Triple-Devarim-Lesson
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Tanakh
versions:
Throughout this site I
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!
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 Deuteronomy
serves as Moses’ final testament to the children of
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. “keep His commandments, or not”:
First we will read these verses in Ivrit- Hebrew and then in English.
וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת-כָּל-הַדֶּרֶךְ, אֲשֶׁר הוֹלִיכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה-בַּמִּדְבָּר: לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ לְנַסֹּתְךָ, לָדַעַת אֶת-אֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבְךָ הֲתִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָו-אִם-לֹא
“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”.
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,
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”:
וּמַלְתֶּם, אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם; וְעָרְפְּכֶם-לֹא תַקְשׁוּ, עוֹד
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your
heart, and be no more stiffnecked”.
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:
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
“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; then thou shalt
live and multiply, and יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֶיךָ -
the LORD thy Eloheicha shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest in to
possess it”.
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, blessed be He!
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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
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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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