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

Commentary by Michael Schneider,
israel today, 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.

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…

God’s Sabbath International tries to observe common understandings between Jews and Christians – here:
…we read that once the Children of Israel crossed the Jordan River (symbolic of baptism) they were commanded to write the Law (Torah) on their hearts. If we translate the situation to the spiritual realm with our personal walk with Him and the Promise Land is the promised Kingdom of Heaven, we can see the fullfillment of the New Covenant shown in Jeremiah 31: “I will put my law (torah) in their minds and write it 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

Video Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman of Temple Institute, Jerusalem:

You shall appoint judges and officers for yourself in all your portals (Deut. 16:18) We welcome the month of Elul, the month of taking stock and re-evaluating who we are and where we are in relationship to G-d. By appointing judges and officers over our eyes and ears, nose and mouth, we regain control over ourselves, our thoughts and our actions, and can begin to make our way back to Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom

You may have noticed that the actual HAFTAROT (the weekly readings from the Prophets, which are parallel to the weekly TORAH-readings from Deuteronomy) are taken from Isaiah – without any exception. BEHOLD! This initial word suddenly struck me, more than in all the previous years. Or rather I felt like in a sudden warm shower of rain in bright sunshine. And I expected a rainbow to appear very soon. And it did. Was this opening not identical with God’s address to the Goyim (= gentile peoples), where he first presented to all non-Jews HIS SERVANT exclusively chosen for them? And was this passage not found in Isaiah as well?

Driven by this expectation I opened the bible (Isaiah 42:1-9) with my heart beating and enjoyed every single word. Perfect beauty! Join me in the first verse:
BEHOLD MY Servant Whom I uphold, My elect in Whom my soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon him. He will bring justice and right and reveal truth to the nations.
Up to then the Nations had never had any rights before God. Vice versa they did not know His rights. So they could not obey them. Neither had they walked through the desert for forty years nor were they purified to be His people. So they could not be thankful to their God, who had freed them from imprisonment, who had given them Shabbat as – if I may say so –personal consulting hours for 25 hours, every single week. To these ignorant peoples he announced to send His servant he had elected in order to bring the same rights. Without any merits of themselves! What a wonderful, what a merciful God!
I had similar experiences when having read two further readings form Isaiah, when I was still a pagan myself. His servant – who was Jesus as I should learn later – kept every single word. So I began to celebrate God’s Shabbat, because Jesus did so as well. In these 25 hours I approached God more and more on a personal level. My heart was filled with thankfulness (for I, too, had walked through desert spiritually, actually almost for 40 years). Jesus’ very task as His servant was to save me from my personal desert, take me to the Father, and to reconcile me with HIM. Arrived there – finally – I fully understood. Jesus left. And I could let him go, him God’s SERVANT. Without him, without making up in my soul for my childhood and the history of my Jewish brothers and sisters, and of course for repentance for my sins I would never have grown adult, adult enough to meet God in perfect truth. Becoming adult is extremely important or we will never feel precious, full of values.

God’s Shabbath International always tries to bring out what is common between Jews and Christians. Still all this is the personal opinion of the author.
The SERVANT in Isaiah: 42:1-9 / 50:4-9 / 52:13 – 53:12
The MESSIAH in Isaiah: Chpt. 7 / 9:1-6 / Chpt. 11 / 28:16 ff

We will try a similar approach with the readings about the MESSIAH beginning with 7, 14:
Therefore the LORD Himself shall give you a sign: BEHOLD, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANUEL (= God with us).

In the German Wikipedia, the “stories about Jesus’ birth” are regarded mainly as legends with the aim to announce Jesus as MESSIAH (who has to be born in Bethlehem like King David). “Historian rather assume that Jesus was born and educated in the same place as his father, in Nazareth.”

In the Website “Religious Tolerance” we read that Bethlehem was devastated at the assumed time of Jesus’ birth. Further, on a medical perspective, a pregnant woman, shortly before birth, would loose her baby when riding a donkey for such a long distance.
Bethlehem, a myth invented, in order to fulfil (for the church) a godly promise? And what about Maria’s virgin conception? Today no problem (e.g. by in vitro fertilisation)!
We should accept such critical questions. So we can find God again and can distinguish, can “choose life”. That is all God wants us to do. Two more examples:
1) In 1976 the UN transposed GOD’s seventh day, which is holy, and made Monday the first day of the week, so despising GOD’s given order.
2) Catholics worship Maria seeing in her the female side of God, which they miss. But God has no sex (or both sexes in his character), as the Bible tells us. So the church misuses authority.
Shabbat is female, by the way. She is the queen of hearts, the bride, whom every creature is eager to meet on Friday evening. Magnificent! For this is true love based on GOD’s order.

I see a crucial difference between Jews and (a majority of) Christians in the ability to distinguish. Only things HE determined to be holy are really holy – man can never do so. Jews do accept that in their hearts and distinguish according to God’s decision.

Christians can learn that, too, in their hearts, having become adult and longing for meeting the only GOD, Abba, their father. Compromising (be it about Maria or about Eretz Israel) is necessary in human and political affairs, but not with God.

Once the relation to God is freed from all interests of the church, Jesus could appear in the “spirit God has laid upon him” to the nations in radiant light and fulfil his commission, which is “taking righteousness to the nations”, to you especially, because GOD created you in HIS image, magnificent and of pure beauty.

In our times, the nations should rather take back their robbery than claim anything from the Jews, as they have no rights whatsoever before God. Personally speaking (everybody has to check that for himself) to you who are a gentile: Would you admit God’s rights and keep them? Would you give up your own rights and idols, serve only HIM and stand before HIM as an adult who is responsible for his deeds? Would you not be thankful for ever to GOD’s servant that he brought GOD’s rights to you? Could you leave him thereafter, as he had kept his promise considering you once were a gentile? For now you are in the presence of the Father! You had really longed for that, for being accepted by God the Almighty – praise to him? I did experience that. Everybody from the nations is given that privilege. So choose life.

Then, by the grace of the One God, full of ardent desire and united with your elder brothers and sisters you will be able to wait for the Messiah’s coming, announced by Isaiah (of Jesse promised fruit). May-be, before saying farewell, you will ask HIS SERVANT, your redeemer
to teach you how to pray. And he will answer:
“When you pray, pray as follows: Father, hollowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come; give us our bread needed daily; and forgive us our sins, as we ourselves will forgive to each who is deeply indebted to us; and do not lead us into temptation.” The full version of this prayer is called Kaddish which is one of the most important prayers of the Jews – for about 3500 years. Distinguishing is beauty, beauty is love. He, who forgets about Israel, forgets about love.
GOD’s love be with all of you.

Shabbat Shalom
Eric C. Martienssen (English translation by Peter Nold)

The Kaddisch is one of the most important prayers of the Jews. “Our Father” sums up the most important thoughts of the Kaddish – here, for all of us – sung by Ofra Haza:

Watch video commentary by Rabbi Richman from The Temple Institute about the Parasha beginning with the order “behold” or “see, look” what God has prepared for YOU:

Shabbat Shalom

Find a God’s Sabbath International article concerning Re’eh – Behold – here >

How is it possible that the Torah commands us something which is depending upon a person’s heard, depending upon a person’s emotion? Can God command us how to feel? The love that every Jew feels for God is part of us, is part of the essences of who we are, is very close to the surface!
Watch video commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman from The Temple Institute:

Find a second Rabbi Richman video commentary on Shabbat Eikev click >

Shabbat Shalom