This weeks Shabbat is known as Shabbat Nachamu based on the weeks Haftarah reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Haftarah follows the weekly Torah reading Vaetchanan in synagogues around the world.
It begins seven weeks of prophetic readings of consolation (Sheva DNechamata); starting after Tisha BAv (the Jewish peoples national day of mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem the Beit HaMikdash on the Temple Mount and their exile from the land) till Rosh HaShanah (the Hebrew calendar New Year).
The prophet Isaiah opens with Comfort comfort my people says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her time of exile has ended..." (Isaiah 40:1-2).
Vaetchanan itself follows last weeks Torah reading Devarim/Deuteronomy where Moses began his five week long sermon to the Jewish people before his death. In it he summarized the forty year desert experience reminding the younger generation about to enter the Land of Israel of the failed mission of the spies. And why God punished their parents generation (for lack of faith in Him and His promise to give them Israel) (Deuteronomy 1:19-46).
In this weeks reading Vaetchanan we find nineteen references to the Land of Israel. They include entering inheriting (a euphemism for conquering) possessing and living in the Promised Israel or as the Torah calls it several times HaAretz HaTova (the good land).
Proving the centrality of the Land of Israel to Judaism and probably the most references to the land of any parsha in the Torah.
Moses begs God let me go over and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan that goodly mountain (the Temple Mount in Jerusalem Rashi) and the Lebanon (the Holy Temple Rashi) (Deuteronomy 3:25).
But God answers no ...you shall command Joshua and encourage and strengthen him for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land..." (Deuteronomy 3:28).
Then Moses tells Israel ...hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord the God of your forefathers is giving you" (Deuteronomy 4:1).
Moses continues See I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession (Deuteronomy 4:5).
...the decrees and laws that you shall perform in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to inherit" (Deuteronomy 4:14).
Then Moses returns to why he wont lead them The Lord was angry with me because of you and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land" (Deuteronomy 4:21-22).
Moses then warns against sinning and its consequences ...and have lived long in the land if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol...that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess." (Deuteronomy 4:25-26).
Then Moses tells the Jews Because He loved your forefathers and chose their descendants you after them he brought you out of Egypt… He will drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance..." (Deuteronomy 4:37-38).
He again warns Keep His decrees and commandments which I am giving you today...that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God gives to you for all time" (Deuteronomy 4:40).
God then tells Moses ...all the commands decrees and laws that you shall teach them to do in the land I am giving them to possess."
And Moses tells Israel Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left...so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess" (Deuteronomy 5:28-30).
Moses reminds them again These are the commands decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess so that you your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live..."
Listen Israel and be careful to perform the commandments so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey just as the Lord the God of your forefathers promised you…When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give you..." (Deuteronomy 6:1-10).
Moses then tells them Do what is right and good in the Lords sight so that it will be good for you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised to your forefathers driving out all your enemies before you as the Lord said..."
And in the future when your son asks you What is the meaning of the testimonies decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you? Tell him We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders great and terrible on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on to our ancestors" (Deuteronomy 6:18-23).
Moses concludes When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations the Hittites Girgashites Amorites Canaanites Perizzites Hivites and Jebusites seven nations larger and stronger than you and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them then you must destroy them totally."
Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy" (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).
Earlier God had told Moses to warn Israel But if you Israel do not drive out the inhabitants of the land those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live" (Numbers 33:55).
Sounds a lot like today!
So thirty nine years earlier the spies destroyed the Jewish peoples enthusiasm to enter the Land of Israel. Then Moses describes Gods promise to bring them into the land the conditions to successfully live there i.e. keep His Torah and Mitzvot; conquer the land and drive out the evil inhabitants. Moses then warns that sinning will bring exile and finally the prophet Isaiah promises consolation will come. He descibes the time the exile will end and the Jewish peoples return to the land will begin.
This past week a plane load of 242 North American Olim (new immigrants) arrived in Israel. The Aliyah flight was chartered by Nefesh BNefesh in cooperation with Israels Aliyah & Absorption Ministry The Jewish Agency for Israel Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) and Jewish National Fund-USA.
The new Olim are from 22 US states and two Canadian provinces. They include 21 medical professionals three sets of twins and a 28-day-old baby who will officially become the youngest Oleh to make Aliyah with Nefesh BNefesh this summer.
We today are living those prophecies of return to Israel...
Ariel Natan Pasko an independent analyst and consultant has a Masters Degree specializing in International Relations Political Economy & Policy Analysis. His articles appear regularly on numerous news/views and think-tank websites and in newspapers. His latest articles can also be read on his archive: The Think Tank by Ariel Natan Pasko.
(c) 2019/5779 Pasko
This weeks Shabbat is known as Shabbat Nachamu based on the weeks Haftarah reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Haftarah follows the weekly Torah reading Vaetchanan in synagogues around the world.
It begins seven weeks of prophetic readings of consolation (Sheva DNechamata); starting after Tisha BAv (the Jewish peoples national day of mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem the Beit HaMikdash on the Temple Mount and their exile from the land) till Rosh HaShanah (the Hebrew calendar New Year).
The prophet Isaiah opens with Comfort comfort my people says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her time of exile has ended..." (Isaiah 40:1-2).
Vaetchanan itself follows last weeks Torah reading Devarim/Deuteronomy where Moses began his five week long sermon to the Jewish people before his death. In it he summarized the forty year desert experience reminding the younger generation about to enter the Land of Israel of the failed mission of the spies. And why God punished their parents generation (for lack of faith in Him and His promise to give them Israel) (Deuteronomy 1:19-46).
In this weeks reading Vaetchanan we find nineteen references to the Land of Israel. They include entering inheriting (a euphemism for conquering) possessing and living in the Promised Israel or as the Torah calls it several times HaAretz HaTova (the good land).
Proving the centrality of the Land of Israel to Judaism and probably the most references to the land of any parsha in the Torah.
Moses begs God let me go over and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan that goodly mountain (the Temple Mount in Jerusalem Rashi) and the Lebanon (the Holy Temple Rashi) (Deuteronomy 3:25).
But God answers no ...you shall command Joshua and encourage and strengthen him for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land..." (Deuteronomy 3:28).
Then Moses tells Israel ...hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord the God of your forefathers is giving you" (Deuteronomy 4:1).
Moses continues See I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession (Deuteronomy 4:5).
...the decrees and laws that you shall perform in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to inherit" (Deuteronomy 4:14).
Then Moses returns to why he wont lead them The Lord was angry with me because of you and he solemnly swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your inheritance. I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land" (Deuteronomy 4:21-22).
Moses then warns against sinning and its consequences ...and have lived long in the land if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol...that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess." (Deuteronomy 4:25-26).
Then Moses tells the Jews Because He loved your forefathers and chose their descendants you after them he brought you out of Egypt… He will drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance..." (Deuteronomy 4:37-38).
He again warns Keep His decrees and commandments which I am giving you today...that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God gives to you for all time" (Deuteronomy 4:40).
God then tells Moses ...all the commands decrees and laws that you shall teach them to do in the land I am giving them to possess."
And Moses tells Israel Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left...so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess" (Deuteronomy 5:28-30).
Moses reminds them again These are the commands decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess so that you your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live..."
Listen Israel and be careful to perform the commandments so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey just as the Lord the God of your forefathers promised you…When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give you..." (Deuteronomy 6:1-10).
Moses then tells them Do what is right and good in the Lords sight so that it will be good for you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised to your forefathers driving out all your enemies before you as the Lord said..."
And in the future when your son asks you What is the meaning of the testimonies decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you? Tell him We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders great and terrible on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on to our ancestors" (Deuteronomy 6:18-23).
Moses concludes When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations the Hittites Girgashites Amorites Canaanites Perizzites Hivites and Jebusites seven nations larger and stronger than you and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them then you must destroy them totally."
Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy" (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).
Earlier God had told Moses to warn Israel But if you Israel do not drive out the inhabitants of the land those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live" (Numbers 33:55).
Sounds a lot like today!
So thirty nine years earlier the spies destroyed the Jewish peoples enthusiasm to enter the Land of Israel. Then Moses describes Gods promise to bring them into the land the conditions to successfully live there i.e. keep His Torah and Mitzvot; conquer the land and drive out the evil inhabitants. Moses then warns that sinning will bring exile and finally the prophet Isaiah promises consolation will come. He descibes the time the exile will end and the Jewish peoples return to the land will begin.
This past week a plane load of 242 North American Olim (new immigrants) arrived in Israel. The Aliyah flight was chartered by Nefesh BNefesh in cooperation with Israels Aliyah & Absorption Ministry The Jewish Agency for Israel Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (KKL) and Jewish National Fund-USA.
The new Olim are from 22 US states and two Canadian provinces. They include 21 medical professionals three sets of twins and a 28-day-old baby who will officially become the youngest Oleh to make Aliyah with Nefesh BNefesh this summer.
We today are living those prophecies of return to Israel...
Ariel Natan Pasko an independent analyst and consultant has a Masters Degree specializing in International Relations Political Economy & Policy Analysis. His articles appear regularly on numerous news/views and think-tank websites and in newspapers. His latest articles can also be read on his archive: The Think Tank by Ariel Natan Pasko.
(c) 2019/5779 Pasko