Parashat-Vaetchanan-New
-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 the
following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. “Mechon-Mamre.org”
(MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org”
(SEF), three brilliant versions, although 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 יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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Devarim - Deuteronomy Chapters 3, verse 23 to Chapter 7, verse 11..
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Parashat Vaetchanan contains
two of the most important texts of our beloved faith, “the Ten Commandments” עֲשֶׂרֶת
הַדִּבְּרוֹת
- “Aseret Ha’diberot” and יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁמַע -
“Shema Yisrael”.
Every day, three times a day, as Hebrews, we will declare that there is only One אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. We do this not only in prayer, but also every time we enter a Hebraic home or building, as we are once again confronted by the prayer of Shema; on the doorposts and gates of our homes. Why is it so important that we need a constant reminder of the Unity of אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim?
The topic of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is one that is not addressed very often. It is a topic that we mention as an assumed statement. Do you believe in אֱלֹהִים - Elohim? Yes of course we do. But what does that mean? As a parent how do you respond to your children who possibly declares that they do not believe in Him? Do you shut him or her down? Do you respond with shock and indignation? “How can you say that?”
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is one?
However, the question certainly is a legitimate one. It is one that I tend to hear so often. Most of us have either a superficial view of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim or do not even contemplate the question.
When I ask students ‘What does אֱלֹהִים - Elohim look like?’ They frequently conjure
up the image of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim as a large old man with
flowing robes and a deep voice. That of course, is not what the Almighty looks
like, for אֱלֹהִים - Elohim has no form! When
students say they do not believe in אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, I always ask what they mean
by that statement. Most often, believe it or not, they will refer to the אֱלֹהִים - Elohim of Homer Simpson, to
which I reply, “The אֱלֹהִים - Elohim that you do not believe
in is the great “I Am” Thus what does it mean יְהוָה - the LORD is Echad
- Who is One!
The ancient
world believed that there were multiple gods since the world is so
complex and it is only through the battles between the gods that concepts such
as good and evil make sense.
If there is only
one אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, how does one account for all the evil
in the world? How can it be that bad things happen to good people? Our answer
is that everything is in the hands of Heaven. There is no devil or any
other deity, for there is only our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. This is the concept of One that we profess on a daily basis.
The first
Hebrew, Abraham introduced to the world the revolutionary belief of Ethical
Monotheism. אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is a just אֱלֹהִים - Elohim and His teachings are true and present
us with a system of absolute morality. Murder is always evil, no
matter what society may say. Abraham himself challenged אֱלֹהִים - Elohim at
But who is this אֱלֹהִים - Elohim? How am I to know Him? The Shema
states ואהבת and
you shall love יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloheichem. How am I supposed to love
אֱלֹהִים - Elohim?
These are
difficult questions. What do we do with these questions? For most
of us, we place in that special place that we reserve for the things we should
do but know that we will never do them. But feel bad to just throw away. And
then we move on with our lives.
That is not the
Hebraic way. Our faith challenges us every single day and every
single moment. It is the inner voice that cannot be stilled. Answer the
question! But where to start?
In my dealings
with high school students and their questions about אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, my reaction to them is to ask them
what does it mean that you do not believe in אֱלֹהִים - Elohim? Their answer about אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is met with, “The אֱלֹהִים - Elohim you do not believe in I do not believe
in either!”
Dismissing what we
have been brought up to believe is but the first step in the faith journey. The faith journey begins by questioning what we have received from our parents. Of course, there is much
that they have given us that is worthwhile. But as we
all know, there are times when we need to work this out for ourselves. It is this journey of discovery
that makes life so rich. So
well done, you have worked out what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is not. Now you need to work out what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim is. That is a lot more challenging. Are you up for
the challenge? I pray that you are!
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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 via
several 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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