Eikev - 5th Portion

Join me as we learn Chumash for the fifth Torah reading for Thursday Parshas Eikev chapter 10 verse 12. Yesterday we spoke about this Moshe tells the Jewish people about the three times that he had to pray for God and how the second set of tablets were given to the Jewish people and the Jewish people's forgiveness from God. Over here he continues to tell them the response to God's mercy, what we as the Jewish people have to do in responding to God's mercy and recognizing God's kindness to the Jewish people. Verse 12. For after Israel, now you the Jewish people What does God demand from you? Only that you revere God. Revere God your God to go and walk in his ways and to love the God the loving God to serve God with all of with all your heart and with all your soul. Rashi Even though you did all this, he still has mercy and loves you. From all your sins From all your sins all God is asking of you All I'm asking from you is only that you revere Rabbi Senu Mikhan And the Rabbis have learned from this In the tractate of Brochis, Hakol Bidei Shamayim Meyira Shamayim. Everything is in God's hands besides the fear of heaven because of here God is so to speak asking of the Jewish people to fear him. That means that God is not dictating how you fear him. And if you fear him. >> [snorts] >> Verse 13. To keep God's commandments and his rules I shall make I am with that you should that you should keep them that I command you today because it's for your own good. Even though [snorts] I already said this before, even the very fact that he's asking you to keep the commandments, it's not that he's asking for his own good. It's for your good. He's saying that you keep the mitzvah because this way you'll be for your benefit to be able to get the reward for it. >> [snorts] >> Verse 14. Behold the physical heaven and the spiritual heavens are for God. God has it all. It belongs to God. All that's for and the earth and everything that's in it is all belong to God. Rashi Yes, God has the spiritual, the physical, the earth, the heaven. He has everything, but still God wants you. >> [snorts] >> Verse 15. As Moshe continues, yet out of the entire universe, what does God want and desire? Only your forefathers. To love them and he chose their children after them after them with >> [snorts] >> with you. We call I'm in by from all of the nations God chose you. That's called freedom of choice. We God made the choice as we say in the blessing before the Torah. The were all the nations of the world, but God chose us and this is what Moshe's telling the Jewish people. You [snorts] loved and desired by God from all of the nations of the universe like this day. Verse 15. Verse 16. You must therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart. >> [snorts] >> And cease being stiff-necked. That means recognize the love that God has given you. Rashi says or less love of him meaning being closed, closing your heart and covering it is that meaning that you are being so blocked and not listening to what your heart is saying and meaning the verse of ears to reveal your heart to be vulnerable to listen to what God has to tell you. >> [snorts] >> Verse 17 because God your God is the God of all gods and the master of all masters and the master of all masters or the Lord of all lords okay the great and the mighty God the strong and the awesome God who does not who will not be partial for the >> [snorts] >> does not accept bribes for you there's no other master that can save and no other great that can take you out meaning to take you out from being his slave and being subservient to him. He's not partial he's not partial and if you decide to be able to take off God's sovereignty from you and therefore to rebel against him he's not going to >> [snorts] >> be impartial but as long as you follow what God says well he's not going to be partial and therefore when you follow what God says you'll get what you need. That's why we say in the blessings that God should be partial and show his face to us. He doesn't take bribes to not going to be able to appease God with money. That means even if you're going to say I'm going to give all my money or whatever may be so therefore it should be considered as a repentance you have to remember to do the right thing. Verse 18 I say Mishpat Yatim V'Almana. He executes justice on behalf of the orphan and the widow for all you have gear and he showers love upon the convert lost us a similar to give him bread and clothing. Rashi I say Mishpat Yatim V'Almana. >> [snorts] >> Haray G'vurah >> Had a good word. So he we spoke about God's mighty strength and how awesome he is, but at the same time where you see God's strength, that's where you see his humility that he's also merciful for even those that need help. For I have got lost the whole of it. >> [snorts] >> That you'll see that when Jacob stood in prayer by Mount Moriah. What did he pray for? God's going to give him a bread to eat and a garment to wear. So you see this is what God cares about the very basics of the human being. And as we say you should have to be careful and love the convert. Why is that? As we see verse 19, you likewise the same way God shows love to the convert, you have to show love to the convert. Because [snorts] you were strangers in the land of Egypt. A blemish that you have. Don't say hey that guy is a convert and therefore you're going to try to find a problem. You too are converts in the land of Egypt. Verse 20. As a sham of Katira. You should fear God. Always say him you should serve. Always seek back into him you should cleave and attach. And we should make you should say and you should swear by his name. As a sham of Katira. You should serve him and you should cleave to him. You should connect to him. You will call him a holy holy. And once you have all God's attributes You should make him and then you're going to be able to swear and take an oath in God's name and know that you're going to be careful [snorts] to keep to it and not do it falsely. Verse 21. Who see lost of who I like a her. He deserves your praise and he is your God. I should also say this is what he did with you these great and awesome things. All in all these great and awesome things I should always your eyes have seen yourself. Verse 22. With 70 souls your people went down into And now God has made you as abundant as the stars of the heaven. >> [snorts] >> Chapter 11, verse 1. Guard his charge, the and his ordinances, his rules. commandments all the days, all the time. Rashi verse 2. You died to my aim and you will know today. >> [snorts] >> You'll know what I'm saying today. That I'm not only speaking with that I'm for I'm not speaking with your children who did not know who did not see as the chastisement of God your God. As God like his greatness his mighty hand and his outstretched arm. Rashi Listening closely and pay attention and understand the rebuke that I'm speaking with you because you are the ones that witnessed this. I'm talking to you that you can't say I will never saw it I never experienced I never had it. You are the ones that saw it. You are the ones that experienced it and therefore you are the ones that have to pay attention and make sure this passes down to the next generation. >> [snorts] >> Verse 3. As I say so you saw his his miracles his signs the smites of his actions that he did amongst the children of Pharaoh the king of Egypt. With the whole heart and with his entire land. Verse 4. That he did to the army of Egypt the to its horses to its riders. To its chariots. That he made the water of the sea of reeds inundate them. When they were chasing, when they pursued you. Bamidbar Vaya'abdem Hashem and God destroyed them. Ad hayom hazeh until today. >> [snorts] >> Verse five. Va'asher asah lachem bamidbar and what God did for you in the desert that bo'achem ad haboker mazeh until you came to this place where we are today. Va'asher asah lidosan ul'aviram and what God did to the people of the fellows Dosan and Aviram. Bnei Eli'av the sons of Eli'av ben Reuven the son of Reuven asher pot'sah ha'aretz piha uh opened and opened its that the earth opened its mouth. Vativla'em and it swallowed them ves bateihem and their homes asaleihem and their tents ves kol hayekum and all their property asher beragleihem bekerev kol Yisrael that was among their feet among in the midst of all the Jewish people that you saw it happen. Rashi bekerev kol bnei Yisrael kol makom shehayah echad min bnei Yisrael nifkas betachas belot. What does it mean the midst of the Jewish people? That wherever they would try to run and escape the earth would open up and swallow them inside. Eilu divrei Rebbi Yehudah this is what Rebbi Yehudah said. Amar Rebbi Nechemiah so Rebbi Nechemiah said to him one second. V'leikach lemaber vatiftach ha'aretz piha but doesn't it say already in the book of Numbers that the that the earth opened its mouth not plural v'lo piha said its mouths. >> [snorts] >> Amar Rebbi Elohim mani mikayin what do I know from here bekerev Yisrael what does it mean amongst the Jewish people? Amar Rebbi Chanina miskal guvah debak'a me'akiya that it was like a funnel that wherever one was all of a sudden like a valley came and he rolled down to the place of where the world where the earth split open and that's joined all the people over there. So wherever they were it became a steep ground it wasn't completely open in the ground it was the ground became as a as a slant so to speak and they rolled all the way down to the place where the earth opened up. Kol hayekum asher beragleihem zeh mamon shel adam shehu mabi d'raglav it's referring to his financial means his money, the material wealth that they owned because this is money that keeps a person on his feet. >> [snorts] >> Verse seven. All the actions of God, how God will do great the great things that God have done. I shall also the God has accomplished and God did for you. Your eyes see. Let's going back to verse two. I'm not talking to your children. I shall know you do that they don't know anything. With you. Why I shall your eyes saw what happened. Verse eight. And you will observe all the commandments. I shall >> [snorts] >> that I tell you today I command you today. That you should be strong. You'll be able to conquer That you will go crossing over the Jordan to possess. in [snorts] order that you prolong your days on the land. That God's word to your forefathers has promised them to give them. To them and to their children afterwards. A land flowing with milk and honey. >> [snorts] >> This concludes the fifth Torah reading of parshas Eikev.