Parashat Vayeilech / פרשת וילך
- Thu, 13 September 2018 = 4th of Tishrei, 5779
- ד׳ בְּתִשְׁרֵי תשע״ט
Deuteronomy 31:14-19 (6 p'sukim)
Deuteronomy 31:14-19 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
14 Then Adonai said to Moses, “Behold, your time to die is near. Call Joshua, and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, and I will commission him.” Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.
15 Adonai appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the opening of the Tent. 16 Adonai said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will abandon Me and break My covenant that I cut with them. 17 Then My anger will flare against them on that day, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them. So they will be devoured, and many evils and troubles will come on them. They will say on that day, ‘Isn’t it because our God is not among us that these evils have come on us?’ 18 I will surely hide My face on that day because of all the evil they have done, for they have turned to other gods.
19 “Now, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to Bnei-Yisrael—put it in their mouth, so that this song may be a witness for Me against Bnei-Yisrael.
14 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה הֵ֣ן קָרְב֣וּ יָמֶיךָ֮ לָמוּת֒ קְרָ֣א אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֗עַ וְהִֽתְיַצְּב֛וּ בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וַאֲצַוֶּ֑נּוּ וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ מֹשֶׁה֙ וִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
15 וַיֵּרָ֧א יְהוָ֛ה בָּאֹ֖הֶל בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֑ן וַיַּעֲמֹ֛ד עַמּ֥וּד הֶעָנָ֖ן עַל־פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹֽהֶל׃ ס
16 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְּךָ֥ שֹׁכֵ֖ב עִם־אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְקָם֩ הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה וְזָנָ֣ה׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י נֵֽכַר־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֤וּא בָא־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וַעֲזָבַ֕נִי וְהֵפֵר֙ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖תִּי אִתּֽוֹ׃
17 וְחָרָ֣ה אַפִּ֣י ב֣וֹ בַיּוֹם־הַ֠הוּא וַעֲזַבְתִּ֞ים וְהִסְתַּרְתִּ֨י פָנַ֤י מֵהֶם֙ וְהָיָ֣ה לֶֽאֱכֹ֔ל וּמְצָאֻ֛הוּ רָע֥וֹת רַבּ֖וֹת וְצָר֑וֹת וְאָמַר֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא הֲלֹ֗א עַ֣ל כִּֽי־אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהַי֙ בְּקִרְבִּ֔י מְצָא֖וּנִי הָרָע֥וֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
18 וְאָנֹכִ֗י הַסְתֵּ֨ר אַסְתִּ֤יר פָּנַי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עַ֥ל כָּל־הָרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה כִּ֣י פָנָ֔ה אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲחֵרִֽים׃
19 וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּתְב֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלַמְּדָ֥הּ אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שִׂימָ֣הּ בְּפִיהֶ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן תִּהְיֶה־לִּ֜י הַשִּׁירָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את לְעֵ֖ד בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Today's pesukim seem a bit "contradictory" in nature. Just a couple days ago in Devarim 31, earlier in the chapter, Adonai said He would never leave us or forsake us! (pesuk 8). Now here God says, in pesuk 17 that He will "abandon" us and "hide His face from us"; what!!!!
Before we "freak out". We must remember that the Bible NEVER CONTRADICTS ITSELF. So if it seems to be contradictory, it is likely because of something we are reading into it, or not considering. For example, in pesuk 16 He clearly points out that it is "WE WHO ABANDONED HIM FIRST..."
"They will abandon Me and break My covenant"
Furthermore, in context He doesn't "fully leave us". Instead He has Moshe begin writing a "Song" (Pesuk 19). We are reminded that when it feels that God has abandoned us, it is not really Him who leaves, it is always that we have rejected Him first.
Many unbelievers today question...where is God? Look at all the suffering in this world. How can there be a God, and how can He be a God of Love...look at all that is wrong in the world! Why did He allow the Holocaust to happen.
My friend, you are not looking at it correctly. Yes those things all have happened and we have indeed suffered, not because He left us - but rather we left Him first; HOWEVER, HE HAS NOT FORGOTTEN US!!! He has resurrected Israel from the ashes of the Holocaust, He has kept a remnant of His people alive and now, today Israel is a thriving nation, Hebrew language has been revived, Israel is a top techno-superpower! Her intelligence and alliance with the U.S. is by far the best in the whole middle-east, in fact it's the only real Democracy in the Middle-East! Look at all God has done, despite the fact that we turned our backs on Him. Yet, He still loves us! Indeed He's never left us!
Who are we to deserve all of this kindness. Let us read the pesukim today and tomorrow and examine the words of this "Song" to see the real reason's behind our suffering, and begin to understand and put our Hope and Trust in Adonai, the God of Israel, His Son Yeshua, our Messiah.
Amen.
Before we "freak out". We must remember that the Bible NEVER CONTRADICTS ITSELF. So if it seems to be contradictory, it is likely because of something we are reading into it, or not considering. For example, in pesuk 16 He clearly points out that it is "WE WHO ABANDONED HIM FIRST..."
"They will abandon Me and break My covenant"
Furthermore, in context He doesn't "fully leave us". Instead He has Moshe begin writing a "Song" (Pesuk 19). We are reminded that when it feels that God has abandoned us, it is not really Him who leaves, it is always that we have rejected Him first.
Many unbelievers today question...where is God? Look at all the suffering in this world. How can there be a God, and how can He be a God of Love...look at all that is wrong in the world! Why did He allow the Holocaust to happen.
My friend, you are not looking at it correctly. Yes those things all have happened and we have indeed suffered, not because He left us - but rather we left Him first; HOWEVER, HE HAS NOT FORGOTTEN US!!! He has resurrected Israel from the ashes of the Holocaust, He has kept a remnant of His people alive and now, today Israel is a thriving nation, Hebrew language has been revived, Israel is a top techno-superpower! Her intelligence and alliance with the U.S. is by far the best in the whole middle-east, in fact it's the only real Democracy in the Middle-East! Look at all God has done, despite the fact that we turned our backs on Him. Yet, He still loves us! Indeed He's never left us!
Who are we to deserve all of this kindness. Let us read the pesukim today and tomorrow and examine the words of this "Song" to see the real reason's behind our suffering, and begin to understand and put our Hope and Trust in Adonai, the God of Israel, His Son Yeshua, our Messiah.
Amen.
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