Parashat Eikev / פרשת עקב
- Wed, 1 August 2018 = 20th of Av, 5778
- כ׳ בְּאָב תשע״ח
Deuteronomy 10:1-11 (11 p'sukim)
Deuteronomy 10:1-11 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Two New Tablets
10 “At that time Adonai said to me, ‘Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones and come up to Me on the mountain. Make yourself an ark of wood. 2 I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you smashed, and you are to put them in the ark.’
3 “So I made an ark of acacia wood, cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and went up the mountain with the two tablets in my hand. 4 Like the first inscription, Adonai wrote on the tablets the Ten Words He had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly, then gave them to me. 5 Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made—and there they are, just as Adonai commanded me.
6 “(Bnei-Yisrael traveled from the wells of the sons of Jaakan to Moserah—there Aaron died and was buried, and his son Eleazar served as kohen in his place. 7 From there they journeyed to Gudgod, and from Gudgod to Jotbah—a land of wadis flowing with water. 8 At that time Adonai set the tribe of Levi apart to carry the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai, to stand before Adonai to serve Him and to pronounce blessings in His Name—as is the case to this day. 9 Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers—Adonai is his inheritance, just as Adonai your God had promised about him.)
10 “I stayed on the mountain like the first time—40 days and 40 nights. Adonai listened to me that time also and was not willing to destroy you. 11 Adonai said to me, ‘Rise up, go, journey ahead of the people so that they may go in and possess the land that I swore to their fathers to give to them.’
10 בָּעֵ֨ת הַהִ֜וא אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֣ה אֵלַ֗י פְּסָל־לְךָ֞ שְׁנֵֽי־לוּחֹ֤ת אֲבָנִים֙ כָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים וַעֲלֵ֥ה אֵלַ֖י הָהָ֑רָה וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ אֲר֥וֹן עֵֽץ׃
2 וְאֶכְתֹּב֙ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֛וּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֥ת הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר שִׁבַּ֑רְתָּ וְשַׂמְתָּ֖ם בָּאָרֽוֹן׃
3 וָאַ֤עַשׂ אֲרוֹן֙ עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֔ים וָאֶפְסֹ֛ל שְׁנֵי־לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִ֖ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וָאַ֣עַל הָהָ֔רָה וּשְׁנֵ֥י הַלֻּחֹ֖ת בְּיָדִֽי׃
4 וַיִּכְתֹּ֨ב עַֽל־הַלֻּחֹ֜ת כַּמִּכְתָּ֣ב הָרִאשׁ֗וֹן אֵ֚ת עֲשֶׂ֣רֶת הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֲלֵיכֶ֥ם בָּהָ֛ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵ֖שׁ בְּי֣וֹם הַקָּהָ֑ל וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָֽי׃
5 וָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וָֽאָשִׂם֙ אֶת־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת בָּאָר֖וֹן אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתִי וַיִּ֣הְיוּ שָׁ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוַּ֖נִי יְהוָֽה׃
6 וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נָֽסְע֛וּ מִבְּאֵרֹ֥ת בְּנֵי־יַעֲקָ֖ן מוֹסֵרָ֑ה שָׁ֣ם מֵ֤ת אַהֲרֹן֙ וַיִּקָּבֵ֣ר שָׁ֔ם וַיְכַהֵ֛ן אֶלְעָזָ֥ר בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
7 מִשָּׁ֥ם נָסְע֖וּ הַגֻּדְגֹּ֑דָה וּמִן־הַגֻּדְגֹּ֣דָה יָטְבָ֔תָה אֶ֖רֶץ נַֽחֲלֵי מָֽיִם׃
8 בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗וא הִבְדִּ֤יל יְהוָה֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣בֶט הַלֵּוִ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־אֲר֣וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֑ה לַעֲמֹד֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהוָ֤ה לְשָֽׁרְתוֹ֙ וּלְבָרֵ֣ךְ בִּשְׁמ֔וֹ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
9 עַל־כֵּ֞ן לֹֽא־הָיָ֧ה לְלֵוִ֛י חֵ֥לֶק וְנַחֲלָ֖ה עִם־אֶחָ֑יו יְהוָה֙ ה֣וּא נַחֲלָת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לֽוֹ׃
10 וְאָנֹכִ֞י עָמַ֣דְתִּי בָהָ֗ר כַּיָּמִים֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע יְהוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י גַּ֚ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַהִ֔וא לֹא־אָבָ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה הַשְׁחִיתֶֽךָ׃
11 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י ק֛וּם לֵ֥ךְ לְמַסַּ֖ע לִפְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וְיָבֹ֙אוּ֙ וְיִֽרְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי לַאֲבֹתָ֖ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶֽם׃ פ
Today, we continue with Moshe's recount of the events of his reception of the Torah, namely, the Ten Words written in stone. In the first and second Pesuk, we see Adonai ordering him to make yet a second copy of the first one in which Moshe had thrown and smashed upon witnessing the idolatry of the nation at his return after 40 days and nights. Why did Adonai command a "Second Copy" be made, and put into the Ark?
The 18th Century Hebraist, and scholar, Rev. John Gill says of these pesukim, "Though they were hewn by Moses, the writing on them was the Lord's; and the very same laws, in the same words, without any alteration or variation, were written by him on these as on the former; partly to show the authenticity of them, that they were of God and not Moses, of a divine original and not human; and partly to show the invariableness of them, that no change had been made in them, though they had been broken by the people; of which Moses's breaking the tables was a representation:
and thou shall put them in the ark; which being a type of Messiah may signify the fulfilment of the law by him, who is the end, the fulfilling end of the law for righteousness to every believer; and that as this was in his heart to fulfil it, so it is in his hand as a rule of faith and conversation to his people."
The "breaking" of the tablets by Moshe was more symbolic than it was out of his anger or frustration. Scarcely had the proverbial "ink dried" on the tablets had the Covenant already been "Broken", not by Moshe, but rather by the people of Israel. There is no real better description of how the Torah Covenant not only needed to be replaced with a "Second Tablet", but indeed spiritually there was need for an even "Better Covenant" that would not be dependent on our Tzedakah, but rather on Hashem's!
Jeremiah 31:30 (31) “Behold, days are coming”
—it is a declaration of Adonai—
“when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah—
הִנֵּ֛ה יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְכָרַתִּ֗י אֶת־בֵּ֧ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאֶת־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּרִ֥ית חֲדָשָֽׁה׃
31 (32) not like the covenant
I made with their fathers
in the day I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they broke My covenant,
though I was a husband to them.”
it is a declaration of Adonai.
32 (33) “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”
—it is a declaration of Adonai—
“I will put My Torah within them.
Yes, I will write it on their heart.
I will be their God
and they will be My people.
33 (34) No longer will each teach his neighbor
or each his brother, saying: ‘Know Adonai,’
for they will all know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest.”
it is a declaration of Adonai.
“For I will forgive their iniquity,
their sin I will remember no more.”
This Brit Chadasha (New Covenant) is not based on our ability to be "perfect". The Torah was broken only moments after it was given to Moshe. There was indeed a need for something Better. Something that would circumcise our hearts and change us from inside ourselves. Something that would put the righteous commandments of the Torah, into our hearts and replace our Yetzer Hara, (Evil Inclination), and make us righteous by something outside of ourselves. The Torah itself was "powerless" to do this, however that is what the New Covenant was designed to be!
Hebrews 7:19 ...for Torah made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 Moreover, it was not without a sworn oath. (Others indeed have become kohanim without a sworn oath, 21 but He with an oath—sworn by the One who said to Him, “Adonai has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a kohen forever.’” 22 How much more then has Yeshua become the guarantee of a better covenant.
It is Yeshua's righteousness that is extended to us when we put our trust and hope and faith in the Ben Elohim; and we are Born Again into this New Hope - this New Covenant!
NOTE: The New Covenant does NOT invalidate or negate the Older Covenant. In fact it's purpose is to change our Nature into that of the Nature of the Torah. So in NO WAY does the New Covenant stand opposed to the Mosaic Covenant.
However, it is something "New". It is different in that it goes beyond what the Torah was purposed to do. The main purpose of Torah is to teach us what Righteousness is and also to show us - WE ARE NOT RIGHTEOUS.
But by itself, it cannot make us Righteous. That is why we need the Brit Chadasha. It is only "Better" in that it can do what the Torah could not - Simply and Namely - TO CHANGE OUR EVIL INCLINATION.
May we all be born again, we and all our children!
Amen
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