Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17
Parshat Re'eh
“See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” Re'eh teaches the chosen place of worship, the signs of a false prophet, the laws of kosher animals and tithes, the release of debts in the Sabbatical year, the mitzvah of giving to the poor, and the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot.
Essays
E-Lights Re'eh – The Broken Rung of the Ladder Rav Papa slipped from a rung of a ladder and nearly fell to his death. How did Chiya bar Rav know that the cause was withholding tzedakah? Parsha R’ei – Infinite Blessings and Finite Curses This week’s parsha opens with the words: “See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse.” The Hebrew word for “I” used in… Parsha Rei – Accessing the Blessings for the New Year Unity and harmony in a relationship brings blessing. The path to unity is by making sure that our internal animal is tamed/kosher. Parsha Rei – Erasing for the Purpose of Writing Destroying a relationship is a terrible thing. Restoring a relationship is a wonderful thing. Creating a totally new and incomparably good relationship is Divine, Parsha Rei – Flying High Humans always dreamt about flying. Flying we can, but it should not be an escape from the earth, but to see the world from a higher perch. Parsha Rei – Coping with Tragedy Human nature impels us to ask why there is tragedy. Torah teaches us to ask what we should do to prevent tragedy and heal those who have suffered. Parsha Rei – Climbing the Ladder Two people are on a ladder; one is on the top rung and one is on the bottom rung. Which one is closer to the top? The answer depends on which direction they are going. Parsha Rei – Give Again and Again Doing good for selfish reasons is acceptable if one’s primary interest is the welfare of others. Parsha Rei – Give with Joy There is materialistic selfishness and selflessness. There is also a form of spiritual selfishness and selflessness. Assisting others even before we generate positive feelings in giving is spiritual selflessness. Parsha Rei – Intermingling Joy There are two types of joy: limited and unbounded. The joy of Simchas Torah is unlimited and enables us to break out of our constraining boundaries. Parsha Rei – Jewish Giving Tzedakah is the paradigm for all Mitzvos. Tzedakah is unique because it involves the totality of the person. Tzedekah liberates the world because it fulfills our very raison d'etre. Parsha Rei – Level Playing Field The myth is that evil is stronger than good. The truth is that while evil is in your face good has staying power. Parsha Rei – Living in Both Worlds Living in one world is easy. Straddling the fence between two worlds by compromising each is precarious. The ability to live fully in both worlds is Divine. Parsha Rei – Miracles of the Jordan Miracles are not intended for show. Miracles associated with Israel showcased the unique opportunities and empowerment it possesses. Parsha Rei – Open Your Hands and See Empathy is seeing into the inner sanctum of the other’s heart and soul. Parsha Rei – Peace and Kosher Birds Birds symbolize soaring high and peace. There are multiple ways of flying high, kosher and non-kosher. There is, however, only one definition of peace. Parsha Rei – Right or Left? There is a perennial debate: Which is greater the one who initiates a good project or the one who completes it? The best of both worlds is to link the beginning with the end. Parsha Rei – The Blessed Month Marriage, the theme of the month of Elul, requires following the laws and message of Kashrus to succeed and thrive. Parsha Rei – The Brother of a Poor Man There is no greater poverty than hoarding wealth. There is no greater wealth than sharing it with others. Parsha Rei – The Case Against Negativism Fighting evil even with violence may be a necessity in an imperfect world. The spirit of fighting should never be institutionalized. Good deeds and the spirit that inspires them are intrinsically positive and should become engrained within us. Parsha Rei – The Heel Revisited Elul, the “heel” of the year, is an extraordinary ordinary month. It reflects the extraordinary ordinary (“heel”) Jews of the last (“heel”) generation before the Redemption! Parsha Rei – The Triple Header Some people focus on G-d. Some concentrate on themselves. And some direct their attention to others. Our Sages say: “Reflect on [all] three things.” Parsha Rei – The Value of True Wealth The myth is that the more material goods we accumulate the wealthier we are. The truth is that the more we give away the wealthier we are. That kind of wealth can never be taken away from us. Parsha Rei – Word by Word From our vantage-point we see negativity and we have a need to rationalize it. From G-d’s “perch” there is only blessing. In the imminent Messianic Age we will all see things from His perspective. Parsha Rei – Where Is Jerusalem? Jerusalem is a city and a mindset. Jerusalem is a heightened state of awareness. Both dimensions are elusive and must be pursued.