Once a year
heavenly light will be close to us.
Meant is not the Christ but in a very different way Jesus of whom a Jewish tradition says:
“Now it was the Feast of Dedication [Hebrew: Hanukkah] in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.” (Gospel of John 10:22). To make a long story short, Jesus was a regular rabbi coming from Nazareth who refueled on the Temple Feast of Dedication and was about – like every other rabbi around the globe till the time being – to bring The Light into the world because “I [the LORD] have called You [Israel] in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes” (Isaiah 42:6).
Sh’ma Israel:
“The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart:”
Change the world, You, who are chosen! Bring My Light to the Gentiles, O Israel! That is what – like Jesus – the Lubavitcher Chassidim today do on Hanukkah on behalf of His Israel in U.S. cities and all over the nations.

It is the Jews who were chosen to open the blind eyes of the Gentiles / nations, not visa versa! Even if the church wants us to do the opposite credible – the decision and love of God, baruch HaShem, is eternal: “I will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations” (Isaiah 25:7). The victory is Me – not the church. That is the story behind, that a small group of Jews (Maccabees and Jews in total compared to the world and the church) were victorious over the hundred times larger Syrian-Greek conversion heer in 164 BCE (→ Seleucid Empire), but after all in the devastated temple of God in Jerusalem was only a single pot of kosher oil for the eternal light to find. Not more than one day, this amount would have been enough oil, but by a heavenly miracle, the light burned for eight days. Which is precisely the time it took to complete the procedure for obtaining new kosher oil. Since that time celebrated all the faithful believers, religious and non-religious one, these eight days a year as Hanukkah (Hebrew: consecration / dedication), till our Second Temple was destroyed . . . by the Romans!

The same Romans had financed with the spoils of the 66 – 70 CE wars against Israel and the destruction of God’s Temple, the construction of the Colosseum from year 72 on (see German Wikipedia which is obviously not allowed to be translated in the American Wikipedia considering tourism collapse from Overseas might be) and later on founded their new religion against God, His Temple, His People, His Shabbat . . . and not least against the teachings of Jesus. . .

• Was it Jesus who – as one of His People a model of all mankind – put Satan to flight with the words of the Holy Scriptures (Deut. 6:13): “You shall worship the LORD your God, and HIM ONLY you shall serve.” Rome made Jesus himself, of all warnings to the contrary, the God, their own Lord.
• Did Jesus warned, “Moses [Torah] and the prophets [Neviim] to hear and obey” in order not to arrive at “the place of eternal torment” instead of eternal life (Luke 16:28), then Romans cultured their own scriptures, which they sanctified and in them is to read to this day, that ” therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech – unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded [instead of that Jews shall open the eyes of the Gentiles – see above]. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [such as to murder Israel in Jewish-Roman Wars, Crusades or Luther’s Reichskristallnacht] But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. “(2 Cor. 3:12 ff).

But Adonai, Adon Olam, remains the same (Isaiah 60), He yesterday . . .
. . . and You One in Him today on Hanukkah? . . .
“Arise, shine; for Your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon You. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over You, and His glory will be seen upon You. The Gentiles shall come to Your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
. . . wherever You are!

Hag Hanukkah Sameach
Eric C. Martienssen

„Firstly, that their synagogues or schools be set on fire and, what may not burn, be heaped over with earth, so that no human being could see a stone or cinder for ever. And such should be done to honour our Lord and Christianity, so that God may see that we are Christians.” ————————————————————————————–
In Old-German-Wording: “Erstlich, das man jre Synagoga oder Schule mit feur anstecke und, was nicht verbrennen will, mit erden überheufe und beschütte, das kein Mensch ein stein oder schlacke davon sehe ewiglich. Und solches sol man thun, unserm Herrn und der Christenheit zu ehren damit Gott sehe, das wir Christen seien.“

What one can hardly dare to pronounce about Martin Luther and his Lutherans, the Germans, the Kristallnacht (also “Night of Broken Glass”, “Reichskristallnacht”, “Pogromnacht”, “Novemberpogrome”), and the world against Israel and the jews nowadays, the following video will, at least, try:

In deep mourning
Eric C. Martienssen

[Card »» download and print]

Commentary by Michael Schneider,
israel today, Jerusalem:
This week’s Torah portion introduces Abraham, the first patriarch. It is here the Lord called him to “Go forth… to the Land which I will show you!” It tells us this was a step of faith that even believers find difficult to take. He risks everything.

Abraham, then called Abram, was obedient. Unlike believers today who want first a clear road map of where God is leading them, Abram picked up, left his home and followed God’s leading.

Abram’s life was one of constant tests of faith, beginning with the three-step call to leave his homeland (leave your country, your people and your father’s household), and ending with another three-step call in chapter 22 to sacrifice his son (Take your son, your only son, …whom you love). It shows full submission! God required of Abram the things he cherished most and he also wants those things we are holding onto most. Through our faith in Him, He intervenes and does His mighty work.

God’s Blessing over Abraham followed: “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing.” What a powerfull blessing! The Lord continued: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (12:3; Numbers 24:9 indicates these passages speak about Israel). Take this as good advice.

Abram left Ur (in present-day Iraq), the city of Nimrod, the adversary of God who elevated himself after the flood. A symbol of rebellion against God – out of this, God is calling us too today!

You are never too old to be targeted by God’s callings. God renews the strength to those who “Wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:29-31). So, at age 75, Abram left his homeland and became the first “wandering Jew.”

Abram and his wife Sarai were facing numerous tests of faith. Even when Abram arrived in Canaan he encountered various conflicts within his family, but still he humbled himself, giving Lot first pick of the land, “… If to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left” (13:9). In those days, ‘right’ (yamin) was west, towards the sea (yam). Left, was the Dead Sea region of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Jordan Valley. Lot ended up choosing the left because it was visually appealing (the wealth of the world), but it was rife with immorality. Abram passed the test of faith and God blessed him. Lot could have repented and joined his godly uncle, but he preferred the things of the world and followed after the ‘lust of the eyes’ (1 John 2:16). Lot could be as Ruth the Moabite joining Nomi and be a part of the blessing!

Interestingly, we find the term “Lot’s face” (penei Lot; normally translated as ‘covering’) in Isaiah 25:7 showing the blindness of the nations toward Israel’s promises! Like Lot was blind to the promises of Abraham.

Abram later rescued his nephew when five kings destroyed Sodom. After this encounter, Lot received an additional wake-up call to repentance, but again he chose the comfortable life.

As time went on Abram remained childless. Yet, he held on to promises like, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars… So shall your descendants be” (15:5). Abram and Sarai were between clinging to the promises of God and human desperation. Sarai became so desperate she even offered her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to her husband because “the LORD has prevented her from bearing children.” An act of a frustrated human.

In chapter 16 we read about the birth of Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old. By chapter 17, Abram had reached 99, Ishmael was 13 years old and all hope seemed lost for additional offspring. But it was at this time that God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. He made an unconditional covenant with him marked by circumcision and said, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly… For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (17:2-5).

On the eighth day Jews circumcise their boys as a sign of entering the Abrahamic covenant. Arabs are also descendants of the 12-prince kingdom of Ishmael. Even today they circumcise their boys at age 13 like Ishmael. They are believed to be included in the borders from the brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.

Finally, at the age of 100, Abraham began to understand that the promise could only be fulfilled supernaturally because Sarah was 90. Meaning, when our natural means switch off God’s super-natural means switch on!

Therefore, after hearing another promise Abraham was the first to laugh (17:17) – then Sarah.

Next week we’ll see Abraham’s biggest test of all.

Shabbat Shalom

Commentary by Michael Schneider, Jerusalem:
In this week’s portion we meet one of the first righteous men, Noah (→Noachide Laws). Through the righteousness of one person all of mankind was saved. That was always the case in history, through the few and the remnant, God was gracious and restrained from destroying all of Israel.

Noah’s time was one of great evil when the ‘fallen angels’ ruled over man. “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart” (6:6), because “it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.” (6:12) Unfortunately, we are approaching this situation today and God probably feels the same today!

But Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord!
He and his three sons saved mankind from total destruction. The saving instrument was an ark that was “covered inside and out with pitch.” The Hebrew term of covering here is kaphar, which comes from the word for atonement, kappara.

The building of the ark is parallel to our calling today to build the kingdom of God. God gave the people of Noah’s time 120 years to repent while Noah built the ark. But instead the people insulted and mocked Noah while he built the ark.
Watch ▼ video: The life of Prophet Nuh (Noah) related to the quran:

In chapter 7 the “door of the ark” was closed and the judgment of heaven fell.

Noah was in the ark seven days until the rains began on the 17th day of the second month, Iyyar.

Forty days and nights, rain fell until everything on earth was destroyed – man and animals. Only those in the ark survived. Noah was in the ark 365 days until the 27th of Iyyar (a Biblical year is 355 days).

First he sent a raven out, then a dove. The second time the dove brought an olive branch, which has become the symbol of peace in our days.

God made a covenant with Noah and his descendants using the rainbow as a sign that he would never again use a flood to destroy mankind even though God knew that “…for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (8:21; 6:5)

After the flood, God gave commandments, like multiplication and forbidding the eating blood. Noah cursed his son Ham, the father of Canaan, to “be the slave of his brothers.”

In chapter 10, the descendants of Noah’s three sons are listed. According to the Bible we have 70 original nations. Japheth became the father of the European nations, Ham became the father of the African nations and Shem became the father of the →Semitic nations including the descendants of Ishmael, the Arab nations. One interesting point: the Canaanites and Philistines are not Semites, but Hamites!

Some 300 years after the flood, a man named Nimrod arose and was the first ruler who arose against God the Creator! Nimrod means “we will resist.” Nimrod tried to replace God by building a high tower, known as the Tower of Babel. Babel, or Babylon, became the city of evil. God’s punishment was to confuse the people by having them speak in languages, that they couldn’t understand (11:9). Until today we bear the consequence of this sin. But there will come a day, as the prophet Zephaniah writes, “For then I will give to the people a clear language (that’s the right translation and not purified lips), that all of them may call on the name of the Lord to serve Him as one shoulder.” (3:9)

In conclusion, in our prophet portion, in Isaiah 54 we read about the scattering of the people of Israel among the nations, but we find comfort in the Lord’s words: “For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving kindness I will have compassion on you (Israel).” (verses 7-8)

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Bereshit: Genesis 1:1-6:8; Haftara: Isaiah 42:5-43:10

The Hallel, consisting of Psalms 113 – 118, is recited for Sukkot like for Pesach (or Passover, where the Israelites were freed from the slavery in Egypt), for several other occasions but also for Shavuot, were the giving of the Torah is celebrated. And the last day of Sukkot – also the last day the Hallel is recited in this period – is Simchat Torah, what a day, what a prayer, what a praise! But firstly we want to emphasize on a praise which is recited in every time of prayer, so on Simchat Torah also, the Kaddish:

Here the Kaddish is explained by Israel Yaoz (see below) But first the pure text of the prayer is provided:

May the great Name of God be exalted and sanctified, throughout the world, which he has created according to his will. May his Kingship be established in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire household of Israel, swiftly and in the near future; and say, Amen.
May his great name be blessed, forever and ever.
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored elevated and lauded be the Name of the holy one, Blessed is he- above and beyond any blessings and hymns, Praises and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen. May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen.

This is a short summary of what Avigdor Shinan, Professor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, wrote in 2009 (ISBN 978-965-13-2082-8) about one of the most important prayers in Judaism, the Kaddisch..

Even most of the non-religeous Jews pray the Kaddish though they often may not fully understand its implications. The Kaddish is the prayer for the dead.

It is in the Arameic language, while almost every other traditional Jewish prayer is in biblical Hebrew. It begins with: „Be His name exalted and sanctified!“ Everybody knows which name is meant here, but the holy name itself is never being mentioned. Instead it is represented by „Adonai“ (= my LORD).

Every prayer in the Sidur is related to biblical events or biblical relations, but not so this prayer.

In the Kaddish there is no word mentioning the dead, or death, or pain, or yearning or suffering. It is all about gloryfing the name of God and His justice in all of His decisions, whether they bring to us good or even suffering.

In the Mishna, the „Verbal Torah“ of the second century C.E., there is no mentioning of what developed later into the Kaddish.

To his own surprise, Prof. Shinan found a first hint to the beginnings of the Kaddish in the Sermon on the Mount of Jeshua: „When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you… This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name …“ (Mattew 6:6-9).

Most likely Jesus was teaching this prayer to his disciples in Arameic. It is a very personal prayer between man and his creator and was used in different variations. It was „not a fixed formula, and not a community prayer for use the synagoge or in religious congregations, and so it was not necessity to be mentioned in the Mishna“.

I don´t want to go into further details of the long and complicated history of the Kaddish in the past, but I want to sum up, what the Kaddish is today: It is the standard prayer of the bereaved for children, for parents, for close relatives or for other loved ones, to commemorate them, and to pray for their eternal salvation.

A strong influence to the formation and practice of the Kaddish has come from the hard times of cruel persecution, during the crusades and the many pogroms. In these traumatic events it granted some comfort and consolation to the suffering, in praising the holy name of God who is just even when man does not understand it. There might have been even some christian influence, like some commemorating ceremonies and the custom of lighting candles for the dead.

May be it was not so much the unfamiliar (Arameic) words of the Kaddish, or its theological meaning, but much more so some subconscious feeling of being in a comforting communion with the whole people of Israel, her long history of suffering, and with her strong collective hope for a better future, what made the Kaddish into such a strong tradition. The soft murmuring of this prayer might also have had a genuine comforting influence on the mood of the bereaved.

Last mentioned ambivalence is also significant for Simchat Torah: the last paragraph of Deuteronomy (Devarim) is recited directly followed by the new, the first paragraph of Genesis (Bereshit).

Dancing and singing in the synagogue on Simchat Torah (the vigor of the dancing and degree of festive merriment varies with congregational temperament:)

Hag Sameach
Eric Martienssen

See also the commentary on Shabbat Bereshit by Rabbi Chaim Richman from The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, click ►

The Feast of Tabernacles is a fest of joy, Hag Sukkot Sameach, and we want to invite you to shake the lulav and to feel it beating the heart, okay? Please feel invited to have a look into a Sukkah in a childreans song:

This feast is in Zechariah 14 also spiritually connected with the Nonjew (Gentile / Nations) who God also wants to come up to Jerusalem to worship Him. Here are abstracts:
And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. – Therefore let us come up to Jerusalem, the world’s most glorious feeling, here sung by Zehava Ben:

Abstract of the commentary by Michael Schneider, Jerusalem

Commentary:
Already on sunset it starts. Neither eating or drinking is permitted till next sunset. “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God” Leviticus 23:27-28
“It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.” Leviticus 16:31

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert of the GSI editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Question to chabad.org: Since it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat, do we fast on Yom Kippur if it falls on Shabbat?

Answer: Your premise is correct; all other fast days are postponed until Sunday when they fall on Shabbat. 1 However, unlike all other fasts, Yom Kippur is not postponed, and is fully observed even on Shabbat. 2 The Torah dubs Yom Kippur, “Shabbat Shabbaton” — the “Shabbat of Shabbats,” 3 implying that it takes precedence over Shabbat.
According to chassidic teachings, Yom Kippur falling on Shabbat doesn’t “deprive” us of the pleasures — eating, drinking, resting, etc. — which Shabbat normally affords us. Rather the extremely holy nature of Yom Kippur accomplishes the same objectives, albeit in a higher, more spiritual manner.

The word “afflict your souls” is an interesting term in the Hebrew language: initem nafshotehem. Out of the same word root we get “torment the soul”, agony and also “poor in spirit.” How has the “affliction of soul” became fasting? See Isaiah 58. Here we find in verse 3 the word-paralell: ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ It address to the Yom Kippur fasting where we need humble our souls through fasting and prayers!

On Yom Kippur – according to Jewish tradition – the gates of heaven are been closed and so also the Books in front of God. God’s Judgment has fallen over man. Therefore we wish each other the blessing: “May you be signed and sealed in the book of life!”!

In the Ten Days of Repentance from Rosh HaShanah to Yom Kippur numerous times the shofar horn is blown (some say even 100 times) to awake man to penitence, that man should search his heart and ask God and man for forgiveness. In Israel on Yom Kippur the streets are free of traffic, no cars, and the people walking in white to synagogues plead for mercy of “Avinu malkeinu..” Our Father, our King!
Starting with the Kol Nidre prayer, when all the vows are loosed, until the Ne’ila-closing prayer where the assembly proclaim seven times “Adonai hu ha-Elohim – The Lord is God!” – concluded with the blowing of a shofar that breaks the fasting.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Insert * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Avinu Malkeinu – Our Father Our King (sung by Barbra Streisand)
Hear our prayer: We have sinned before Thee – Have compassion upon us and upon our children – Help us bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine – Cause all hate and oppression to vanish from the earth – Inscribe us for blessing in the Book Of Life – Let the new year be a good year for us.

„Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.” Leviticus 25:9
“Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day.” Psalm 81:4.
Yes, from the Day of the Blowing (in Shofars; Yom Teru’a that is today called Rosh HaShanah) until the Feast and Fasting of Yom Kippur!

Chatima tova! – May you be signed and sealed in the book of life!
Michael Schneider

Kol Nidre by Neil Diamond

With The Burning Bush the story of Moses began, today we are approaching the end of his farewell-story. In German Synagogues it’s usal to sing a farewell Sabbath Song, the “Adon Olam”, at the end of every Shabbatmorning ministry in order to protect us from forgetting that He is the “Lord of the Universe” when we are back in our homes▼

Commentary by Michael Schneider,
israel today, Jerusalem:
It is common that these two weekly Torah portions are read together on a Shabbat. Further, this Shabbat the 25th Elul is als in Judaism marked as the first Day of Creation of the universe – and six days later at the creation of man we celebrate the New Year 5768.
We approaching Moses’ farewell speech before the leaders of the tribes. In our reading we find a confirmation of validity and eternity in the promises to Moses, the humble servant of God as in verses 14 and 15: “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 the LORD our God and with those who are not with us here today.” A eternal covenant!“then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.” (30:3)

In the same chapter the Lord of hosts says that His commandments are not ‘Mission Impossible’ caliber, but can be reached. As a believer I understand, that God’s commands can be observed. We do not need to travel across continents and countries, even not to so-called revival conferences to experience God and His will – for His ‘Word is very near’ – to your mouth and your heart!

It was assured from then that the Good News, God’s divine word, would be spread all over the globe and no one would need to travel to experience salvation or healing.

“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity!” (verse 15) This is the LORD’s same proclamation to man today. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people…” (Isaiah 65:2).

Moses pled and hopes that his people, who he knew well for 40 years, would “choose life, and therefore live… between life and death, blessing and curse, that I have set before you” (30:19). It is also set before us today!

In our second reading, we reach Moses’ last day. He was exactly 120-years-old. According to Jewish tradition, he was born and died on the same day of the year, the seventh day of the Hebrew month Adar. The age, 120, is reserved for a righteous person. This is the memorial day of all descendants whose death location and date is unknown, like Moses.

Joshua, takes over as leader and brings the people over the Jordan into the Promised Land. Moses, before he left, said to the people: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you.” (31:6) He encouraged them that just because he was leaving, didn’t mean God would.

The last thing Moses did was write the whole Torah and pass it to the priests, the Levites. This is also the last commandment of the 613 Commandments of the Torah, to write down the Torah.

But Moses knew to whom he was talking to, that’s why he emphasize so often to be ‘circumcised by heart’ (30:6): “For I know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD; how much more, then, after my death?” (31:27).
We should not put our trust in man, but in the LORD alone!

Shabbat Shalom

Abstact of the commentary by Michael Schneider, Jerusalem:
The backdrop of this week’s Shabbat reading is the giving of the “first fruit” of the ground “when you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance…” (Deuteronomy 26:1-2). As we can see, it is a commandment that relies on being physically located in the Land of Israel. Every time a person brought this sacrifice to the LORD, he emphasized his gratefulness for and connection to the land and people of Israel.

A real Sabbath Song, KUMI ORI:
..[Israel]“Arise, shine…

…for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you!”

The Hebrew word for “first” is reshit, which is also the first word in the Bible, leading Jewish scholars and sages to conclude in the Talmud that the universe was created because of these first fruit offerings. Moses goes on to enumerate God’s mighty deeds on behalf of Israel, including how He took “a wandering Aramean,” as he affectionately refers to Jacob in verse 5, and made out of him a vast and mighty nation and planted them in the Promised Land. He then urges the giving of thanks. “You shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given you…” (26:11) Here we find a principle: True joy comes from giving our first fruits, the best of what we have, to the Lord. This leads to perfect joy. King Solomon, blessed with divine wisdom, backs up this principle in Proverbs 3:9-10: “Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.”

Solomon knew this secret.

This offering of the firstling was and should always be accompanied by prayer (26:15): “Look down from Your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Your people Israel, and the land which You have given us…” It should then be followed with a remembrance to keep God’s statutes and ordinances “with all your heart and with all your soul.”

In chapter 27 we read that once the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan River they were commanded to write the Law (Torah) on their hearts. In our portion in verse 8 we find an interesting ending, which in Hebrew says ba’er hetev, and which means in English: make it clear or explain it well. By this Orthodox Jews understand, in keeping with the Jewish tradition, that when the Written Law was given so was the the Oral Law, those unwritten precepts that later became the foundation of the Mishna and Talmud.

Moses added instructions before the Children of Israel (without him) cross the Jordan River. Six tribes were assembled on the mount of blessing, Gerizim, and the other six on the mount of curses, Ebal, where we find a long list of things those redeemed by the Lord are not to do (verses 15-26). In chapter 28 we find a lineup of all the blessings that will come over the people if they will hear and follow the voice of their God. “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.” (verse 26) This blessing is used among Jews till today, and is even framed and hanged as a blessing over homes.

But Moses knew his people and therefore he continues a much longer list of “but if you do not obey the LORD…” In this list from verse 16 to 69 we find all what one wouldn’t wish upon himself or anyone else. We read in 28:28: “The LORD will smite you with madness and with blindness and with bewilderment of heart.” Unfortunately, also verse 53 was put into effect in the History of the Jewish people, when the city of Jerusalem was sieged.

The answer, why all this will happen, is also given: “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart…” Moses continues to warn them with these words: “It shall come about that as the LORD delighted over you to prosper you, and multiply you, so the LORD will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you; and you will be torn from the land where you are entering to possess it.” (verse 63) “In the morning you shall say, ‘Would that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall say, ‘Would that it were morning!’ because of the dread of your heart…” What terrible words. But in our messianic chapter in Isaiah 60 we find comfort. After all the suffering that came over the Jewish nation and what was foretold already in Moses’ time, also this promise will be fulfilled: “Arise, shine … for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you!”

Shabbat Shalom

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:
“Remember what Amalek did to you along the way as you came out of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 25:19) G-d wants us to be on fire in the way we serve Him, but Amalek, the enemy of G-d, wants to “cool” us off, enticing us to trade in our passion for walking in G-d’s way, with complacency with doing the bare minimum – a situation which truly spells disaster. – “I pray that we should never be to cool, we should always be on fire for the service of G-d”:

Shabbat Shalom