Standing Strong |
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Ki Tavo— When You Enter In
Deuteronomy 26:1- 29:8 Isaiah 60:1- 22 Luke 21:1- 4 I John 1:1- 2:16 |
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Isaiah 11:6 2 Thessalonians 2:15 |
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It has been forty years now since leaving Egypt and the people are ready to enter the land of promise. G-d was ready for them a full generation earlier but the people were not ready. The only people left from that generation that refused to trust G-d and enter the land when first commanded are Caleb, Joshua, and Moses ( and Moses is going to die soon and not be among those who enter). During those 40 years the people have had to rely on G-d for everything. They did not grow any produce, they did not set up places to raise their herds and improve the grounds to guarantee that there would be enough feed. They did not have raw materials to even produce fabric in order to make clothes or shoes. During this time G-d took care of it all in such a way that man's dependence upon Him was more obvious than before and the people are now ready to enter into the land of promise and conquer it from those who are living there already. It is at this point that G-d declares to them that day, Deut 26: 16-19, that they are a special people.
Only now will they grow crops and harvest what they have planted. This week’s Parasha establishes first fruits offerings from the produce of the new land to G-d. While the gathering of fruit and grain requires many months of work prior to the gathering, the focus is not on what we have “earned” but on the gift of the L-rd that this is allowed to happen at all. While we tend to be short sighted and forget G-d was in every step of our produce, these people had just had 40 years of the lesson of relying on G-d for everything and seeing Him at work in all that sustained them.
This portion further states to give the tithe of the third year to the Levite, the stranger in your midst, the orphan, and the widow, so that they may eat. Imagine what the world would be like if 1/10 of everyone’s gain was laid aside even once to go to those who meet this description. We would surely stand out as a holy and separate people. Those without knowledge of the L-rd would be provoked to jealousy over who those who are less fortunate being cared for.
What strikes me the most about this portion is the blessing and the cursing from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. The reading about the curses are stated from verse 27:14-26 and the people all respond “Amen” to each curse. They are hearing what the penalty is for behaving in the ways that are displeasing to the L-rd and fully acknowledge the penalty for such behavior. There is no way any of those there that day can say, “But I didn’t know that was the penalty for my behavior.”
G-d has His people, both Jew and Gentile (or as stated, the foreigner/stranger in your midst) acknowledge the manner of behavior G-d commands and the penalty for disobedience. The aforementioned curses very specific behaviors that must be so abhorrent to G-d that He requires an Amen to each one mentioned. Read this section and reflect on what is being said to each of us. This is followed in 28: 1-14 by the blessings. After each blessing there is not the acknowledgement of an Amen from his people. These are blessings from G-d without a need for confirmation or acknowledgement.
Then we get the general curses for not obeying all the commandments and statutes put forward that day. When one looks at the book of Job we see that he had many of these things happen to him. Is it any wonder that his friends thought he had done something sinful to bring his condition upon himself? This makes the book of Job all the more poignant in that it shows us very clearly that we must not judge our fellow man regardless of how obvious the situation might appear to us.
An item that came to my awareness from the section of general curses is verse 28:43. The words Ha Ger, is translated as alien or stranger. Even the Chumash translates this occurrence as alien or stranger. At other times the words are translated as proselyte. This is important. Many people try to say that the laws are only for the Jewish people and gentiles are not bound by the Mosaic Law. They use the translation proselyte for Ha Ger to make it pertain only to those undergoing conversion. But in this verse, "proselyte" makes no sense, and all sources of translation agree that the word is Alien or Stranger.
Thus, this translation must also apply for the times it was translated as proselyte. The people who left Egypt were a mixed multitude. Caleb was a Kennizite, a gentile. Ruth was a Moabite. The list goes on and on, but each one of these people recognized that the commandments of G-d applied to Jew and non-Jew alike.
A consistent translation clearly shows that non-Jews who live amongst Jews, or say they are grafted in, must be under the same blessings and cursings.
Now revisit this section with that in mind.
Selah. |