Davarim-26-Vv-11-12
-hebraicstudies.net-
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”.
YYYYYYY
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).
YYYYYYY
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction to the Study via Maimonides:
In his philosophical and legal writings, by the
late great Rabbi Moses ben
Maimon, generally known as ‘Maimonides’, but he is also referred to by the
Hebrew acronym ‘Rambam’. Rambam emphasizes that
the commandments are designed to ‘refine human character’ and create ‘a just,
compassionate society’. For Rambam, holiness is not achieved through mysticism,
but through the absolute ‘correct action’, ‘intellect’, and ‘ethical
responsibility’.
When analyzing the ‘harvest celebrations’ and ‘tithes’ in Deuteronomy 26, Rambam focuses heavily on how these laws, prevents ‘selfishness’. He teaches that true intellectual and spiritual perfection cannot exist if a person closes their doors to the needs of the community.
YYYYYYY
Let us first read Deuteronomy 26, verses 11 & 12: We have it first in Ivrit - Hebrew, followed by English: (Please Note: I always use JPS-1917 version of the Torah).
וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל-הַטּוֹב, אֲשֶׁר נָתַן-לְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ-וּלְבֵיתֶךָ: אַתָּה, וְהַלֵּוִי, וְהַגֵּר, אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבֶּךָ
כִּי תְכַלֶּה לַעְשֵׂר אֶת-כָּל-מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ, בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁלִישִׁת-שְׁנַת הַמַּעֲשֵׂר: וְנָתַתָּה לַלֵּוִי, לַגֵּר לַיָּתוֹם וְלָאַלְמָנָה, וְאָכְלוּ בִשְׁעָרֶיךָ, וְשָׂבֵעוּ
“And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of thee. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe, of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satisfied”.
YYYYYYY
When we look at Deuteronomy
26:11-12 through the lens of Rambam’s monumental legal code, the ‘Mishneh
Torah’, we gain a profoundly structured understanding of joy,
charity, and human dignity.
Commentary
According to the Rambam (‘Mishneh Torah’).
1. Verse 11: The Nature of True Joy.
“And thou shalt rejoice in all the good
which יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha
hath given unto thee...”
Rambam writes beautifully
about the nature of religious joy, explicitly defining what it means to “rejoice”
under our Hebrew law:
Sharing with the
Vulnerable: In Hilchot
Yom Tov (Laws of the Festivals), Rambam rules that when a person
eats and drinks in celebration of a holy day, they are legally obligated to
feed the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.
The Warning Against
Self-Indulgence: Rambam issues
a powerful warning.
“But if he locks the doors of his courtyard and eats and drinks with his wife and children, and does not feed the poor and the bitter in soul, this is not the joy of a commandment, but the joy of his stomach ... and concerning such people, Scripture says, “Their sacrifices are like the bread of mourners...”
The Spiritual Purpose
of Simcha: For Maimonides,
rejoicing is a vital service of God, but it only qualifies as Divine joy when
it expands outward to bring happiness to others.
2. Verse 12: The Directives of the Poor Tithe.
“... and hast given it unto the Levite, to
the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy
gates, and be satisfied”.
In “Hilchot
Matanot Aniyim” (Laws of Gifts to the Poor),
Rambam systemises the laws derived from this verse:
The Requirement of
Satisfaction (Sáve’a): Rambam clarifies that the Torah’s
phrase “and be satisfied” means a donor cannot give a microscopic, useless
amount. In Chapter 6 of ‘Matanot Aniyim’, he defines the exact
minimum quantities of ‘grain’, ‘wine’, and ‘oil’ that must be given to a poor
person passing through a town to ensure they are genuinely sustained for the
day.
Preserving Human Dignity: Rambam famously established the ‘Eight Levels of Charity’. The highest levels focus on preventing a person from falling into poverty in the first place, or giving anonymously so that the recipient never feels shame. This directly fulfils the Torah’s goal in verse 12: that the vulnerable should eat “within your gates” as equal citizens, completely unashamed!
YYYYYYY
My Closing Message:
Looking at these two
wonderful verses through the sharp intellect of Rambam provides a magnificent
blueprint for life. He reminds us that the highest form of service to the ‘Almighty’
is to act with ‘reason’, ‘justice’, and ‘profound empathy’.
Even when ‘physical
illness’ or the ‘burdens of aging limit our mobility’, Rambam’s teachings
remind us that our intellect remains a powerful tool. By studying the Law with
clarity and maintaining a deep concern for the dignity of others, we
participate in the highest levels of spiritual perfection. May the Almighty
grant you the ‘intellectual vigour’, ‘peace of mind’ to ‘continue immersing yourself
in the pure truth of His Torah’!
YYYYYYY
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...
“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!
Enter ...