What is the sign that the Jewish people have kept the commandments?

When you come

Deuteronomy 28:7 – 29:1 (28:69 Heb.)

All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

(Deut. 28:45-48 NIV)

What is the sign that the Jewish people have kept the commandments?

In the middle of a long chapter that speaks of the different curses that come upon the Jewish people in case they disobey the commandments, we see some sparks of light and hope. If we take a close look at these verses we see that they are a promise that a part of the Jewish people will never stop keeping the commandments.

If every single one had gone astray and disobeyed the commandments, all would have been destroyed, as it's written: "you will be destroyed". The Hebrew text uses here the same word that it uses when talking about the destruction of ancient peoples that don't exist anymore (Deut 2:12, 21-23) and promises that the Jewish people will be destroyed in case of not listening to the Eternal's voice, not keeping His commandments and statutes.

Then it continues saying that these curses will be a sign and wonder to Israel's descendants forever. How is it possible that the Torah may speak of destruction of the people and at the same time of descendance for ever? Isn't this contradictory? If the people are destroyed there wouldn't be any descendants nor would they exist forever.

The large majority of the twelve tribes have been disobedient and that's the reason they don't exist as tribes anymore; they have been exterminated and mixed among all the nations of the earth.

Before the destruction of the temple there were about the same amount of Jews and Chinese in the world. Nowadays, there are less than 15 million Jews and more than 1300 million Chinese in the world. This is clear evidence that many curses have befall upon the Jews due to their disobedience.

However, at the same time there have been enough Jews faithful to the commandments so the Jewish people haven't been destroyed completely. The fact that the Jewish people haven't been fully destroyed shows that there is a remnant faithful to the Eternal and His Torah. The curse of destruction has not been totally fulfilled and it will never be because there are great enough promises that say that the Jewish people will go on forever. This is because of that faithful remnant. Hadn't it been for that remnant the people would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.

This text also teaches us that if we don't serve the Eternal with joy and a glad heart, we will have lack in everything and a yoke of iron will be placed on us.

This leads us to question whether we are really showing gratefulness when we have abundance of everything. Or do we complain about what we do not have? If we complain about the food, clothes, and other things that the Eternal gives us, we will lose what we have. When we are lacking things, could it be because we have not learned this lesson? Do we pray the birkat hamazon (blessing for the food) with joy and a glad heart or do we leave the table without giving thanks?

The yoke of iron means dark thoughts and worries. The yoke can also mean spiritual oppression and psychological depression. One way of winning victory over this oppression is by praising the Eternal with joy. If you are tempted to be depressed, you ought to dance before the Eternal and sing with a loud voice so that the oppression doesn't come over you. If you are already depressed you can use the same method to come out of it in victory.

Serve the Eternal with joy.

What is the result of fulfilling the commandments with all our hearts?

Ki Tavoh 50-3

When you come

Deuteronomy 26:16-19

The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.

(Deut. 26:16-19 NIV)

What is the result of fulfilling the commandments with all our hearts?

Again the Torah insists on the importance of keeping all the commandments given by the Eternal. However, the Eternal doesn't want the people simply to keep the commandments but to do it with all their heart and soul.

The expression "with all your heat and all your soul" also appears in Deuteronomy 6:5 where it is written: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." In Deuteronomy 10:12b it's written: "...to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul," (NKJV), and in Deuteronomy 30:2b it's written: "and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today," (NIV), and in Deuteronomy 30:10b it's written: "turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." (NKJV)

If we put together all these verses we see that the Eternal is not pleased with mediocrity. If we don't love Him, serve Him and obey Him with all our heart and soul, we won't be pleasing to Him, as it's written in Revelation 3:15-16: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.'” (NKJV)

Today's text shows that when the people of the covenant surrender with all their heart and soul, they will be taken and kept as a special treasure of the Eternal. Besides, they will be lifted up over all the other nations of the earth. They will be praised, renowned and honoured by all the other peoples and will also be consecrated to the Eternal their Elokim. The result of a totally surrendered entire people is extremely powerful, not only in heavens but also in the whole world.

If this is true at a national level, it is also true at a personal level, but in a smaller scale. The one whose heart burns in love to the Eternal, with an obedient soul to carry out all that the Eternal's Torah commands, with fine tuned ears to listen to what the Eternal's Spirit says will be taken and kept as a special treasure for the Eternal. Besides, he will be lifted up over other people and also praised, renowned and honoured by many. Besides, he will be consecrated to the Eternal in a special way.

Do you want to be loved, taken into account and lifted up by the Eternal, even if not by men? Then, keep His commandments with all your heart and all your soul.

May the Eternal pour of His Spirit upon us so that our hearts are always burning for Him, always obedient to His commandments.

Kol tuv,

Why emphasise justice so much?

Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

(Deut. 16:20 JPS)

Why emphasise justice so much?

The people had to name judges and policemen in every city to keep the society in order. Justice is the basis of coexistence. The Torah repeats the word justice – tzedek, צדק – twice at the beginning to focus on the importance of establishing and keeping justice within society. A society without justice is destined to collapse.

The repetition of the word justice is also understood as a claim that justice can only be achieved through righteous means. Justice is achieved through justice, not through unfairness. In other words, the Torah is against the Jesuit idea that says: "The end justifies the means". The Torah forbids that a state based on the rule of law uses unfair means to establish and keep justice.

Besides, the repetition of the word can be understood as two different meanings of tzedek. As we've seen before, the word tzedakah – the feminine form of tzedek – also means to help the needy. In this way there is also an aspect of mercy within justice. This corresponds to two emanations of the Eternal; justice and mercy, truth and grace. Justice as righteousness is the main part but it needs mercy to maintain the society. A society that only uses rigid justice becomes cruel and mean. A society that only recurs to mercy and love becomes loose and corrupt. Both aspects are necessary to achieve balance within society.

The written Torah many times establishes the use if rigid justice, the use of penalty of death for those who break the law. That's why it's important to have the oral torah as well, which explains how mercy can also be applied to the sinner without executing the full weight of the Law.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV)

“...the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” (Matt. 23:23b NIV)

Let's seek justice at all times and let's seek also mercy so that we can live and have peace in our lands.

Shavua tov,

Ketriel