Parashat Vaetchanan / פרשת ואתחנן
- Sun, 22 July 2018 = 10th of Av, 5778
- י׳ בְּאָב תשע״ח
Tish'a B'Av / תשעה באב
Deuteronomy 3:23-4:4 (11 p'sukim)
23 “I pleaded with Adonai at that time, saying, 24 ‘O Lord Adonai, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand—for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do deeds and mighty acts like Yours? 25 Please! Let me cross over and see the good land across the Jordan—that good hill country and the Lebanon.’
26 “But Adonai was angry with me because of you, so He would not listen to me. ‘Enough!’ Adonai said to me, ‘Do not speak to Me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, look around to the west and the north and the south and the east, and see with your eyes—for you will not cross over this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over before this people, and he will enable them to inherit the land that you will see.’ 29 So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor.
Bnei-Yisrael Must Listen and Obey
4 “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land that Adonai the God of your fathers is giving you. 2 You must not add to the word that I am commanding you or take away from it—in order to keep the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am commanding you. 3 Your eyes have seen what Adonai did at Baal Peor, for Adonai your God has destroyed from among you everyone who followed Baal Peor. 4 But you who held tight to Adonai your God are alive today—all of you.
23 וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃
24 אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃
25 אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃
26 וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
27 עֲלֵ֣ה׀ רֹ֣אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֗ה וְשָׂ֥א עֵינֶ֛יךָ יָ֧מָּה וְצָפֹ֛נָה וְתֵימָ֥נָה וּמִזְרָ֖חָה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּי־לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֥ן הַזֶּֽה׃
28 וְצַ֥ו אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ כִּי־ה֣וּא יַעֲבֹ֗ר לִפְנֵי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהוּא֙ יַנְחִ֣יל אוֹתָ֔ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה׃
29 וַנֵּ֣שֶׁב בַּגָּ֔יְא מ֖וּל בֵּ֥ית פְּעֽוֹר׃ פ
4 וְעַתָּ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁמַ֤ע אֶל־הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְאֶל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָֽנֹכִ֛י מְלַמֵּ֥ד אֶתְכֶ֖ם לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לְמַ֣עַן תִּֽחְי֗וּ וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃
2 לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃
3 עֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ הָֽרֹאֹ֔ת אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה בְּבַ֣עַל פְּע֑וֹר כִּ֣י כָל־הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הָלַךְ֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י בַֽעַל־פְּע֔וֹר הִשְׁמִיד֛וֹ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃
4 וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חַיִּ֥ים כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃
A very critical pesuk in today's portion, is 4:2 of Devarim. The Hebrew is very clear:
לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙
Lo Tosfu Al Hadavar! (Do not add to the Word...)
And the pesuk also says: תִגְרְע֖וּ
Tigaru - meaning: "to diminish, restrain, withdraw, abate, keep back, do away, take from, clip"
Moshe is making a very important restriction on how the Torah should be handled. Do not add and do not take away...
Unfortunately, our sages and rabbis have interpreted this pesuk in their own way, without regarding the plain peshat meaning of the pesuk.
As Rashi says: " for instance, by inserting five sections into the tefillin [instead of four], by using five species for the [commandment of] lulav [on Succoth] instead of four], or by attaching five fringes [instead of four]. And so too, וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ nor diminish [from it i.e., three instead of four]."
Furthermore, in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), the rabbis have gone so far as to command:
Pirkei Avot 1:1 Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah.
By definition this “Oral Torah” is…A term used to denote the legal and interpretative traditions which, according to tradition, were transmitted orally from Mount Sinai, and were not written in the Torah. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the oral Torah, oral Law, or oral tradition (Hebrew: תורה שבעל פה, Torah she-be-`al peh) was given by God orally to Moses in conjunction with the written Torah (Hebrew: תורה שבכתב, Torah she-bi-khtav), after which it was passed down orally through the ages. Later to be codified and written in the Talmud. (Wikipedia, 2010)
The first attempt at putting up a fence around one of God’s commandments was actually committed by the first man who ever lived. So this activity of spiritual fence building actually goes all the way back to the beginning of creation…
Gen 2: 16 ADONAI, God, gave the person this order: “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden 17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You are not to eat from it, because on the day that you eat from it, it will become certain that you will die.”
Adam told this to Eve but to be sure that she followed the order he added 'neither shall ye touch it'. In adding this he was building a fence around the commandment to safeguard her from transgressing.
Adam’s intentions were surely genuine at protecting himself and Eve from violating the commandment. By adding to God’s command it is conceived that perhaps this will be a safeguard for us…
According to Israelstam…“Why does the Torah need a fence around it? J. Israelstam explains that, "The Torah is conceived as a garden and its precepts as precious plants. Such a garden is fenced round for the purpose of obviating willful or even unintended damage. Likewise, the precepts of the Torah were to be 'fenced' round with additional inhibitions that should have the effect of preserving the original commandments from trespass." (Gruber, Israelstam, Levine)
So we see that the original intention was to protect people from breaking the Torah by adding commandments to it that God did not impose or restrict upon us. But is that the only reason or purpose for adding a fence to the Torah? What do you think?
Gruber goes on to say…“This is the common understanding of how the Oral Law serves as a fence around the Torah, but there is a serious problem with it. The Rabbis were not seeking to "preserve the original commandments from trespass." Had they done that, they and their laws would have been left without any authority. After all, the original commandments did not authorize the Rabbis to build a fence or do anything else. There was a radical and irreconcilable conflict between the Torah and the Rabbis as to the basis and structure of authority, as well as its source and administration. That is why the Rabbis gave themselves the right to alter, revise, trespass, and uproot the original commandments. Nevertheless, there is a sense in which the Oral Law really is a fence around the Torah, a fence that serves a different purpose.” (Gruber, Israelstam, Levine)
According to the Talmud in Tractate Baba Metzia 33a…
“The Talmud says the Rabbis gave complete authority to themselves.4 To obscure that fact, they built a fence around Torah. The fence both obscures Torah and keeps the people from Torah. "Our Rabbis taught: They who occupy themselves with the Bible are but of indifferent merit; with Mishnah, are indeed meritorious, and are rewarded for it; with Gemara — there can be nothing more meritorious; yet run always to the Mishnah more than to the Gemara."5 Studying the Bible was said to be of no great importance. Studying the rabbinic writings brought great reward. Israel was told to trust in the Rabbis.” (Gruber, Israelstam, Levine)
We clearly see here how Rabbinic Judaism has positioned itself in it’s own authority. Therefore, what was originally meant as a means of protecting people from transgressing the Torah, and the opposite of protecting the Torah from the transgressions of people, it had evolved into a convenient system of control and power over the lives of all Jews by a minority of those who saw themselves as shepherds, but only fed themselves…
Etan Levine, in the The Aramaic Version of the Bible comments…“The goal was to fence the people off from the Torah and from all other influences that would have competed with rabbinic interpretation and authority.12 In the system which was erected, no one else had the right to interpret Torah. Not the am ha'aretz, nor the priests, nor the prophets, nor the Sadducees, the Qumran Covenanters, the Talmidei Yeshua, nor anyone else. Not even God.
This was the continuing theme of the rabbinic writings. "The apologetic function of the midrash is not only to denigrate the translation of Scripture, but to establish the exclusive authority of the Pharisaic tradition as the legitimate recipient and interpretation of divine revelation."13 Only the Rabbis could give the authorized interpretation. Who said so? They themselves. As a fence, the Oral Law is a means to assert and entrench rabbinic hegemony. Without it, nothing needs rabbinic approval. With it, everything does.” (Gruber, Israelstam, Levine)
This has serious ramifications for us today friends. The Judaism we see today has evolved from the Pharisaic tradition. This power and control of the Orthodox over the rest of Judaism continues to be a struggle.
As Messianic believers, we must guard our hearts and minds from the seduction and lure of a man-made religious system that often times by-passes the true AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES. Tanakh and Brit Chadasha are the AUTHORITY for us, NOT the traditions of the rabbis!
Some traditions are good and that is fine, but when they contradict the Torah and the Scriptures, that is were we Messianic Jewish believers draw the line.
Matthew 23:23 Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying, “The Torah scholars and Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. 3 So whatever they tell you, do and observe. But don’t do what they do; for what they say, they do not do. 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their works they do to be noticed by men. They make their tefillin wide and their tzitziyot long. 6 They love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called rabbi by men.
Our relationship to the Torah is vastly different that of Orthodox Rabbinic Judaism. Our approach to the Mitzvot are interpreted through the words and actions of our Messiah, Yeshua of Nazereth; who taught us:
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Torah scholars, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven!
Again, Moshe ordered us, DO NOT ADD TO THE TORAH, AND DO NOT SUBTRACT FROM IT.
What part of this do we not understand?
Revelation 22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.
20 The One giving testimony to these things says, “Yes! I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua! 21 May the grace of the Lord Yeshua be with all!
Shavuah Tov, and have an EASY FAST TODAY.
R' Eric
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