the Torah.  In the instructions given about this day, in Leviticus 23:24, the translations insert trumpet but that Hebrew word is not there, and neither is shofar.  The shout or the loud sound is in essence to remember YHVH’s voice.  But what specifically are we to remember?  The " voice " often called out to Israel to remember that YHVH brought them out of the land of bondage and slavery.  Now that we identify as the lost sheep of the House of Israel, we need to be reacquainted with the voice of YHVH the Elohim of our forefathers, just as every generation before us had to do. Here is YHVH’s TRUAH to us, in this generation:

“And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and YHVH your Elohim brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore YHVH your Elohim commanded you to keep the Sabbath day”  (Deuteronomy 5:15).  "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” {Exodus 20:8).  (And the other commandments.)

“you shall remember well what YHVH your Elohim did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:  the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which YHVH your Elohim brought you out” (Deuteronomy 7:18-19).  

"And you shall remember that YHVH your Elohim led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

"You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and YHVH your Elohim redeemed you” (Deuteronomy 15:15).  

Since at this time, the Spirit is turning the hearts of the seed of the forefathers back to their identity, we are to "remember the Torah of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments”  (Malachi 4:4).  

 If you are one of those who have had the revelation that you are of the lost sheep of the House of Israel, then you are to recall to mind the above quoted scriptures, as they are the proverbial sound of the TRUAH from the past which is still reverberating today.  You would not be here now if any of your forefathers had died along the generational trail, just as is written in Jeremiah 31:1-2:  “I will be the Elohim of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people. Thus says YHVH, ‘the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness -- Israel, when I went to give him rest’".

In the same context, YHVH declares emphatically that He has not forgotten but remembered His prodigal son: “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says YHVH” (Jeremiah 31:20 emphasis added).  Then almost in the same breath, His voice is heard again as He establishes a “New Covenant with the House of Israel and Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). We are privileged to live in the reality of this covenant, as long as we “remember”, not just one day, but every day, to live by faith and obedience to the risen Messiah Yeshua and the power of His indwelling Spirit. Remembering the mighty right arm of the Father, Yeshua, who brought us out of the kingdom of darkness, slavery to sin and death, giving up His life so that we might have eternal life.

“Therefore remember that you once were like heathens in the flesh -- who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands…  But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah” (Ephesians 2:11, 13 emphasis added).

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Nitzavim – D’varim (Deuteronomy) 29:10-Ch.30

 

Parashat Nitzavim may be subtitled “The Hebrew People - A Testimony of the Covenant and of the Promises”. Although Nitzavim is translated "You stand…" - it actually means "standing in position, standing firmly, or taking a stand", the root being y.tz.v (yod, tzadi, bet/vet), and the definition is “set, establish or take a stand.”[1] According to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsh, however, the root is tz.v.v (tzadi, vet, vet), and means “cover while moving.” [2] Embodied in this Parasha (as well as in the next, Parashat Va’yelech), is the definition of the nation as well as the ultimate promise of grace. Interestingly, about the “nations” which “rage” and “the peoples” who “contemplate a vain thing”, with their “kings and rulers” (mentioned in Psalm 2:1-2), it is said that they “take their stand together against YHVH and His Anointed…” (v.2). In Hebrew “take their stand” is, again, “yit’ya’tzvu”, which places the latter in a parallel but contradictory position to those who are now standing in solemn formation before entering the land promised to them by their Elohim. Thus, as these two “stances” are placed side by side, one is left with a choice of where to stand and with whom…

 

The familiar verb "avor", which means “to pass, go through, go over, enter”, and the noun and verb forms of "witness or testimony” ("ed"), show up more than once. The Hebrew people, YHVH’s witnesses, are characterized, as we know, by ‘crossing’ or ‘passing over, hence different aspects of this action are presented in the text.

 

But why are the “passers over” standing in 'position” or "formation”? “That you may enter ("avor") the covenant with YHVH your Elohim, and enter ("avor") into His oath [alah – an oath that if broken incurs a curse; in 30:7 it is used as “curse”] which YHVH your Elohim is making with you today, in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your Elohim, just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of YHVH our Elohim and with those who are not with us here today" (29:12-15). With all the crossing over of the Hebrews, the passing/crossing over into the covenant is of prime importance. Notice also the far-reaching aspect of the covenant, to those “not with us today”, thus pointing to the continuity of the people of Yisrael and to generational unity within the boundaries of the covenant. Moreover, in 29:10-11 the text stresses the all-inclusiveness of the covenant by addressing “all of you”, as well as by enumerating the entire social structure of the nation: “your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, your little ones and your wives -- also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water”.

 

“Covenant” – “brit” – is of the root b.r.t (bet, resh, tav), meaning “cut". “Making a covenant” – “karot”- is another verb for “cut” (or fell a tree, for example). Consequently, in making the covenant, there is a double cutting as it were, which points emphatically to separation from one’s former situation, both naturally and spiritually (and is signified by the cutting entailed in the physical circumcision). By the same token, by transgression one may experience a “cutting (again, k.r.t, e.g. Lev. 7:20) … away” from the boundaries prescribed by the covenant.  

 

This covenant, being two-sided, is therefore like a two-edged sword. Abba laid down the conditions, but knowing the infidelity which is characteristic of His children’s hearts, He also built into the covenant the promise of grace. In other words, ultimately it will be Him only who will make possible its fulfillment, as is seen so vividly in 30:3-10. In verse 6, He promises that at a later time He will “circumcise the heart” of His people. “Circumcise” is designated by the root m.u.l (mem, vav, lamed), meaning… “to cut”, once again.   In between this promise of grace and the warnings of transgressing His commandments (29:16-28), we read in 29:29: “The things hidden are to YHVH our Elohim, and the things revealed are to us and to our sons -- that we may do all the words of this Torah” (literal translation, italics added). Disobedience cannot be excused by claiming that the Torah is mystical and concealed, and as if this is not enough, it says in 30:11-14: "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us that, we may hear it and do it?'  Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do it?'  But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it”. The word for “mysterious” here is different from the one employed in 29:29 for “hidden”. The present term (v. 14) for “hidden” is “niflet”, rooted in p.l.a (pey, lamed, alef. See Shoftim - Judges 13:18, 19 and Tehilim - Psalm 139:6, in both this word is translated “wonderful”). However, having said all of the above, in the next Parasha (chapter 31), there is a warning that could result in situations where YHVH will hide His face from His people (31:17).

 

Repentance and turning to YHVH accompany restoration, which is expressed in the 30:3-10 passage, where all the verbs are in the ‘active causative form’, denoting that He is both the initiator and the ‘enactor’. Not only does He take it upon Himself to enable the fulfillment of the covenant, and at a later date sends Yeshua to carry all of our afflictions and sufferings, but in 31:13 it also says that "YHVH your Elohim [is He] who will cross (over) ahead of you" (31:3 italics added). YHVH is truly the Elohim of the Hebrews! He goes ahead of them by "crossing over" Himself! At the same time, together with the “crossing” or “passing over”, we have here one of those Hebraic dichotomies indicated by “standing firmly”. The blend of both is the desired condition and status designated for the People of Yisrael. And indeed, we see Yeshua crossing  - “over”* – ahead of us, entering within the veil, giving us a hope which is sure and steadfast – “yatziv” (ref. Heb. 6:19, 20, Hebrew translation of the Greek, being also of the root y.tz.v). Thus, with a “yatziv” (sure) hope, we are enabled to be steadfast and stand firmly while crossing over.

 

In the meantime, this drama of the covenant nation, its unfaithfulness, and the grace granted it is to unfold in front of the entire universe and creation. The testimony – witness - “ed” – is being established by calling upon heaven and earth (ref. 30:19). The Song of Moses (referred to in Parashat Va’yelech 31:21 and presented in chapter 32) is the written record that serves as a witness, as does the Torah too, which is to be kept in the ark in the Holy of Holies (31:26).

 

The desolate land (29:23-28) will also bear witness to the unfaithfulness of the people, both before their own sons' eyes and in front of the foreigners (v. 22), as will their banishment from it (i.e., the land). All this is with a view toward the end that the Hebrew people themselves will become a witness and a testimony nation. "You are my witness, declares YHVH" (Is. 43:10), to the fact that He is the Elohim of Yisrael, the Elohim of creation, and the Elohim of the universe.

 

As we have already seen, the covenant pertains to this present-day generation (see 29:14-15), just as much as it did to those who lived back then. Therefore, we too are to "stand firm in position", standing our ground today, to be a covenant people and a witness to the Elohim of the covenant, the Elohim of Yisrael, the Elohim of the Hebrews - the Elohim of grace.

 

 [1] The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, Francis Brown Hendrickson. Publishers, Peabody, Mass. 1979.

 [2] Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, Rabbi Matityahu Clark, Feldheim       

Publishers, Jerusalem, New York.

·       “Over” is pronounced like “overt,” minus the “t” sound.

 

The Sign and World Events

 In a recent meeting, the question as to what was the sign of Yeshua’s coming was raised.  In response, it was pointed out that Yeshua specified what that sign would be in Mathew 24:14:  "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness/sign to all the nations, and then the end shall come”.  Nevertheless, is the “sign” of His coming 'only' the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the entire world, or does the "sign" also consist of world events that are taking place while this glorious message is being declared in all nations?  Perhaps they both go hand in hand and are inextricable one from the other because, reading on, from verse 15 through 29, we see Yeshua addressing the “elect” or the called-out ones, regarding those days and cautioning this remnant not to be deceived (v. 24).

Yeshua warned that this end-time tribulation will be catastrophic in nature, so much so that none in the past or in the future will compare to it (v.21).  It is the wrath of the Lamb - the Son of Elohim, that will execute this distressing period.  He will be watching over every aspect.  This week’s Parasha, with its enumeration of the curses, gives an accurate indication of what may be on the horizon.  The cup of iniquity has to be full before Yeshua takes it and pours it out, just as the tares and the wheat must also come to full maturity before the Lord of the Harvest takes out the former to be burnt. 

Years ago, I came across an observation regarding the cause of the tribulation, and that is the gathering of the remnant that responds to the Gospel of the Kingdom.   As it is stated in the Matthew text, the elect is destined to go through this turmoil.   Elohim's chosen ones house His Kingdom within them, the nature of which is Yeshua's Light.  They are not the ones executing the curses upon the nations, on the contrary, they are learning what it means to be a living sacrifice under those circumstances.  Even though subject to the horrific conditions all around them, they are comforted by a living hope. They are learning first-hand what the apostle wrote in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Messiah, and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).  In the coming days the reality of Yeshua's presence will be so intimate and tangible, it will be like seeing Him face to face.

This period is Yeshua’s greatest hour. The times of the Gentiles\nations are nearing their end, and what was prophesied of Him before He was born into this world is about to be fulfilled, that is to set up the everlasting Kingdom in the House of Jacob (ref. Luke 1:33), and to restore His Father’s ancient people, the tribes of His inheritance.  He will take them out of the nations and bring them back to their promised land. He will fulfill all that has been spoken about them in the writings of prophets of old.  Israel will be what they were called to be - a firstborn nation that the rest of the nations will respect and honor, not because of who they are in themselves, but because of the glory that is upon them. This Shabbat's Haftara reading describes it well:

  "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of YHVH has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; But YHVH will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you.  And nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Isaiah 60:1-3).

The above points out very clearly that during a time of deep darkness, the light of the Kingdom will be “rising”. As a result, it will be at war with the kingdom of darkness. Yeshua will not hold back any of the curses resulting from iniquity and rebellion, even reintroducing some of the ten plagues of Egypt (see Deut. 28:60; Rev. 16).  

Our Heavenly Father is giving us time to get our act together and be prepared for the turbulent days ahead ("Jacob's Trouble", Jeremiah 30:7). This requires a deepening of our understanding of what it means to be immersed in the body of Messiah. ^"For by one Spirit we were all baptized/immersed into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). The world, on the other hand, offers us a variety of “mixed drinks”. It is time to get up from the table of the demons and recline at the table with Yeshua, even like the disciple, who leaned on His chest.  

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Ki Tavo – D’varim (Deuteronomy) 26 – 29:9

 

 “When you have come – ki tavo – into the land…” informs us that “living in Israel is the assumption behind the Torah itself,” to quote Nehemiah Gordon.[1] And whereas last week’s Parasha raised the issue of the firstborn son, this week the Parasha deals extensively with firstfruit (both of which belong to YHVH, ref. Ex. 13:2; 22:29; 23:19, Num. 18:13). Here in 26:2 and 26:10, just as in Shmot (Exodus) 23:19, the term used is not “bikkurim” but rather “resheet”, which literally means “beginning”. (In Parashat Emor, Vayikra-Leviticus 21:1-24:23 we dealt extensively with this term, as it applies to the Beginning/First of the Omer, 23:10).  It is the very term which is attached to the Messiah who is IN the beginning and who IS the beginning (John 1:1-2). Rendering to YHVH the first fruit/beginning that belongs to Him can be done only in the land of Yisrael. The triune bond of the Heavenly Father, His people, and the land is expressed here in a most poignant way. “And it shall be, when you have come into the land which YHVH your Elohim is giving to you as an inheritance, and you have possessed it, and live in it; then you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground which you shall bring in from your land which YHVH your Elohim is giving to you, and shall put it in a basket, and shall go to the place which YHVH your Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell there” (Deut. 26:1,2 italics added). Once the Israelite person is well established in the land that YHVH has caused him to inherit, and once that land yields its produce that same Israelite is to render back to YHVH the first/fruit/beginning of the produce while doing so only in the place and in the manner prescribed by Him.

“And the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and place it before the altar of YHVH your Elohim. And you shall speak and say before YHVH your Elohim…” (26: 4). Now the Israelite is bidden to recount before YHVH some of the history of his people (v. 5ff), which of course highlights YHVH’s indispensable role, generating thanksgiving in the said Israelite worshipper, as well as a greater sense of oneness with his ancestors and with the future generations. And so (as we have noticed in many other instances), place, time, and people all come together under the sovereign rule of YHVH.

However, the declaration: “… And you shall place it before YHVH your Elohim, and bow yourself before YHVH your Elohim” (26:2), along with the presentation of the fruit in the basket, does not end this particular activity. In verse 11 we read: “… and rejoice in all the good which YHVH your Elohim has given to you, and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the alien who is in your midst”, immediately leading to: “When you have made an end of tithing all the tithes of your increase the third year, the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the alien, the orphan, and the widow, that they may eat inside your gates, and be filled…” (v.12). Thus, issuing from recalling the historic continuum, are joy and a sense of gratitude that leads to concern for and empathy with the less fortunate.

In Parashot R’eh and Shoftim (2 and 3 weeks ago, respectively, and before that in Parashat Mishpatim Ex. 21-24) we encountered the root b.ae.r (bet, ayin, resh), used in reference to YHVH’s burning anger, and also in regards to removing any and all impurities from Yisrael’s camp, hence meaning, to “burn, purge or consume” (in Mishpatim we examined this root closely, finding several more meanings not mentioned here). Last week’s Parashat Ki Te’tzeh also cited several times this term in regards to sexual impurity (22:13-24), with one more reference to kidnapping (24:7).  Here this term is used once more, but surprisingly in a very different context: “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year -- the year of tithing -- and have given to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled, then you shall say before YHVH your Elohim: 'I have removed the holy tithe from my house… I have not eaten any of it when in mourning...‘” (Deuteronomy 26:12-13, 14 italics added).  In Hebrew both “I removed” and “I have [not] eaten” are rendered as “bi’ar’ti”. This further emphasizes the potential for YHVH’s burning anger to be kindled if one were not to fulfill the above-mentioned requirement of rendering that which is set apart (kadosh) for those to whom it is due (i.e. the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow).  

Let's reiterate, the individual Israelite, who is responsible before his Elohim for handing over the initial yield of his land, for thanking Elohim and rejoicing before Him, is at the same time also to encompass the needy ones within his gates, since doing so is as good as “lending to YHVH” Himself (ref. Prov.19:17).

The afore-mentioned address made to the Israelites (in chapter 26) is in the second person singular, which constitutes, as noted before, a means to underscore the individual responsibility to be borne by each person (as well as the oneness of the people – one and all). The confession, however, that the Israelite worshiper is to make is in first person plural, denoting the collective national identity in relationship to YHVH (vs. 5-9). In verse 10 there is an immediate change, again to the first person, as the focus shifts back to the individual’s responsibility and relationship with his Elohim. Verses 17-19 sum up the ‘transaction’ which will take place: “You have today declared YHVH to be your Elohim, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes and His commands, and His judgments, and to pay attention to His voice. And YHVH has declared you today to be His people, a special treasure as He has spoken to you, and to keep all His commands. And He will make you high above all nations that He has made, in praise, and in name, and in glory; and that you may be a holy people to YHVH your Elohim, as He has spoken” (italics added). The verb “declared” in both instances is “he’emir,” of the root a.m.r (alef, mem, resh), meaning to “say, utter, declare, speak”. However, because “he’emir” is an unusual conjugation, rather than the regular “amar”, some translate it “elevate”, stemming from the root word “a’mir”, which is “top or summit” (for example, “uppermost branch” in Isaiah 17:6). The wilderness journey had seen many incidents of rebellion, as Moshe states in Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 9:24: “You have been rebels against YHVH from the day that I knew you”. There, as in many of the other references to the Israelites’ rebelliousness, the word used is “mam’rim” of the root m.r.h. This sad fact, is stated in alliteration form in Tehilim (Psalms) 107:11: “They defied Elohim’s words” – “himru ee’mrey El”, and another alliteration is found in Tehilim 106:20, "they exchanged -  va'ya'miru – their glory for the glory of an ox". Both of these (himru and he'emiru) find their ‘remedy’ (tikkun) in the present term - “he’emiru” - that is in the definitive action of the Israelites “saying and declaring” YHVH’s “elevated” words, deeds and goodness toward them. Additionally, we can't fail to see that in the second part of this "transaction", YHVH promises to make His "special treasure" – the segula – "high above all nations".

The rest of the Parasha is mostly devoted to the blessings and the curses (chapter 28). Even the undertaking in the future, of writing the Torah on “large stones” after crossing the Yarden and reading it to the people, is intended to illustrate vividly the extant dichotomy of “blessings” and “curses”, as this event was to take place between the “Mountain of Blessing” and the “Mountain of Curse”.  And, as if to make sure that the people will understand the simple equation of ‘obedience equals blessings - rebellion equals curses’, it says: “And you shall write on the stones all the words of the law very plainly” (27:8). “Very plainly” is “ba’er heytev”, and while we have already examined once the verb “ba’er” (and its connection to “be’er,” “well” – in Deut. Ch. 1), here we encounter the additional “heytev”, of the root “tov” - well, good, pleasant”. “Ba’er hey’tev”, then, is plainly “do a good job of explaining and making the meaning clear and simple”.

Moving now to the blessings versus the curses, we take a look at 28:1 (regarding the blessings) and at verse 15 (the opening verse of the passage enumerating the curses) and read the following commentary: “Particularly remarkable is the difference between the emphatic double phrase of obedience used in the positive passage: ‘If thou shalt diligently hearken (shamo’a tishma)’ and the bare: ‘if thou shalt not hearken’ in the negative one. … Rashi, following Talmudic exegesis interprets the idiomatic doubling of the verb in a conditional sense: ‘And it shall be,’ im shamoa, ‘if thou shalt hearken’, tishma, ‘then thou shalt continue to hearken’. Though grammatically this is not the implication of the verb doubling, it nevertheless expresses a deep psychological truth that once man has started on the right path, his progress becomes easier, gathering momentum with each fresh good deed. Maimonides also observed: ‘The more man is drawn after the paths of wisdom and justice, the more he longs for them and desires them’”. [2]

The blessings and the curses are set side by side in chapter 28 and are parallel in content. But whereas it takes 14 verses to spell out the blessings, it takes almost four times that to go through all the curses. It appears that both blessings and curses are all-encompassing. Being blessed, one is blessed everywhere one goes or happens to be, and likewise when one is cursed. The blessings and the curses are therefore all-pervasive. The more the blessings sound pleasant and appealing, the more horrendous and appalling are the curses, and using some of the same words in both underscores this fact all the more. The word fruit, for example, is used this way. In 28:4 and 11 we read: “The fruit of your body shall be blessed, and the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your livestock, the offspring of your oxen, and the young ones of your flock (italics added)”. “And YHVH shall prosper you in goods, and in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground in the land which YHVH swore to your fathers to give it to you” (italics added). In the next section we read about a fierce nation, which “shall eat the fruit of your livestock, and the fruit of your land, until you are destroyed” (v. 51, italics added. In the English translation “increase” and “produce” replace “fruit”). But what renders “fruit” and its usage much more macabre and sinister is verse 53: “And you shall eat the fruit of your body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom YHVH your Elohim has given to you… “ (italics added).

Let us review several other similar examples (where the same term or root is used in widely differing contexts, highlighting the severity of the message). In 28:11 it says: “And YHVH will grant you plenty of goods…” (emphasis added), which is “ve’hotircha” from the root y.t.r -“that which surpasses” and is, therefore, a “surplus”. But y.t.r (yod, tav, resh) is also the root for “that which remains”. And so, in 28:54 the root y.t.r is employed once more, though with a very different message: “The sensitive and very refined man among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the rest – “yeter” - of his children whom he leaves behind – “yotir” - so that he will not give any of them the flesh of his children whom he will eat…” (emphasis added). These words, aside from highlighting the horrid situation, especially as juxtaposed against the blessings of y.t.r., also echo the same morbidity which characterized the passage we just read above (having had to do with “fruitfulness”). “Avod” - “work, labor, worship, serve” is another term that is used in this manner.

Verse 14 concludes the list of blessings by saying: "So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them” (italics added). In contrast, it is written in verses 47-48 “Because you did not serve/worship YHVH your Elohim with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things, you shall serve your enemies whom YHVH shall send on you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in lack of all things. And he shall put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you” (italics added). Verse 64 takes us even further: “And YHVH shall scatter you among all people, from one end of the earth even to the other, and you shall serve [of the root a.v.d again] other gods there, wood and stone, which you have not known, nor your fathers” (italics added).

Becoming “a proverb and a byword – ma’shal u’shneena - among all the peoples” (28:37) is another outcome of not heeding YHVH’s voice, as opposed to “all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of YHVH, and they shall fear you” (v. 10). In Parashat Chayey Sarah (Gen. 23-25:18, in reference to 24:2), we examined the noun “ma’shal” extensively. We found that one of the verbs for “to rule” – mashol – shares its root (m.sh.l) with words such as “proverb, parable, and example”. Thus, a ruler who represents his higher authority, as he is meant to do in YHVH’s kingdom, becomes a fit example of the latter. Here Yisrael is warned against misrepresenting YHVH and becoming an object lesson exemplifying what happens to those who betray trust. In Yoel (Joel) 2:17 the prophet laments: “And do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule (“lim’shol”) over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their Elohim?'"

The second term used in the above “proverb and byword” - “sh’neena” - stems from the root sh.n.n. (shin, noon, noon) and means to “sharpen, whet”, and by implication “repeat”. Thus, if Yisrael should set a negative example, that fact will be told repeatedly, over and over, and in every place. However, if they obey the word, “vesheenantam… “teach repeatedly” YHVH’s Word to their children (Deut. 6:7), not only will they not become a “sh’neena” - “a byword”- among the nations, but rather they will be at the “head” of all the nations (ref. 28:13).

The last phase of the fulfillment of the curses is a scattering among the nations. This entails unbearable conditions: “And among these nations you shall find no ease, nor shall the sole of your foot have rest – ma’no’ach…” (28:65). In Parashat No’ach we read: “The dove was sent to see if the water had abated and, found no resting place – again ma’no’ach - for the sole of her foot….” (Gen. 8:8-9). But the suffering, anguish, and dread only continue: “And your life shall hang in doubt before you, and you shall fear day and night, and shall have no assurance of your life. In the morning you shall say, Oh that it were evening! And in the evening you shall say, Oh that it were morning! For the fear of your heart with which you fear, and for the sight of your eyes which you shall see” (28:66-67 emphasis added). "Hang" in this excerpt is spelled with additional alef – thus, tlu'yim – has become tlu'eem, landing an additional meaning of "trouble" – t'la'ah - to the 'hanging position' of one's life.  A book that was authored by a Holocaust survivor about his experiences, was named, Oh That It Were Evening. “Evening” as we noted several times already is “erev” of the root e.r.v (ayin, resh, bet/vet), with its numerous derivations such as mix, pleasant, raven, and guarantee (at the end of the day “erev” is a guarantee of the coming morning). In the present case, the Guarantor of the ‘coming day’ is directly involved in the circumstances of those to whom He has pledged His guarantee. Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) chapter 30, for example, contains tremendous (and guaranteed) promises to Yisrael. In verse 21 we read the following: “Their leader [“moshel” which we just encountered above] shall be one of them and their ruler shall come forth from their midst [remember Parashat Shoftim and the leader who was to be raised from “among their brethren”?]. And I will bring him near and he shall approach Me; For who would dare to risk his life to approach Me?”. “Dare to risk (his life)” is of the same familiar root, e.r.v - “a’ra’v”. The answer to this question is quite clear then, as no one else but Elohim’s Son could risk His life, as indeed He has, by “sacrificing” (which is identical to the “approach” above) Himself!

Finally (in 28:68), “And YHVH shall bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘you shall never see it again’” (see Exodus 14:13).  The mention of ships is rather curious here, as it would not have been the normal passageway from Yisrael to Egypt. This imagery may be pointing to the sea that the Children of Yisrael crossed miraculously on foot when coming out of their land of bondage. Returning to that same place would be very different from the supernatural and miraculous means they had once experienced; this time it would be more like “crossing the sea of distress” (ref. Zech. 10:11) on proverbial ‘slave boats’. There, in Egypt, the place where the Israelites had experienced deliverance from slavery, they will once again be in bondage. Should this happen, they will sell themselves as slaves, the word being “hit’makar’tem” from the root m.ch.r (mem, kaf/chaf, resh), which is a very unusual form of “to sell”, meaning “becoming sold by selling oneself”. However, while willing to sell themselves to slavery, “there shall be no buyer” (v. 68)!

 Verses 1-9 of chapter 29, which form the epilogue of our Parasha, serve to remind the Israelites, once again, of the miracles that they had experienced in this Egypt, which just a moment ago was presented before them as a potential place of untold future sufferings. They are called to remember in the future the extent of YHVH’s past goodness toward them and His great mercy, love, and power; a remembrance which will be essential for their conduct and wellbeing, hence the exhortation: “Pay attention to the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may act wisely in all that you do”! (29:9)

 [1] Karaite Korner http://www.karaite-korner.org.

[2] New Studies in Devarim, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman, Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora, Hemed books Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.