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Shabbat Shalom from the Kehillah Beit Kodesh
Yahuwah bless you and keep you
Y’varech’cha Yahuwah v’yeesh’m’reicha
Yahuwah make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you
Yaer Yahuwah panav eleicha vee'choo'neka
Yahuwah lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace
Yeesa Yahuwah panav eleicha v’yasem l’cha shalom
Summary of Parsha Nitzavim-Vayelech
Deuteronomy 29:9–31:30
The name of the Parsha, "Nitzavim," means "Standing," and it is found in Deuteronomy 29:9. The name of the Parsha, "Vayelech," means "And [Moses] went," and it is found in Deuteronomy 31:1.
The Parsha of Nitzavim includes some of the most fundamental principles of the Jewish faith:
The unity of Israel: “You stand today, all of you, before the Lord your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders, your officers, and every Israelite man; your young ones, your wives, the stranger in your gate; from your wood-hewer to your water-drawer.”
The future redemption: Moses warns of the exile and desolation of the Land that will result if Israel abandons God’s laws, but then he prophesies that in the end, “You will return to the Lord your God . . . If your outcasts shall be at the ends of the heavens, from there will the Lord your God gather you . . . and bring you into the Land which your fathers have possessed.”
The practicality of Torah: "For the mitzvah which I command you this day, it is not beyond you, nor is it remote from you. It is not in heaven . . . It is not across the sea . . . Rather, it is very close to you, in your mouth, in your heart, that you may do it."
Freedom of choice: "I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil: in that I command you this day to love God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments . . . Life and death I have set before you, blessing and curse. And you shall choose life."
The Parsha of Vayelech ("and he went") recounts the events of Moses’ last day of earthly life. "I am one hundred and twenty years old today," he says to the people, "and I can no longer go forth and come in." He transfers the leadership to Joshua, and writes (or concludes writing) the Torah in a scroll which he entrusts to the Levites for safekeeping in the Ark of the Covenant.
The mitzvah of Hakhel ("gather") is given: every seven years, during the festival of Sukkot of the first year of the shemittah cycle, the entire people of Israel—men, women and children—should gather at the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, where the king should read to them from the Torah.
Vayelech concludes with the prediction that the people of Israel will turn away from their covenant with God, causing Him to hide His face from them, but also with the promise that the words of the Torah "shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants."
Listen Parshah Insight Nitzavim @ https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/audio_cdo/aid/545730/jewish/Parshah-Insight-Nitzavim.htm
Listen to Parshah Insight: Vayeilech @ https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/audio_cdo/aid/469960/jewish/Parshah-Insight-Vayeilech.htm
The book of Jonah stands as one of the most profound prophetic narratives in the Hebrew Scriptures, serving not merely as a historical account of a disobedient prophet but as an intricate prophetic shadow of the redemptive mission of the Messiah. When examined through a Messianic lens, the narrative transcends its immediate historical context of a message sent to the city of Nineveh and reveals the deep mysteries of the death, burial, resurrection, and universal saving grace of Yahushua.
Throughout His earthly ministry, Yahushua Himself pointed directly to this historical account, designating the sign of Jonah as the primary prophetic seal validating His identity and authority. By looking beneath the surface of the text, we discover that Jonah's experience in the depths of the sea mirrors the ultimate sacrifice and victory of the Messiah.
The most explicit connection between Jonah and the Messiah is established by Yahushua in the Gospels, where He addresses the religious leaders seeking a miraculous sign. Yahushua declared that no sign would be given to that generation except the sign of the prophet Jonah, explaining that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
This declaration elevates Jonah's ordeal from a simple miracle to an essential prophetic archetype of the burial and subsequent resurrection of the Messiah. The time frame specified is critical, serving as a divine signature that anchors the timing of Yahushua's victory over the grave to the historical reality of Jonah's deliverance.
A closer inspection of Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish reveals language that deeply resonates with a descent into death and the realm of the grave, known as Sheol. Jonah describes being cast into the deep, into the heart of the seas, with floods surrounding him and weeds wrapped around his head at the bottoms of the mountains. He explicitly cries out from the belly of Sheol, stating that the earth with its bars closed behind him forever.
This vivid imagery depicts a state of absolute death and separation, yet Jonah proclaims that the Sovereign brought his life up from the pit. In a Messianic context, this represents the substitutionary descent of Yahushua into the grave, where He bore the weight of human transgression, and His subsequent resurrection by the power of the Father, breaking the bars of death forever.
Beyond the physical parallel of the three days, the core theme of the book of Jonah focuses on the extension of divine mercy and salvation to the Gentile nations. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, a brutal enemy of the people of Israel. Jonah’s initial flight to Tarshish was fueled by his reluctance to see his nation's enemies receive the mercy of the Almighty, knowing that repentance would avert divine judgment.
When Jonah finally preaches to Nineveh and the city repents from the greatest to the least, it foreshadows the grander Messianic mission. Through the death and resurrection of Yahushua, the message of salvation broke through the borders of Israel to reach the Gentile world, offering reconciliation and repentance to nations that were once far off and considered enemies of the covenant.
While Jonah serves as a prophetic shadow of the Messiah, he also stands as a striking contrast to the perfect character of Yahushua. Jonah was a disobedient servant who fled from the presence of the Almighty, chosen against his own will to deliver a message of warning. In contrast, Yahushua is the perfectly obedient Son and Servant who came willingly from the heavens to fulfill the direct will of His Father. While Jonah slept in the storm-tossed ship out of apathy and a desire to escape his calling, Yahushua slept in the storm-tossed boat of His disciples in perfect peace and trust, later rebuking the wind and waves with divine authority.
Furthermore, when the sailors on Jonah's ship faced destruction, Jonah requested to be thrown into the sea to calm the wrath of the storm, which mirrors how Yahushua willingly gave Himself up to death to appease the divine judgment hanging over mankind. However, Jonah did so with a bitter heart, whereas Yahushua laid down His life motivated by perfect, unconditional love.
The final chapter of Jonah reveals the persistent struggle between human legalism and the vastness of divine grace, a tension that Yahushua frequently addressed during His ministry. Jonah sat outside the city of Nineveh, displeased and angry that the Almighty had shown compassion to a repentant Gentile empire. The object lesson of the withered plant illustrates how human hearts often value temporary personal comfort over the eternal souls of thousands who do not know their right hand from their left. This directly mirrors the opposition Yahushua faced from the religious establishment of His day, who grumbled when the Messiah dined with tax collectors and sinners or extended healing to Gentiles.
The narrative concludes with an open-ended question concerning the depth of divine mercy, a question that finds its definitive answer in the ministry of Yahushua, who came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. The story of Jonah remains an irreplaceable Messianic blueprint, demonstrating that the plan for universal redemption through a resurrected Savior was woven into the fabric of the Scriptures from the very beginning.
Addiction is presented as a destructive force that functions like a virus, moving through a clear progression from initial ingestion to total control and eventual ruin. The process typically begins with the ingestion of a substance or the adoption of an idea that offers a mood swing or temporary relief from pain. Over time, this leads to infatuation, where the mind seeks to repeat the experience, followed by infection, characterized by a growing dependency where the substance becomes a necessity to stave off physical or psychological discomfort.
The final stage is imprisonment, where the habit completely dominates the individual, creating a cycle that ultimately aims to control, dominate, and destroy. Whether through substances like illegal drugs or psychological fixations like unhealthy social comparisons or harmful behaviors, the core problem is that the individual loses the ability to say no, turning a habit into a brain disease.
From a theological perspective, the teachings found in scripture address the moral implications of this state of being. The primary concern is that addiction functions as a form of idolatry, where a person places a substance or fixation in the position that only God should hold. When something external dominates an individual, it effectively replaces God as the master of their life, which contradicts the biblical understanding of human purpose.
The body is described as a temple that belongs to God rather than the self, meaning that individuals are called to use their lives to honor and serve the creator. Because addiction leads to misery, sickness, and death, it is viewed as a misuse of the body that prevents an individual from effectively witnessing for God or living out their spiritual purpose. Rather than being slaves to sin or external substances, the message encourages individuals to exercise self-discipline and maintain control over their actions to pursue a life of fulfillment and eternal purpose.
While scripture does not explicitly name every modern addictive substance, it provides a consistent framework condemning behavior that leads to loss of control, warns against the dangers of becoming enslaved to anything other than God, and emphasizes the importance of preserving the body for its intended holy purpose.
Watch now on YouTube @ https://youtu.be/Mk9KsXHjbb4?is=C_0XQ_OCIrNjPm0_
Following the demise of the unpopular tyrant Hiero, the governance of Syracuse transitioned to Thrasybulus. This new leadership faced an immediate and intense period of unrest, leading to his removal from power after a mere seven months. Although the city moved toward a democratic future, it soon encountered a significant external threat with the arrival of Athenian forces.
Syracuse maintained connections to its mainland cousins but historically avoided deep involvement in the persistent conflicts between Sparta and Athens. Despite this distance, the inhabitants of Syracuse shared a cultural heritage with Sparta through their mutual descent from the Dorians. This cultural alignment created a perceived threat for the Ionian Athenians, who feared that Syracuse might support Spartan interests should a larger war erupt between the two dominant Greek powers.
As tensions escalated across Greece, the fear of a potential Syracusan alliance with Sparta motivated Athens to launch a naval expedition in 427 BC. The stated purpose for this military intervention was to assist the city of Leontini against Syracusan aggression, with operations anchored at the base of Rhegium. A protracted stalemate ensued between Athens and Syracuse, lasting for several years.
Promised reinforcements from Athens in 425 BC failed to materialize as planned, and by the time a fleet finally reached Sicily, the local factions had already shifted toward negotiations. Peace was ultimately finalized at the Conference of Gela. While a formal peace treaty was established between Athens and Sparta in 421 BC, the terms remained unfulfilled, causing further friction and leading to a direct clash between the two powers at the Battle of Mantinea in 418 BC.
This unrest permeated Athens, dividing the city into factions represented by the peace advocate Nicias and the war strategist Alcibiades. These internal divisions and the persistent volatility of the broader Greek world ensured that Syracuse would remain a focal point for future geopolitical rivalry and military conflict.
Watch now on YouTube @ https://youtu.be/J8ZPwwd0y0w?is=49a8oebLqqZFIDdE
The Epistle to the Philippians stands as one of the most deeply personal, affectionate, and resilient texts in the entire Nazarene corpus. Written by the Emissary Sha'ul (Paul) while he was chained in a Roman prison, this short letter to the community at Philippi bypasses complex theological arguments in favor of practical, lived-out life in the Covenant. At its core, Philippians is an exploration of true joy, a joy that is completely independent of external circumstances and rooted entirely in the person of Yahushua the Messiah.
To fully understand the weight of this letter, one must grasp the unique cultural backdrop of its recipients. Philippi was a prominent Roman colony located in eastern Macedonia. It was a city populated heavily by retired Roman military veterans, deeply marked by patriotic nationalism, Roman pride, and a pagan culture of honor and status. When Sha'ul first arrived there during his second missionary journey, he established the very first community of believers on European soil.
This newborn assembly was built on an unlikely foundation, including a wealthy merchant woman named Lydia and a former Roman jailer. Years later, when this community heard that their beloved teacher was imprisoned, they sent financial support and a companion named Epaphroditus to care for him. Sha'ul wrote this letter in response, not to correct severe heresy as he did in other epistles, but to offer profound gratitude, provide updates on his situation, and heal minor relational rifts threatening their unity.
Sha'ul opens the letter in the first chapter by framing his imprisonment not as a tragedy, but as a catalyst for the Good News of the Kingdom. He explains to the worried Philippians that his chains have actually emboldened local believers and allowed him to share the message of Yahushua directly with the elite imperial guard. Rather than wallowing in self-pity over his potential ex*****on, Sha'ul views his life through a singular lens, famously declaring that for him, to live is Messiah and to die is gain. If he lives, he gets to continue serving them; if he dies, he is united with his Master. This mindset shifts the paradigm of suffering. Sha'ul challenges the Philippians to adopt this same resilience, urging them to stand firm against persecution and live lives that are worthy of the message, remaining united in a singular spirit despite the pressures of their secular Roman environment.
The theological and ethical centerpiece of the letter arrives in the second chapter, which contains an ancient poetic passage often referred to as the Messiah Poem. Sha'ul addresses the subtle rivalries and personal ambitions cropping up within the assembly by pointing directly to the ultimate example of humility. He outlines how Yahushua, despite possessing the very nature of Yahweh, did not cling to His divine status. Instead, Yahushua emptied Himself, took on the form of a humble servant, and submitted to the most shameful, agonizing death possible on a Roman ex*****on stake.
Because of this radical self-giving love, the Almighty highly exalted Him to the highest place, cosmic royalty where every knee must bow. Sha'ul uses this beautiful truth to make a highly practical point, telling the believers that they must have the same mindset as Messiah, choosing to look out for the interests of others above their own. He follows this profound standard with real-world examples, praising Timothy and Epaphroditus as servants who genuinely embody this selfless, Messiah-like lifestyle.
In the third chapter, Sha'ul shifts his focus to protect the assembly from legalistic teachers who were misapplying the Torah and insisting that Gentile believers needed to undergo traditional man-made conversion rituals, such as legalistic circumcision, to be truly part of the covenant family. To combat this, Sha'ul puts his own impressive religious pedigree on display, listing his flawless Hebrew heritage, strict Pharisaic devotion, and zeal for the law.
Yet, he immediately shatters the value of these earthly achievements by stating that he considers all his worldly credentials to be absolute garbage compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Yahushua. For Sha'ul, true righteousness is a gift received through faith in the Covenant, not a prize earned by legalistic performance. He reminds the Philippians that their ultimate citizenship is not in Rome, despite how highly their city values Roman status, but in the heavenly Jerusalem. They are to live as a colony of the Kingdom on earth, keeping their eyes on the eternal prize and pressing forward toward spiritual maturity.
Sha'ul concludes the letter in the fourth chapter with deeply practical, intimate exhortations. He addresses two prominent women in the assembly, Euodia and Syntyche, gently urging them to iron out their differences and be of the same mind in the Master. He then gives the assembly a timeless recipe for mental and emotional peace, commanding them to banish anxiety by taking everything to the Father in prayer with thanksgiving.
He instructs them to actively guard their minds by dwelling on things that are true, honorable, pure, lovely, and commendable. Finally, as he thanks them for the financial gift they sent, Sha'ul shares his hard-won secret to contentment, explaining that he has learned to be satisfied whether he has plenty or is facing starvation. He seals this profound reflection by stating that he can endure all things through Messiah who gives him strength, reminding the assembly that the Almighty will fully supply all their needs from His glorious riches.
The Book of Philippians functions as a masterclass in a Kingdom-focused perspective. It demonstrates that joy is not an emotion triggered by comfortable surroundings, but a deliberate spiritual anchor found in devotion to Yahushua. By weaving together themes of profound humility, heavenly citizenship, mental discipline, and unconditional contentment, Sha'ul presents a compelling vision of a community that can remain vibrantly joyful, unified, and resilient, no matter what trials the world throws its way.
The Greek alphabet has served as a foundational pillar of Western literacy, mathematics, and science for nearly three millennia. Among its twenty-four letters, the eleventh—Lambda—holds a uniquely prominent place. From its origins as a Phoenician symbol to its contemporary role as a vital variable in physics, computer science, and linguistics, Lambda bridges the ancient world and modern technical innovation.
Etymology and Linguistic Origins
The development of Lambda follows the classic trajectory of the Greek alphabet, adapting Semitic precursors into a distinct phonetic system. Lambda evolved from the Phoenician letter Lamed, which originally represented a cattle prod or goad. In early Semitic scripts, the pictograph resembled a hooked staff or cane. When the Greeks adopted the Phoenician script around the eighth century BCE, they converted Lamed into Lambda. While the Phoenicians pronounced the name with a final consonant, the Greeks appended a vowel to fit the phonetic structure of their language, resulting in the name Lambda. In both ancient and modern Greek, Lambda represents the voiced alveolar lateral approximant, or the "l" sound, identical to the pronunciation found in the English word "light."
Epigraphy and Evolution of the Glyphs
The visual presentation of Lambda has undergone significant structural transformations over centuries of epigraphic history. In early regional Greek alphabets, Lambda took on various shapes. In Argos and Attica, it often looked like an inverted "v" or an angle with the vertex pointing up or down. In Euboea and Chalcis, the longer stroke was on the left, resembling the modern Latin "L". This specific regional version was passed to the Etruscans and ultimately became the Latin letter "L" used across the modern Western world.
By the late fifth century BCE, the Ionic alphabet became the standard across the Greek world. In this system, the uppercase Lambda was standardized as an isosceles caret or inverted "V" shape. The lowercase variant developed centuries later during the Byzantine era. As scribes shifted from stone inscriptions to rapid parchment writing, they extended one of the legs downward to create a fluid, cursive stroke, resulting in the modern asymmetrical lowercase form used today.
Historical and Cultural Symbolism
Beyond its role as a phonetic character, Lambda acquired distinct cultural and historical meanings in antiquity. The most famous historical association with uppercase Lambda is its use by the ancient military state of Sparta. Sometime during the Peloponnesian War, the Spartans began painting a large Lambda on their hoplite shields. The letter stood for Lacedaemon, the official name of the Spartan city-state and the surrounding region. It served as a uniform psychological marker on the battlefield, signaling to enemies that they were facing the elite warriors of Lacedaemon.
Scientific, Mathematical, and Technical Applications
In the modern era, Lambda has transitioned from a historical character to one of the most widely used symbols across STEM disciplines. In linear algebra, the lowercase lambda is the universal notation for an eigenvalue, which is a scalar by which an eigenvector is multiplied during a linear transformation. In mathematical logic, Alonzo Church introduced the Lambda Calculus in the 1930s. This formal system explores function definition, function application, and recursion, ultimately laying the theoretical groundwork for computer science and computability.
Directly inspired by Church’s lambda calculus, many modern programming languages—such as Python, JavaScript, C++, and Java—use a lambda expression to define anonymous, inline functions. In cloud computing, Amazon Web Services named its serverless, event-driven compute service AWS Lambda, directly referencing the ex*****on of these short, isolated functions.
In physics, lowercase lambda is the standard symbol for wavelength, representing the distance between consecutive crests of a wave. This notation is used universally in optics, acoustics, and electromagnetism. In nuclear physics, the lowercase letter denotes the decay constant, representing the probability per unit time that a radioactive nucleus will decay. In Einstein’s field equations of general relativity, uppercase Lambda represents the cosmological constant, which describes the energy density of empty space and is often tied to dark energy causing the expansion of the universe. Additionally, lambda represents linear density, or charge and mass per unit length, in mechanical engineering and physics.
In molecular biology, the Bacteriophage Lambda is a virus that infects E. coli and has been widely used as a model organism to study genetic regulation and DNA replication. In anatomy and craniometry, lambda refers to the specific anatomical point on the human skull where the sagittal and lambdoid sutures meet, so named because the intersecting lines resemble the uppercase letter.
Digital Encodings and Typographical Standards
For modern digital environments, global typographical standards ensure Lambda renders uniformly across the web. The uppercase letter is represented in the universal Unicode system by the code point U+039B and can be called in web development using the standard HTML entity written as ampersand Lambda semicolon. The lowercase letter uses the Unicode code point U+03BB and corresponds to the HTML entity written as ampersand lowercase lambda semicolon.
From a primitive tool for herding livestock to a symbol tracking the expansion of our universe, Lambda illustrates the profound adaptability of human symbols. Whether painted on a bronze shield in ancient Greece or embedded in code running on a modern cloud platform, Lambda remains an enduring element of human communication and discovery.
Each month of the year radiates with a distinct quality and provides unique opportunities for growth and personal transformation. Elul, as the final month of the spring/summer season is connected to endings.
Elul gives us the strength to be able to finish strong, to end well. Elul also serves as a month of preparation for the New Year/Rosh Hashanah. We inhale our past year, ending with wisdom and we also then gain the wisdom to begin anew and exhale a positive year into being.
The mental, emotional and spiritual objective of this month is introspection and the reclaiming of our inner purity and wholeness.
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Elul (Hebrew: אֱלוּל) is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 29 days. Elul usually occurs in August–September on the Gregorian calendar.
In Jewish tradition, the month of Elul is a time of repentance in preparation for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The word "Elul" is similar to the root of the verb "search" in Aramaic. Jewish sources from the 14th century and on write that the Hebrew word "Elul" can be understood to be an acronym for the phrase "Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li" – "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine". Elul is seen as a time to search one's heart and draw close to God in preparation for the coming Day of Judgement, Rosh Hashanah, and Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi compared, by way of analogy, the month of Elul to a king visiting his peasants in the field before returning to his palace.
During the month of Elul, there are a number of special rituals leading up to the High Holy Days. It is customary to blow the shofar every morning (except on Shabbat) from Rosh Hodesh Elul (the first day of the month) until the day before Rosh Hashanah. The blasts are meant to awaken one's spirits and inspire him to begin the soul searching which will prepare him for the High Holy Days. As part of this preparation, Elul is the time to begin the sometimes-difficult process of granting and asking for forgiveness. It is also customary to recite Psalm 27 every day from Rosh Hodesh Elul through Hoshanah Rabbah on Sukkot (in Tishrei).
Aside from the blowing of the shofar, the other significant ritual practice during Elul is to recite selichot (special penitential prayers) either every morning before sunrise beginning on the Sunday immediately before Rosh Hashanah, or, if starting Sunday would not afford four days of selichot, then the Sunday one week prior (Ashkenazi tradition) or every morning during the entire month of Elul (Sephardi tradition). Ashkenazi Jews begin the recitation of selichot with a special service on Saturday night between solar mid-night (not 12:00) and morning light on the first day of Selichot.
Many Jews also visit the graves of loved ones throughout the month in order to remember and honor those people in our past who inspire us to live more fully in the future.
Another social custom is to begin or end all letters written during the month of Elul with wishes that the recipient have a good year. The standard blessing is "K'tiva VaHatima Tova" ("a good writing and sealing [of judgement]"), meaning that the person should be written and sealed in the Book of Life for a good year. Tradition teaches that on Rosh Hashanah, each person is written down for a good or a poor year, based on their actions in the previous one, and their sincere efforts at atoning for mistakes or harm. On Yom Kippur, that fate is "sealed."
This weeks Torah Portion is Ki Tavo (כִּי-תָבוֹא — Hebrew for "when you enter," the second and third words, and the first distinctive words, in the Parsha).
Parsha Ki Tavo is the 50th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the Book of Deuteronomy.
Parsha Ki Tavo constitutes Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8.
Parsha Ki Tavo tells of the ceremony of the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim), tithes, and the blessings from observance and curses from violation of the law.
Parsha Ki Tavo is made up of 6,811 Hebrew letters, 1,747 Hebrew words, 122 verses, and 261 lines in the Torah Scroll (סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, Sefer Torah).
Parsha Ki Tavo is generally read in September, or rarely in late August.
Readings
Haftarah
• Torah | Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
• Nevi'im | Isaiah 60:1-22
• Besorah | Matthew 4:13-24
First reading | Deuteronomy 26:1–11
In the first reading, Moses directed the Israelites that when they entered the land that God was giving them, they were to take some of every first fruit of the soil that they harvested, put it in a basket, and take it to the place God would choose. There they were to go to the priest in charge and acknowledge that they had entered the land that God swore to their fathers. The priest was to set the basket down in front of the altar. They were then to recite:
"A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bo***ge. And we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders. And He has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, that You, O Lord, have given me.
They were to leave the basket before the altar, bow low to God, and then feast on and enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger, the bounty that God had given them.
Second reading | Deuteronomy 26:12–15
In the second reading, Moses instructed that when the Israelites had given the tenth part of their yield to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, in the third year, the year of the tithe, they were to declare before God:
"I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, according to Your commandment that You have commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Your commandments, neither have I forgotten them. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead; I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, I have done according to all that You have commanded me. Look from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the land that You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey."
Third reading | Deuteronomy 26:16–19
In the third reading, Moses exhorted the Israelites to observe these laws faithfully with all their heart and soul, noting that they had affirmed that the Lord was their God and that they would obey God. And God affirmed that the Israelites were God's treasured people, and that God would set them high above all the nations in fame and glory, and that they would be a holy people to God.
Fourth reading | Deuteronomy 27:1–10
In the fourth reading, Moses and the elders charged the people that as soon as they had crossed the Jordan River, they were to set up large stones on Mount Ebal, coat them with plaster, and inscribe on them all the words of the Torah. There they were also to build an altar to God made of stones on which no iron tool had struck, and they were to offer on it offerings to God and rejoice.
In the continuation of the reading, Moses and the priests told all Israel to hear: They had become the people of God, and should heed God and observe God's commandments.
Fifth reading | Deuteronomy 27:11–28:6
In the fifth reading, Moses charged the people that after they had crossed the Jordan, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin were to stand on Mount Gerizim when the blessings were spoken, and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphthali were to stand on Mount Ebal when the curses were spoken. The Levites were then to loudly curse anyone who: made a sculptured image; insulted father or mother; moved a fellow countryman's landmark; misdirected a blind person; subverted the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow; lay with his father's wife; lay with any beast; lay with his sister; lay with his mother-in-law; struck down his fellow countryman in secret; accepted a bribe in a murder case; or otherwise would not observe the commandments; and for each curse all the people were to say, "Amen."
In the continuation of the reading, Moses taught that, on the other hand, if the Israelites obeyed God and observed faithfully all the commandments, then God would set them high above all the nations of the earth; bless them in the city and the country; bless the issue of their wombs, the produce of their soil, and the fertility of their herds and flocks; bless their basket and their kneading bowl; and bless them in their comings and goings.
Sixth reading | Deuteronomy 28:7–69
In the sixth reading, Moses continued that if the Israelites obeyed God and observed faithfully all the commandments, then God would rout their enemies; bless them upon their barns and all their undertakings; bless them in the land; establish them as God's holy people; give them abounding prosperity; provide rain in season; and make them the head and not the tail.
In the continuation of the reading, Moses taught that if they did not obey God and observe faithfully the commandments, then God would curse them in the city and the country; curse their basket and kneading bowl; curse the issue of their womb, the produce of their soil, and the fertility of their herds and flocks; curse them in their comings and goings; loose on them calamity, panic, and frustration in all their enterprises; make pestilence cling to them; strike them with tuberculosis, fever, inflammation, scorching heat, drought, blight, and mildew; turn the skies into copper and the earth into iron; make the rain into dust; rout them before their enemies; and strike them with the Egyptian inflammation, hemorrhoids, boil-scars, itch, madness, blindness, and dismay. If they paid the bride price for a wife, another man would enjoy her; if they built a house, they would not live in it; if they planted a vineyard, they would not harvest it. Their oxen would be slaughtered before their eyes, but they would not eat of it; their donkey would be seized and not returned; their flock would be delivered to their enemies; their sons and daughters would be delivered to another people; a people they did not know would eat the produce of their soil; they would be abused and downtrodden continually, until they were driven mad; God would afflict them at the knees and thighs with a severe inflammation; God would drive them to an unknown nation where they would serve other gods, of wood and stone; and they would be a byword among all the peoples. Locusts would consume their seed, worms would devour their vineyards, the olives would drop off their olive trees, their sons and daughters would go into captivity, the cricket would take over all the trees and produce of their land, the stranger in their midst would rise above them, the stranger would be their creditor, and the stranger would be the head and they the tail. Because they would not serve God in joy over abundance, they would have to serve in hunger, thirst, and nakedness the enemies whom God would let loose against them. God would bring against them a ruthless nation from afar, whose language they would not understand, to devour their cattle and produce of their soil and to shut them up in their towns until every mighty wall in which they trusted had come down. And when they were shut up under siege, they would eat the flesh of their sons and daughters. God would inflict extraordinary plagues and diseases on them until they would have a scant few left, for as God once delighted in making them prosperous and many, so would God delight in causing them to perish and diminish. God would scatter them among all the peoples from one end of the earth to the other, but even among those nations, they would find no place to rest. In the morning they would say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening they would say, "If only it were morning!" God would send them back to Egypt in galleys and they would offer themselves for sale as slaves, but none would buy.
The reading concludes with a summary statement that this is the covenant that God commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant that God made with the Israelites at Horeb (Mount Sinai).
Seventh reading | Deuteronomy 29:1–8
In the seventh reading, Moses reminded the Israelites that they had seen all that God did to Pharaoh and Egypt, yet they did not yet understand. Moses led them through the wilderness 40 years, their clothes and sandals did not wear out, and they survived without bread to eat and w**e to drink, so that they might know that the Lord was their God.
In the maftir (מפטיר) reading of Deuteronomy 29:6–8 that concludes the parashah, Moses recounted that the Israelites defeated King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, took their land, and gave it to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Therefore, Moses urged them to observe faithfully all the commandments, that they might succeed in all that they undertook.
In classical rabbinic interpretation
Deuteronomy chapter 26
Tractate Bikkurim in the Mishnah, Tosefta, and Jerusalem Talmud interpreted the laws of the first fruits in Exodus 23:19, Numbers 18:13, and Deuteronomy 12:17–18 and 26:1–11.
The Mishnah taught that to set aside first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim), a landowner would go down into the field, see a fruit that ripened, tie a reed-rope around it, and say, "These are first fruits." But Rabbi Simeon said that even if the landowner did this, the landowner still had to designate the fruits as first fruits again after they had been picked.
The Mishnah interpreted the words "the first fruits of your land" in Exodus 23:19 to mean that a person could not bring first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim) unless all the produce came from that person's land. The Mishnah thus taught that people who planted trees but bent their branches into or over another's property could not bring first fruits from those trees. And for the same reason, the Mishnah taught that tenants, lessees, occupiers of confiscated property, or robbers could not bring first fruits.
The Mishnah taught that first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim) were brought only from the Seven Species (שבעת המינים, Shiv'at HaMinim) that Deuteronomy 8:8 noted to praise the Land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil, and date honey. But first fruits could not be brought from dates grown on hills, or from valley-fruits, or from olives that were not of the choice kind. The Mishnah deduced from the words "the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field" in Exodus 23:16 that first fruits were not to be brought before Shavuot. The Mishnah reported that the men of Mount Zeboim brought their first fruits before Shavuot, but the priests did not accept them, because of what is written in Exodus 23:16.
The Mishnah taught that one who bought two trees in another person's field had to bring the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim) but did not recite (the declaration of Deuteronomy 26:5–10, which in Deuteronomy 26:10 contains the words, "the land that you, O Lord, have given me," which only those who owned land could recite). Rabbi Meir, however, said that the owner of the two trees had to bring and recite.
The inhabitants of the district assembled in a city of the district and spent the night in the town square. Early in the morning, their leader said: "Let us rise and go up to Zion, to the house of the Lord our God." Those who lived near Jerusalem brought fresh figs and grapes, and those who lived far away brought dried figs and raisins. Leading the pilgrimage procession was an ox with horns overlaid with gold wearing a crown of olive branches. The sounds of the flute announced the pilgrims' coming until they neared Jerusalem when they sent messengers ahead and arranged their first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim) for presentation. A delegation of the Temple's leaders and treasurers came out to meet them, varying in relation to the procession. Jerusalem's artisans would stand and greet them, saying: "People of such and such a place, we welcome you." They played the flute until they reached the Temple Mount. On the Temple Mount, even King Agrippa would carry the basket of first fruits on his shoulder and walk to the Temple Court. As the procession approached the Temple Court, Levites would sing the words of Psalm 30:2: "I will extol You, O Lord, for You have raised me up, and have not suffered my enemies to rejoice over me."
The pilgrims offered turtle doves that had been tied to the basket as burnt offerings. And they gave what they held in their hands to the priests. While the pilgrims still held the basket on their shoulders, they would recite Deuteronomy 26:3–10. Rabbi Judah said that they read only through Deuteronomy 26:5, "A wandering Aramean was my father." When they reached these words, the pilgrims took the baskets off their shoulders and held them by their edges. The priests would put their hands beneath the baskets and wave them while the pilgrims recited from "A wandering Aramean was my father" through the end of the passage. The pilgrims would then deposit their baskets by the side of the altar, bow, and leave.
The Gemara cited two textual proofs for the instruction of Mishnah Bikkurim 2:4 that one waved the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim). Rabbi Judah interpreted the words "you shall set it down" in Deuteronomy 26:10 to refer to the waving. The Gemara explained that these words could not refer literally to setting the basket down because Deuteronomy 26:4 already accounted for setting the basket down. Alternatively, Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob deduced the requirement to wave the first fruits from the word "hand" occurring in both Deuteronomy 26:4 and in the case of the peace-offering in Leviticus 7:30, which says, "His own hands shall bring the offering unto the Lord." The Gemara concluded that just as Deuteronomy 26:4 explicitly directs the priest to take the basket and wave it, so in Leviticus 7:30, the priest was to take the offering and wave it, even though Leviticus 7:30 refers only to the donor. And just as Leviticus 7:30 explicitly directs the donor to wave the offering, so in Deuteronomy 26:4, the donor was to wave the basket. The Gemara explained that it was possible for both the priest and the donor to perform the waving because the priest placed his hand under the hand of the donor and they waved the basket together.
Originally, all who knew how to recite would recite, while those unable to do so would repeat after the priest. But when the number of pilgrims declined, it was decided that all pilgrims would repeat the words after the priest.
The Mishnah taught that converts to Judaism would bring the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim) but not recite, as they could not say the words of Deuteronomy 26:3, "which the Lord swore to our fathers, to give us." But it was taught in a Baraita in the name of Rabbi Judah that even converts both brought first fruits and recited, for when God changed Abram's name to Abraham in Genesis 17:3–5, God made Abraham "the father of a multitude of nations," meaning that Abraham would become the spiritual father of all who would accept the true belief in God.
The rich brought their first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim) in baskets overlaid with silver or gold, while the poor used wicker baskets. Pilgrims would give both the first fruits and the baskets to the priest.
Rabbi Simeon ben Nanos said that the pilgrims could decorate their first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim) with produce other than the seven species, but Rabbi Akiva said that they could decorate only with produce of the seven kinds. Rabbi Simeon taught that there were three elements to the first fruits (בִּכּוּרִים, bikkurim): the first fruits themselves, the additions to the first fruits, and the ornamentations of the first fruits. The additions to the first fruits had to be like the first fruits, but the ornamental fruit could be of another kind. The additions to the first fruits could only be eaten in Levitical purity, and were exempt from the law of doubts as to tithing (demai), but the fruits used for ornamentations were subject to the law of doubts as to tithing.
Rabbi Berekiah in Rabbi Levi's name read Job 29:13 to say, "The blessing of the destroyer (אֹבֵד, oved) came upon me," and interpreted "The blessing of the destroyer (אֹבֵד, oved)" to allude to Laban the Syrian. Rabbi Berekiah in Rabbi Levi's name thus read Deuteronomy 26:5 to say, "An Aramean (Laban) sought to destroy (אֹבֵד, oved) my father (Jacob)." (Thus Laban sought to destroy Jacob by, perhaps among other things, cheating Jacob out of payment for his work, as Jacob recounted in Genesis 31:40–42. This interpretation thus reads אֹבֵד, oved, as a transitive verb.) Rabbi Berekiah and Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Hama ben Haninah thus explained that Rebekah was remembered with the blessing of children only after Isaac prayed for her, so that the heathens in Rebekah's family might not say that their prayer in Genesis 24:60 caused that result. Rather, God answered Isaac's prayer, as Genesis 25:21 reports, "And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife . . . and his wife Rebekah conceived."
Rabbi Judah the son of Rabbi Simon in the name of Hezekiah employed the meaning of the pilgrim's recitation in Deuteronomy 26:5 to help interpret Jacob's statement to Laban in Genesis 30:30. Rabbi Judah the son of Rabbi Simon noted that the word "little" or "few" (מְעָט, me'at) appears both in Jacob's statement to Laban in Genesis 30:30, "For it was little (מְעָט, me'at) that you had before I came, and it has increased abundantly," and also in the pilgrim's recitation in Deuteronomy 26:5, "few (מְעָט, me'at) in number" (went down to Egypt). Rabbi Judah the son of Rabbi Simon said in the name of Hezekiah that just as in Deuteronomy 26:5, "few" (מְעָט, me'at) means 70 (people), so in Genesis 30:30, "little" (מְעָט, me'at) must also mean 70 (head of cattle and sheep).
The Gemara reported a number of Rabbis' reports of how the Land of Israel did indeed flow with "milk and honey," as described in Exodus 3:8 and 17, 13:5, and 33:3, Leviticus 20:24, Numbers 13:27 and 14:8, and Deuteronomy 6:3, 11:9, 26:9 and 15, 27:3, and 31:20. Once when Rami bar Ezekiel visited Bnei Brak, he saw goats grazing under fig trees while honey was flowing from the figs, and milk dripped from the goats mingling with the fig honey, causing him to remark that it was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey. Rabbi Jacob ben Dostai said that it is about three miles from Lod to Ono, and once he rose up early in the morning and waded all that way up to his ankles in fig honey. Resh Lakish said that he saw the flow of the milk and honey of Sepphoris extend over an area of sixteen miles by sixteen miles. Rabbah bar Bar Hana said that he saw the flow of the milk and honey in all the Land of Israel and the total area was equal to an area of twenty-two parasangs by six parasangs.
Mishnah Peah 8:5–9, Tosefta Peah 4:2–10, and Jerusalem Talmud Peah 69b–73b interpreted Deuteronomy 14:28–29 and 26:12 regarding the tithe given to the poor and the Levite. Noting the words "shall eat and be satisfied" in Deuteronomy 14:29, the Sifre taught that one had to give the poor and the Levite enough to satisfy them. The Mishnah thus taught that they did not give the poor person at the threshing floor less than a half a kav (the equivalent in volume of 12 eggs, or roughly a liter) of wheat or a kav (roughly two liters) of barley. The Mishnah taught that they did not give the poor person wandering from place to place less than a loaf of bread. If the poor person stayed overnight, they gave the poor person enough to pay for a night's lodging. If the poor person stayed for the Sabbath, they gave the poor person three meals. The Mishnah taught that if one wanted to save some for poor relatives, one could take only half for poor relatives and needed to give at least half to other poor people.
In the Sifre, the Sages taught that the time for the removal of tithes specified in Deuteronomy 26:12–13 was the closing Festival day of Passover in the fourth and seventh years.
A Midrash interpreted the command of Deuteronomy 26:12 to give "to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow" in the light of Proverbs 22:22, which says, "Rob not the weak, because he is weak, neither crush the poor in the gate." And the Midrash taught that if one did "crush the poor" by failing to give the tithe, in the words of Proverbs 22:23, "the Lord will plead their cause, and despoil of life those that despoil them."
The Mishnah taught that the pilgrim could say the confession over the tithe in Deuteronomy 26:13–15 in any language and anytime during the day.
The Mishnah recounted that Johanan the High Priest abolished the confession over the tithe. Rabbi Jose bar Hanina reported that Johanan the High Priest did so because people were not presenting the tithe as mandated by the Torah. For God commanded that the Israelites should give it to the Levites, but (since the days of Ezra) they presented it to the priests instead.
Deuteronomy chapter 27
The Mishnah told that the stones of the Temple’s altar and ramp came from the valley of Beit Kerem. When retrieving the stones, they dug virgin soil below the stones and brought whole stones that iron never touched, as required by Deuteronomy 27:5–6, because iron rendered stones unfit for the altar just by touch. A stone was also unfit if it was chipped through any means. They whitewashed the walls and top of the altar twice a year, on Passover and Sukkot, and they whitewashed the vestibule once a year, on Passover. Rabbi (Judah the Patriarch) said that they cleaned them with a cloth every Friday because of blood stains. They did not apply the whitewash with an iron trowel, out of the concern that the iron trowel would touch the stones and render them unfit, for iron was created to shorten humanity’s days, and the altar was created to extend humanity’s days, and it is not proper that that which shortens humanity’s days be placed on that which extends humanity’s days.
The Tosefta reported that Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai said that Deuteronomy 27:5 singled out iron, of all metals, to be invalid for use in building the altar because one can make a sword from it. The sword is a sign of punishment, and the altar is a sign of atonement. They thus kept that which is a sign of punishment away from that which is a sign of atonement. Because stones, which do not hear or speak, bring atonement between Israel and God, Deuteronomy 27:5 says, “you shall lift up no iron tool upon them.” So children of Torah, who atone for the world — how much more should no force of injury come near to them. Similarly, Deuteronomy 27:6 says, “You shall build the altar of the Lord your God of unhewn stones.” Because the stones of the altar secure the bond between Israel and God, God said that they should be whole before God. Children of Torah, who are whole for all time — how much more should they be deemed whole (and not wanting) before God.
Rabbi Judah ben Bathyra taught that in the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews could not rejoice without meat (from an offering), as Deuteronomy 27:7 says, "And you shall sacrifice peace-offerings, and shall eat there; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God." But now that the Temple no longer exists, Jews cannot rejoice without w**e, as Psalm 105:15 says, "And w**e gladdens the heart of man."
Rabbi Judah taught that the Israelites inscribed the Torah on the stones, as Deuteronomy 27:8 says, "You shall write upon the stones all the words of this law," and after that they plastered them over with plaster. Rabbi Simeon asked Rabbi Judah how then the people of that time learned the Torah (as the inscription would have been covered with plaster). Rabbi Judah replied that God endowed the people of that time with exceptional intelligence, and they sent their scribes, who peeled off the plaster and carried away a copy of the inscription. On that account, the verdict was sealed for them to descend into the pit of destruction, because it was their duty to learn Torah, but they failed to do so. Rabbi Simeon, however, taught that the Israelites inscribed the Torah on the plaster and wrote below (for the nations) the words of Deuteronomy 20:18, "That they teach you not to do after all their abominations." And Rabbi Simeon taught that if people of the nations then repented, they would be accepted. Rava bar Shila taught that Rabbi Simeon's reason for teaching that the Israelites inscribed the Torah on the plaster was because Isaiah 33:12 says, "And the peoples shall be as the burnings of plaster." That is, the people of the other nations would burn on account of the matter on the plaster (and because they failed to follow the teachings written on the plaster). Rabbi Judah, however, explained Isaiah 33:12 to mean that their destruction would be like plaster: Just as there is no other remedy for plaster except burning (for burning is the only way to obtain plaster), so there was no remedy for those nations (who cleave to their abominations) other than burning.
Rabbi Judah expounded the words of Deuteronomy 27:9, "Attend and hear, O Israel: This day you have become a people unto the Lord your God." Rabbi Judah asked whether it was on that day that the Torah was given to Israel; was that day not at the end of the 40 years of the wandering in the Wilderness? Rabbi Judah explained that the words "this day" served to teach that every day the Torah is as beloved to those who study it as on the day when God gave it at Mount Sinai. The Gemara explained that the word "attend" (הַסְכֵּת, hasket) in Deuteronomy 27:9 teaches that students should form groups (aso kitot) to study the Torah, as one can acquire knowledge of the Torah only in association with others, and this is in accord with what Rabbi Jose ben Hanina said when he interpreted the words of Jeremiah 50:36, "A sword is upon the boasters (בַּדִּים, baddim) and they shall become fools," to mean that a sword is upon the scholars who sit separately (bad bebad) to study the Torah. The Gemara offered another explanation of the word "attend" (הַסְכֵּת, hasket) in Deuteronomy 27:9 to mean, "be silent" (has) listening to the lesson, and then "analyze" (katet), as Rava taught that a person should always first learn Torah, and then scrutinize it.
Our Rabbis asked in a Baraita why Deuteronomy 11:29 says, "You shall set the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse upon mount Ebal." Deuteronomy 11:29 cannot say so merely to teach where the Israelites were to say the blessings and curses, as Deuteronomy 27:12–13 already says, "These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people . . . and these shall stand upon Mount Ebal for the curse." Rather, the Rabbis taught that the purpose of Deuteronomy 11:29 was to indicate that the blessings must precede the curses. It is possible to think that all the blessings must precede all the curses; therefore, the text states "blessing" and "curse" in the singular, and thus teaches that one blessing precedes one curse, alternating blessings and curses, and all the blessings do not proceed all the curses. A further purpose of Deuteronomy 11:29 is to draw a comparison between blessings and curses: As the curse was pronounced by the Levites, so the blessing had to be pronounced by the Levites. As the curse was uttered in a loud voice, so the blessing had to be uttered in a loud voice. As the curse was said in Hebrew, so the blessing had to be said in Hebrew. As the curses were in general and particular terms, so must the blessings had to be in general and particular terms. And as with the curse, both parties respond "Amen," so with the blessing both parties respond "Amen."
The Mishnah told how the Levites pronounced the blessings and curses. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan and came to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, six tribes ascended Mount Gerizim and six tribes ascended Mount Ebal. The priests and Levites with the Ark of the Covenant stationed themselves below in the center. The priests surrounded the Ark, the Levites surrounded the priests, and all the Israelites stood on this side and that of the Levites, as Joshua 8:33 says, "And all Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges stood on this side the ark and on that side." The Levites turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and opened with the blessing: "Blessed be the man who does not make a graven or molten image," and all the Israelites responded, "Amen." Then the Levites turned their faces towards Mount Ebal and opened with the curse of Deuteronomy 27:15: "Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image," and all the Israelites responded, "Amen." So they continued until they had completed all the blessings and curses.
Rabbi Judah ben Nahmani, the interpreter of Simeon ben Lakish (Resh Lakish), taught that the whole section of the blessings and curses refers to adultery. Deuteronomy 27:15 says, "Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image." Is it enough merely to curse such a person in this world? Rather, Rabbi Judah ben Naḥmani taught that Deuteronomy 27:15 alludes to one who commits adultery and has a son who goes to live among idolaters and worships idols; cursed be the father and mother of this man, as they were the cause of his sinning.
A Midrash noted that almost everywhere, including Deuteronomy 27:16, Scripture mentions a father's honor before the mother's honor. But Leviticus 19:3 mentions the mother first to teach that one should honor both parents equally.
Rabbi Eliezer the Great taught that the Torah warns against wronging a stranger in 36, or others say 46, places (including Deuteronomy 27:19). The Gemara went on to cite Rabbi Nathan's interpretation of Exodus 22:20, "You shall neither wrong a stranger, nor oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt," to teach that one must not taunt one's neighbor about a flaw that one has oneself. The Gemara taught that thus a proverb says: If there is a case of hanging in a person's family history, do not say to the person, "Hang up this fish for me."
The Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer read the curse of Deuteronomy 27:24, "Cursed be he that smites his neighbor in secret," to teach that one must not slander. According to the Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, anyone who secretly slanders a neighbor has no remedy, as Psalm 101:5 says, "Whoso privately slanders his neighbor, him will I destroy: him that has a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer."
Rabbi Aha said in the name of Rabbi Tanhum that if a person studies Torah and teaches it, observes and performs its precepts, but has the means to support needy scholars and fails to do so, then that person comes within the words of Deuteronomy 27:26: "Cursed be he who does not confirm the words of this law." But if a person studies and does not teach or observe or perform the precepts, and does not have the means to support needy scholars and yet does so by self-denial, then that person comes within the category of "Blessed be he who confirms the words of this law," for every "cursed" implies a "blessed." Similarly, a Midrash taught that had Deuteronomy 27:26 read, "Cursed be he who does not learn the words of the law," then Israel would not have been able to survive, but Deuteronomy 27:26 reads, "who does not confirm the words of this law," and so the Hebrew implies that one may avoid the curse through the maintenance of Torah students and colleges.
A Midrash taught that there is nothing greater before God than the "amen" that Israel answers. Rabbi Judah ben Sima taught that the word "amen" contains three kinds of solemn declarations: oath, consent, and confirmation. Numbers 5:21–22 demonstrates oath when it says, "Then the priest shall cause the woman to swear . . . and the woman shall say: ‘Amen, Amen.'" Deuteronomy 27:26 demonstrates consent when it says "And all the people shall say: ‘Amen.'" And 1 Kings 1:36 demonstrates confirmation when it says, "And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said: ‘Amen; so say the Lord.'"
The Mishnah told that after they had completed all the blessings and curses, the Israelites brought the stones that Moses directed them to set up in Deuteronomy 27:2–4, built the altar and plastered it with plaster, and inscribed on it all the words of the Torah in 70 languages, as Deuteronomy 27:8 says, "very plainly." Then they took the stones and spent the night in their place.
Stained glass window from the Enschede Synagogue depicting a griffin and a shortened version of Proverbs 8:34–35, "Blessed are those who listen to me; watching daily at my doors; waiting at my doorway."
Deuteronomy chapter 28
The Mishnah taught that they read the blessings and curses of Leviticus 26:3–45 and Deuteronomy 28:1–68 on public fast days. The Mishnah taught that they did not interrupt the reading of the curses, but had one person read them all.
A Midrash interpreted Deuteronomy 28:1 to teach that Moses told Israel to be diligent to listen to the words of the Torah, because whoever listens to the words of the Torah is exalted in both this world and the World to Come. Another Midrash tied Deuteronomy 28:1, "And it shall come to pass, if you shall listen diligently," to Proverbs 8:34–35, "Happy is the man who listens to me . . . for whoever finds Me finds life, and obtains favor of the Lord." And the Midrash interpreted Proverbs 8:34 to mean that a person is happy whose hearing is devoted to God.
Reading the words "to observe to do all His commandments" in Deuteronomy 28:1, Rabbi Simeon ben Halafta taught that one who learns the words of the Torah and does not fulfill them receives punishment more severe than does the one who has not learned at all.
A Midrash expounded on why Israel was, in the words of Jeremiah 11:16, like "a leafy olive tree." In one explanation, the Midrash taught that just as oil floats to the top even after it has been mixed with every kind of liquid, so Israel, as long as it performs the will of God, will be set on high by God, as it says in Deuteronomy 28:1.
Rabbi Joshua of Siknin in the name of Rabbi Levi interpreted Deuteronomy 28:1 to convey God's message that if people will heed God's commandments, God will heed their prayers.
Rav's disciples told Rabbi Abba that Rav interpreted the words of Deuteronomy 28:3, "Blessed shall you be in the city," to mean that your house would be near a synagogue. Rav interpreted the words, "and blessed shall you be in the field," to mean that your property would be near the city. Rav interpreted the words of Deuteronomy 28:6, "Blessed shall you be when you come in," to mean that you would not find your wife in doubt of being a niddah upon returning home from travels. And Rav interpreted the words, "and blessed shall you be when you go out," to mean that your children would be like you. Rabbi Abba replied that Rabbi Joḥanan interpreted the words of Deuteronomy 28:3, "Blessed shall you be in the city," to mean that the privy, not the synagogue, would be near at hand. Rabbi Johanan's interpretation was in accordance with his opinion that one receives reward for walking (some distance) to a synagogue. Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words, "And blessed shall you be in the field," to mean that your estate would be divided into three equal portions of cereals, olives, and vines.
Rabbi Isaac interpreted the words of Deuteronomy 28:3, "Blessed shall you be in the city," to mean that God will reward people for the commandments that they fulfil in the city — the dough offering (חלה, challah), the fringes (ציצית, tzitzit), the sukkah, and the kindling of Shabbat candles. And the continuation of Deuteronomy 28:3, “And blessed shall you be in the field,” means that God will reward for the precepts people fulfil in the field — the gleanings in the field that belong to the poor (leket), the forgotten sheaf in the field that belongs to the poor (shikhah), and the corner of the field left unreaped for the poor (פֵּאָה, peah), And the Rabbis interpreted Deuteronomy 28:3 to mean that people will feel blessed in the city because they have been blessed through the field, the earth having yielded its fruits.
Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words of Deuteronomy 28:6, "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out," to mean that your exit from the world would be as your entry to it — and just as you entered the world without sin, so would you leave it without sin.
Rabbi Judah bar Simon read Deuteronomy 28:6, “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out,” to refer to Moses. Rabbi Judah bar Simon read “when you come in” to refer to Moses, because when he came into the world, he brought nearer to God Batya the daughter of Pharaoh (who by saving Moses from drowning merited life in the World to Come). And “blessed shall you be when you go out” also refers to Moses, for as he was departing the world, he brought Reuben nearer to his estranged father Jacob, when Moses blessed Reuben with the words “Let Reuben live and not die” in Deuteronomy 33:6 (thus gaining for Reuben the life in the World to Come and thus proximity to Jacob that Reuben forfeited when he sinned against his father in Genesis 35:22 and became estranged from him in Genesis 49:4).
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana read Deuteronomy 28:1–69 together with Proverbs 2:1, “And lay up my commandments with you,” to teach God's message that if people laid up for God Torah and precepts in this world, then God would lay up for them a good reward in the World to Come.
And Ben Azzai taught that the performance of one commandment leads to the performance of another commandment, and one sin leads to another sin; and thus the reward for a commandment is another commandment, and the reward for one sin is another sin.
The Sifre interpreted the “ways” of God referred to in Deuteronomy 28:9 (as well as Deuteronomy 5:30; 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; and 30:16) by making reference to Exodus 34:6–7, “The Lord, the Lord, God of mercy and grace, slow to wrath and abundant in mercy and truth, keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving transgression, offense, and sin, and cleansing . . . .” Thus the Sifre read Joel 3:5, “All who will be called by the name of the Lord shall be delivered,” to teach that just as Exodus 34:6 calls God “merciful and gracious,” we, too, should be merciful and gracious. And just as Psalm 11:7 says, “The Lord is righteous,” we, too, should be righteous.
Rabbi Abin son of Rav Ada in the name of Rabbi Isaac deduced from Deuteronomy 28:10 that God wears tefillin. For Isaiah 62:8 says: “The Lord has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength.” “By His right hand” refers to the Torah, for Deuteronomy 33:2 says, “At His right hand was a fiery law to them.” “And by the arm of His strength” refers to tefillin, as Psalm 29:11 says, “The Lord will give strength to His people,” and tefillin are a strength to Israel, for Deuteronomy 28:10 says, “And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon you, and they shall be afraid of You,” and Rabbi Eliezer the Great said that this refers to tefillin of the head (in which the Name of God is written in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:10).
A Baraita taught that having observed that Deuteronomy 28:36 predicted, “The Lord will bring you and your king . . . to a nation that you have not known,” Josiah ordered the Ark referred to in Exodus 37:1–5 hidden away, as 2 Chronicles 35:3 reports, “And he [Josiah] said to the Levites who taught all Israel, that were holy to the Lord, ‘Put the Holy Ark into the house that Solomon the son of David, King of Israel, built; there shall no more be a burden upon your shoulders; now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.’” The Baraita further taught that at the same time Josiah hid away the Ark, he also hid the jar of manna referred to in Exodus 16:33, the anointing oil referred to in Exodus 30:22–33, Aaron's rod with its almonds and blossoms referred to in Numbers 17:23, and the coffer that the Philistines sent the Israelites as a gift along with the Ark and concerning which the priests said in 1 Samuel 6:8, “And put the jewels of gold, which you returned Him for a guilt offering, in a coffer by the side thereof [of the Ark]; and send it away that it may go.” Rabbi Eleazar deduced that Josiah hid the anointing oil and the other objects at the same time as the Ark from the common use of the expressions “there” in Exodus 16:33 with regard to the manna and “there” in Exodus 30:6 with regard to the Ark, “to be kept” in Exodus 16:33 with regard to the manna and “to be kept” in Numbers 17:25 with regard to Aaron’s rod, and “generations” in Exodus 16:33 with regard to the manna and “generations” in Exodus 30:31 with regard to the anointing oil.
The curse of Deuteronomy 28:48 figured in a debate among the Rabbis about whether one should perform a worldly occupation in addition to studying Torah. The Rabbis in a Baraita questioned what was to be learned from the words of Deuteronomy 11:14: "And you shall gather in your corn and w**e and oil." Rabbi Ishmael replied that since Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night," one might think that one must take this injunction literally (and study Torah every waking moment). Therefore, Deuteronomy 11:14 directs one to "gather in your corn," implying that one should combine Torah study with a worldly occupation. Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai questioned that, however, asking if a person plows in plowing season, sows in sowing season, reaps in reaping season, threshes in threshing season, and winnows in the season of wind, when would one find time for Torah? Rather, Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai taught that when Israel performs God's will, others perform its worldly work, as Isaiah 61:5–6 says, "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, aliens shall be your plowmen and vine-trimmers; while you shall be called ‘Priests of the Lord,' and termed ‘Servants of our God.'" And when Israel does not perform God's will, it has to carry out its worldly work by itself, as Deuteronomy 11:14 says, "And you shall gather in your corn." And not only that, but the Israelites would also do the work of others, as Deuteronomy 28:48 says, "And you shall serve your enemy whom the Lord will let loose against you. He will put an iron yoke upon your neck until He has wiped you out." Abaye observed that many had followed Rabbi Ishmael's advice to combine secular work and Torah study and it worked well, while others have followed the advice of Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai to devote themselves exclusively to Torah study and not succeeded. Rava would ask the Rabbis (his disciples) not to appear before him during Nisan (when corn ripened) and Tishrei (when people pressed grapes and olives) so that they might not be anxious about their food supply during the rest of the year.
The Mishnah taught that when they flogged a person, a reader would read Deuteronomy 28:58ff, beginning "If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book . . . ," then Deuteronomy 29:8, "Observe therefore the words of this covenant," and then Psalm 78:38, "But He, being full of compassion, forgives iniquity."
Rabbi Johanan taught that God does not rejoice in the downfall of the wicked. Rabbi Johanan interpreted the words zeh el zeh in the phrase "And one did not come near the other all the night" in Exodus 14:20 to teach that when the Egyptians were drowning in the sea, the ministering angels wanted to sing a song of rejoicing, as Isaiah 6:3 associates the words zeh el zeh with angelic singing. But God rebuked them: "The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea, and you want to sing songs?" Rabbi Eleazar replied that a close reading of Deuteronomy 28:63 shows that God does not rejoice personally, but does make others rejoice.
Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said in the name of Rabbi Joshua that from the day that the Temple was destroyed, there was no day without a curse, the dew had not descended for a blessing, and the flavor had departed from fruits. Rava said that in addition, the curse of each day was severer than that of the preceding day, as Deuteronomy 28:67 says, "In the morning, you shall say: Would God it were evening! And in the evening, you shall say: Would God it were morning." The Gemara asked which morning they would long for. If it would be the morning of the next day, nobody knows what that will be like. Therefore, reasoned the Gemara, it must have been the morning of the previous day (because the previous day would have been less severe than the current day, and therefore they longed for its return).
In Deuteronomy 28:67, the heart fears. A Midrash catalogued the wide range of additional capabilities of the heart reported in the Hebrew Bible. The heart speaks, sees, hears, walks, falls, stands, rejoices, cries, is comforted, is troubled, becomes hardened, grows faint, grieves, can be broken, becomes proud, rebels, invents, cavils, overflows, devises, desires, goes astray, lusts, is refreshed, can be stolen, is humbled, is enticed, errs, trembles, is awakened, loves, hates, envies, is searched, is rent, meditates, is like a fire, is like a stone, turns in repentance, becomes hot, dies, melts, takes in words, is susceptible to fear, gives thanks, covets, becomes hard, makes merry, acts deceitfully, speaks from out of itself, loves bribes,writes words, plans, receives commandments, acts with pride, makes arrangements, and aggrandizes itself.
Deuteronomy chapter 29
Reading Deuteronomy 29:4, “Your clothes have not grown old on you,” Rabbi Jose bar Ḥanina taught that the clothes that the Israelites wore did not wear out, but those that they packed away in their trunks did. Alternatively, Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai, asked his father-in-law Rabbi Simeon ben Jose whether the Israelites had not taken with them leather garments into the wilderness (which would wear out). Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that the clothes that they wore were those with which the ministering angels had invested them at Mount Sinai, and therefore they did not grow old. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether the Israelites did not grow so that the clothes became too small for them. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that one should not wonder at this, for when a snail grows, its shell grows with it. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether the clothes did not need washing. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that the pillar of cloud rubbed against them and whitened them. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether they were not scorched, as the cloud consisted of fire. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that one should not wonder at this, as amianthus (a kind of asbestos) is cleansed only by fire, and as their clothes were made in heaven, the cloud rubbed against them without damaging them. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether vermin did not breed in the clothes. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that if in their death no worm could touch the Israelites, how much less could vermin in their lifetime. Rabbi Eleazar asked whether they did not smell because of perspiration. Rabbi Simeon ben Jose replied that they used to play with the sweet-scented grass around the well, as Song 4:11 says, “And the smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.”
Rabbi Eleazar interpreted the words, "Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and make them," in Deuteronomy 29:8 to teach that Scripture regards one who teaches Torah to a neighbor's child as though he himself had created the words of the Torah, as it is written.
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