Parashat Re'eh / פרשת ראה
- Wed, 8 August 2018 = 27th of Av, 5778
- כ״ז בְּאָב תשע״ח
בָּנִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם לַֽיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם לֹ֣א תִתְגֹּֽדְד֗וּ וְלֹֽא־תָשִׂ֧ימוּ קָרְחָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין עֵינֵיכֶ֖ם לָמֵֽת׃
כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וּבְךָ֞ בָּחַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה לִֽהְי֥וֹת לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם סְגֻלָּ֔ה מִכֹּל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
“You are the children of Adonai your God. You are not to cut yourselves or shave your forehead for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to Adonai your God—from all the peoples on the face of the earth, Adonai has chosen you to be His treasured people.
Ba'nim Atem L'Adonai Elohechem... (you are the children of Adonai your God)
Am Segulah - (Treasured People)...
Delitzsch says of this, "Moses introduces the laws which follow with the words, “ye are children to the Lord your God.” The divine sonship of Israel was founded upon its election and calling as the holy nation of Adonai, which is regarded in the Tanakh (O.T.) not as generation by the Spirit of God, but simply as an adoption springing out of the free love of God, as the manifestation of paternal love on the part of Adonai to Israel, which binds the son to obedience, reverence, and childlike trust towards a Creator and Father, who would train it up into a holy people."
And Gill describes it this way: "Set apart by him from all other people, and devoted to his worship and service, and many of them were sanctified and made holy in a special and spiritual sense; and therefore should not conform to the customs of Gentiles, whether in their extravagant mourning for the dead, or in their religious services; see Deuteronomy 7:6, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people, above all the nations that are upon the earth; to be his peculiar treasure, to be his peculiar servants and worshippers, to enjoy peculiar blessings and privileges, and behave in a peculiar manner different from all other people; and have no connection with them, especially in things sacred; and, in order to keep them a distinct peculiar people from all others, a peculiar diet was appointed them, that so being prohibited to eat such things as others did, they might be kept out of their company and conversation, and so from being drawn into their idolatrous practices; the rules concerning which follow."
I have noticed from time to time, when speaking with non-Jewish believers, either in a group or with individuals, that they do not really like to acknowledge that the Jews are "above all other nations upon the face of the earth...". It almost sound too "prideful". And often we, Jewish believers will say to everyone...well we are "just like" everyone else, in our attempt to maintain a humble disposition in the eyes of Gentiles who outnumber us.
But, are we really, completely "LIKE" all the other nations? No, we are NOT, and we should not be embarrassed by this description of who we are and how God describes us in these pesukim!
The "Aleinu" prayer is a liturgical prayer recited everyday and on Shabbat, reminds us of this true fact about who we are as Jewish believers, and those from among the nations who've been grafted into the Olive Tree:
עָלֵינוּ לְשַׁבֵּחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל, לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית, שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂנוּ כְּגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת, וְלֹא שָׂמָנוּ כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה. שֶׁלֹּא שָׂם חֶלְקֵנוּ כָּהֶם, וגוֹרָלֵנוּ כְּכָל-הֲמוֹנָם
"It is our duty to praise the Lord of all things, to ascribe greatness to him who formed the world in the beginning, since he hath not made us like the nations of other lands, and hath not placed us like other families of the earth, since he hath not assigned unto us a portion as unto them, nor a lot as unto all their multitude."
Also, the Kiddush on the Eve of Rosh Hashanah repeats this very same theme:
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from all the peoples, sanctifying us with Your commandments. In Your love, Adonai our God, You have given us this Day of Remembrance, to hear the sound of the Shofar, to unite in worship, and to recall the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us from all the peoples, consecrating us to Your service, and Your word is truth eternal. Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of all the world, who sanctifies the House of Israel and the Day of Remembrance.
We must remember and be reminded "WHO WE ARE". We are the FAVORED CHILDREN OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD WHO CHOSE US"! There is no shame in admitting this...
John 15:16 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I selected you so that you would go and produce fruit, and your fruit would remain. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Jewish and non-Jewish believers who have been Born Again are "grafted" into Israel through whom came the Messiah to redeem us, and purify us and make us "Kedoshim" Holy Ones.
Many are called....few are chosen! (Matt 22:14)
Amen.
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