Blessings-and-Curses
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Please do NOT visit this site on שַׁבָּת - Shabbat or on the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts!
Re Tanakh versions:
Throughout
this site I may use any of three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF), three brilliant versions, However, the
JPS-1917 is my preferred version!
Colour coded
details of our beloved TaNaKh:
1. Torah =
History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.
*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical
books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or
Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of
Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history
of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.
Please Note: Some alterations
or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God), having been corrected like it once was pre
the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
On difficult days,
always focus on אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim,
בָּרוּךְ
שֵׁם
קָדוֹשׁוֹ - ‘Baruch Shem Kadosho’
- ‘Blessed be His Holy Name’,
and the promises He, gave in our beloved Tanakh.
Isaiah 40:29:
נֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף, כֹּחַ; וּלְאֵין אוֹנִים, עָצְמָה יַרְבֶּה
“He giveth power to the faint; and to him that
hath no might He increaseth strength”.
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Blessings and Curses:
Let us turn to Davarim
chapter 11:26-28. (JPS-1917
version). First in Hebrew, then in English.
רְאֵה, אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם-הַיּוֹם: בְּרָכָה, וּקְלָלָה
אֶת-הַבְּרָכָה-אֲשֶׁר
תִּשְׁמְעוּ,
אֶל-מִצְוֺת
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם,
אֲשֶׁר
אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה
אֶתְכֶם,
הַיּוֹם
וְהַקְּלָלָה,
אִם-לֹא
תִשְׁמְעוּ
אֶל-מִצְוֺת
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם,
וְסַרְתֶּם
מִן-הַדֶּרֶךְ
“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if ye shall hearken unto the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloheichem, which I command you this day; and the curse, if ye shall not hearken unto the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloheichem, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day”.
With these wise words above is how
the Torah portion of Re’eh commences. Yet, Moses is still
addressing the Children of Israel as they were gathered east of
the
But Moses Continues:
Moses informs our people that they can receive either tremendous “blessings” if they adhere to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s commandments or “curses” if they do not.
What exactly is the “turning away” that leads to those who will “follow other deities”?
How can it be that a Hebrew would not only just sin, but also go so far as to deny the our beloved Torah? It all begins with a slight veering from the correct scriptural path!
Imagine a person walking through a dense forest, and he turns off the path for whatever reason, yet intending to return. If he strays only briefly and does not wander too far, he will likely find his way back. However if he continues walking for a while after taking that turn, he will be far from where he was meant to go and will likely struggle to find his way back to where he should be.
This is how a Hebrew can go from observing all our Torah based mitzvahs, to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim forbid, waking up one morning and finding himself serving idols. Tragically it all begins with one small step off of the ‘straight and narrow’ from our beloved faith!
Accelerated Journeys:
This tragic transition away from our “mitzvah” observance would have been a slow process. A person might stop attending just one Torah class, compromise on one Torah law, or make a small change in the interpretation of a Torah teaching, believing that he had only taken one small step off the path. The result of that one misstep, even though it may take several generations, could be grandchildren or great-grandchildren who are assimilated into error, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim forbid.
Why did it take so long? Because he was walking, leisurely strolling along a forest trail. But what if he had a horse and was galloping down a road? Or a car, speeding along a highway? With a faster mode of transportation, even a slight deviation from the path can quickly lead a person far away and not arrive at their destination! Today, with the advances in technology that have become a part of our lives, we can very quickly cover a lot of distance and, in a short time, turn around and find that we are lost.
However, the truth is that the same is true in reverse, when a person is on the road to return but is walking, then the road home is a very long one. But with today’s speedy technology, he can return very quickly.
Idol Worship:
It is obvious that for some who had
the allure of ‘pagan idol worship’ during the very times of our first “
What led to the disappearance of this overwhelming desire for idolatry? Well it may have been that the risk of idol worship outweighed the benefit of avoiding it. If only our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim would remove the temptation from the worlds evils, and Elohim agreed!
But the question that we ask is, what do we have today in its place of idols? Sadly, in many ways it is all about the phenomenon of “worshipping money and the overwhelming desire for “a successful life”.
Today, the quest for wealth can lead us sadly far stray from the path of Torah, with an insatiable desire for ‘more and more’ becoming an obstacle to serving our אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, בָּרוּךְ הוּא - “Blessed be He”.
However, the truth is that our money is one of the three main elements with which we are meant to ‘love and serve אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. In Va’etchanan, the portion we read just a few weeks back, Moses instructed the Hebrews (in what later became part of our beloved prayer the “Shema Yisroel”), which includes …
וְאָהַבְתָּ, אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ, וּבְכָל-מְאֹדֶךָ
“And thou shalt love יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might”.
Serving Elohim with “all your might” means serving Elohim with all your means.
However, a person who invests maximum effort and energy and does so with ‘all their might’ into ‘plotting and planning’, ‘working’ and ‘sweating’, just to ‘make a living’. Thus, money is not just very dear to them, but it is a necessary possession. But believe me, there is nothing greater than taking some of that hard-earned money and using esspecially to serve אֱלֹהִים - Elohim!
Give and Get:
Much of the portion of Re’eh is devoted to detailing how we serve אֱלֹהִים - Elohim with our money, particularly through “charity” and “tithing”.
The mitzvah of “tithing”
should setting aside at least ten percent of one’s earnings for charity,
followed the seven-year agricultural cycle of the Sabbatical years. With the
seventh year being a year of rest, each cycle had six years of earning. In
years 1, 2, 4, and 5, ten percent of every farmer’s produce had to be taken to
While the obligation to ‘tithe’ does
not apply to produce grown outside
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim says, “Aser ti’aser” …
Davarim 14:22.
עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר, אֵת כָּל-תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶךָ, הַיֹּצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה, שָׁנָה שָׁנָה
“Thou shalt surely tithe all the increase of thy seed, that which is brought forth in the field year by year”.
Paid On Commission:
Hearing that we must give at least ten percent of our earnings to charity might seem burdensome to some. Of course, charity is admirable, and we are happy to give. But to give away ten dollars of every hundred we make? That might feel like just a little too much.
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim offers the best commission rate ever, exclaimed a rabbi once. “He gives us 90% commission, and all He wants is 10%!”
The Unwitting Levite:
There is a story of a very wealthy man who owned a field that reliably produced a thousand tons of produce each year. In accordance with the Torah’s commandment to tithe, he would set aside 100 tons annually. As he lay on his deathbed, he summoned his son and gave him these final instructions: “My son, this field which I am leaving to you produces a thousand tons every year. Be sure to continue tithing 100 tons, just as I have throughout my life.” Shortly after giving this advice, he passed away.
After his father’s death, the son inherited the field, which indeed produced the expected 1,000 tons in the first year. Thus faithfully, he set aside the 100 tons for tithing. However, in the second year, his adviser began pestering him. “This is too much to give away”, he said. Maybe you should reduce it a little”.
Believe it, for the son decided not to tithe at all that year. To his surprise and disappointment, the very next year, the field produced just 100 tons, being just ten percent of its usual yield. He had thought he was saving money, but instead, he discovered that withholding the tithe had led to a massive loss.
The dejected son came to the synagogue, and to his surprise, the rabbi prepared a Kiddush in his honour. “Rabbi!” he exclaimed, “My family is in financial ruin, and you’re making a Kiddush? Are you mocking me?”
“אֱלֹהִים - Elohim forbid”, replied the rabbi. “We’re celebrating. You used to be a very wealthy man now you have become a Levite! You used to keep ninety percent and give ten percent to the Levites; now Elohim is keeping the ninety percent, and you’re getting just ten”.
The truth is that we have a choice: we can either give 10% and keep 90%, or vice versa. Take my word for it, the choice is yours!
Remember Davarim Chapter 11:26?
רְאֵה,
אָנֹכִי
נֹתֵן
לִפְנֵיכֶם-הַיּוֹם:
בְּרָכָה,
וּקְלָלָה
“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse”.
Let this never happen to you, for if
you are a person of faith, you will do as commanded!
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Please Note: “hebraicstudies”
links are located down the page!
This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!
Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be
He, said the following through a number of our prophets...
“Hebraic Studies”
motto is as follows;
“The More Torah,
the More Life”,
For Elohim is the One who gave us our ... “Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom =
Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD
of hosts, be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat,
as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and
continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and
regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before
food and drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
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