Triple-Devarim-Lesson
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Tanakh versions:
Throughout this site I
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brilliant versions!
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,
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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“The Triple Devarim Lesson”
With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben
Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction: The Journey from Memory to Mastery:
The
Book of Devarim - Deuteronomy serves as Moses’ final
testament to the children of Israel. It is not merely a repetition of the Law,
but a deep psychological and spiritual exhortation. The three verses I have
selected, such as chap 8:2, chap 10:16, and 30:16 represents the evolution of the Israelite soul. They move
from the necessity of remembrance of the past trials to the requirement of internal change, culminating in the covenantal promise of life for those who align their hearts with אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim
(God).
Please Note, all Verses are from the JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh in English and in Hebrew.
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1. Deuteronomy 8:2.
“And
thou shalt remember all the way which יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha
(God) hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble
thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or not”.
וְזָכַרְתָּ
אֶת-כָּל-הַדֶּרֶךְ,
אֲשֶׁר
הוֹלִיכְךָ
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ
זֶה אַרְבָּעִים
שָׁנָה-בַּמִּדְבָּר:
לְמַעַן
עַנֹּתְךָ
לְנַסֹּתְךָ, לָדַעַת
אֶת-אֲשֶׁר
בִּלְבָבְךָ
הֲתִשְׁמֹר
מִצְוֹתָו-אִם-לֹא
Explanation: This verse establishes remembrance as
a spiritual discipline. The forty-year journey was not a “wrong turn” but a
deliberate educational process.
To
Humble Thee: The Hebrew humbling suggests
a state of dependency. In the barren wilderness,
Israel had no natural means of survival; they were forced to look upward for
manna, teaching them that human self-sufficiency is an illusion.
To
Prove Thee: The “test”
was not for אֱלֹהִים - Elohim to
gain information (as He is omniscient), but for the people to discover their
own inner resolve.
The Lesson: This verse teaches that our “wilderness” experiences, times of scarcity or trial, are designed to reveal whether our devotion is based on convenience or a deep-seated commitment to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s blessed Word.
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2. Deuteronomy 10:16. “The
Circumcision of the Heart”:
“Circumcise
therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked’.
וּמַלְתֶּם,
אֵת עָרְלַת
לְבַבְכֶם; וְעָרְפְּכֶם-לֹא
תַקְשׁוּ, עוֹד
Explanation: Following the recounting of the Golden Calf
and the breaking of the first tablets, Moses moves from physical ritual to spiritual
reality.
The
Metaphor: While physical
circumcision was the sign of the covenant for males, “circumcising the heart”
is a universal demand for an internal change. It refers to removing the “callousness”
or “emotional blockage” (the orlah) that prevents
the soul from being receptive to Divine instruction.
Stiffneckedness: The
image of a “stiff neck” is that of a stubborn animal that refuses to turn its
head at the master’s tug.
The
Mandate: This verse
clarifies that external religious observance is insufficient without ‘humility’ and
‘a malleable spirit’. It is an appeal to strip away ‘pride’ and ‘rebellion’
to allow for a true relationship with אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.
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3. Deuteronomy 30:16. The
Choice of Life:
“In that I command thee this day to love יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha,
to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His
ordinances, that thou mayest live and multiply, and
that יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha
may bless thee in the land whither thou goest to
possess it”.
אֲשֶׁר
אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ,
הַיּוֹם, לְאַהֲבָה
אֶת-יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ
לָלֶכֶת
בִּדְרָכָיו, וְלִשְׁמֹר
מִצְוֺתָיו
וְחֻקֹּתָיו
וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו;
וְחָיִיתָ
וְרָבִיתָ-וּבֵרַכְךָ
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בָּאָרֶץ
אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה
בָא-שָׁמָּה
לְרִשְׁתָּהּ
Explanation:
This verse appears in the “Choice” section of Moses’ final speech, where the
path to restoration is laid out.
Love
as the Engine: For the
first time, Love (ahavah) is placed at the
forefront as the primary motivator for ‘obedience’. It is not a suggestion but
a “commandment” to align one’s affections with אֱלֹהִים - Elohim.
The
Triple Action: Love is expressed
through three actions; loving (allegiance), walking and keeping (specific
observance).
The Result: The promise is “Life” not just a biological existence, but a flourishing, meaningful presence in the land. This verse serves as the “grand summary” of the Torah: the ultimate goal of all Mitzvoth - law is to foster a life-giving bond between the Creator and the created!
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My Concluding Message:
Together,
these verses form a manual for the soul. Chapter 8:2 tells us to look
back at our trials with gratitude, for they shaped us. Chapter 10:16 instructs
us to look inward and remove the barriers of pride that keep us from אֱלֹהִים - Elohim. Finally, Chapter
30:16 invites us to look forward, choosing a life defined by love and
action.
The
path of the faithful is not found in “bread alone”, but in the courageous
decision to keep the heart open and the feet moving in the ways of אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה -the LORD Elohim.
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This site was originally
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Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be
He, said the following via several of our prophets...
“Return
unto Me,
and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of
hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens,
PhD.
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