DEUT1473 See [[EXOD96]] Exodus 5:2 who SINAI1 293

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1474 See [[LEV814]] Leviticus 19:36 honest TAMARI 44

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1475 See [[EXOD275]] Exodus 17:16 war DORFFDRAG 191-2

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1476 See [[GEN1087]] Genesis 20:11 fear OXFORD 36

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1477 The classic people in the Torah who hated the Jews are the Amalekites, who first attacked the Jews immediately after they left Egypt. Throughout history, even today, there are essentially four reasons why one nation attacks another nation: (1) to gain land, (2) to show power to other nations (and sometimes to themselves), (3) fear of being attacked, so they attack first, (4) a holy war. The way the Torah describes the attack of Amalek [this verse], it is clear that none of these reasons applied. The verse starts off by saying that the Jews were attacked "on the way," meaning in no-man's-land. Therefore, the reason could not have been to gain territory. The next phrase in the verse is "they smote the weakest in the back ranks." Therefore, they could not have demonstrated power even if they had been victorious, since they attacked only the weakest. The verse continues "when you (the Jewish people) were faint and weary." Therefore, the reason could not of been fear of an attack by the Jews, since they were tired. Finally, the verse concludes "and they did not fear God." Therefore, it could not have been a holy war. If all the usual reasons were not present, why, then, did the Amalekites attack the Jews? There are some non-Jews who hate Jews for no reason at all, other than that they are Jews. Thus, some forms of anti-Semitism are based not anything specific, just on the fact that Jews exist. This phenomenon is expressed in a unique way by the Midrash (Midrash, Sifri, Behaalotcha 11). It says that It is a "known law" that Esau hates Jacob, that is, the non-Jew hates the Jew. What kind of law is this that non-Jews hate Jews? Most people think of laws as a demonstration of a man-made justice system. But there is another kind of law, the laws of nature, which are not man-made but God-made. These laws are neither good nor bad, but, rather, true or not true. Therefore, the Midrash seems to indicate that there is a natural law that the non-Jew will hate the Jew, an inescapable part of nature. Similarly, the Midrash describes the Jewish people as one lamb amongst seventy wolves (Midrash Tanchuma, Toldot 5), as a natural state of things where the wolf desires to eat the lamb, and that all the nations hate the Jews. Of course, this does not mean that all non-Jews hate Jews, only that some non-Jews hate Jews without any logical reason or provocation. Part of this "law of nature" is also the ebb and flow of the Jews and the Gentile nations in an inverse relationship: when the Jews are on top, the non-Jewish nations are falling, and when the non-Jewish nations on top, the Jews are falling (Pesachim 42b). This, then, is the definition of Amalek today, according to Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik. Although there are no longer any physical remnants of Amalek, there are spiritual heirs. Anyone who hates Jews and tries to destroy the Jews just because they are Jews (and without any concrete reason) would be considered Amalek today.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1478 See [[EXOD271]] Exodus 17:14 remembrance SINAI3 328-9

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1479 See [[EXOD623]] Exodus 22:1 death DORFFDRAG 167-8

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1480 See [[DEUT1224]] Deuteronomy 23:8 abhor SACKS 99

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1481 Read the required Torah verses when bringing first fruits to the Beit HaMikdash. Through verbalizing one’s true and correct thoughts, their truth and correctness will become absolutely clear, for not only will the mind grasp them; the heart will grasp them too. This principle lies at the basis of the mitzvah reading the aforementioned versus when bringing the bikkurim to the Beis HaMikdash. When Hashem and His great kindness sends His blessings upon us in our fields in the Holy Land, and the land yields the first fruits of the season, each landowner is commanded to bring these fruits to the Beis HaMikdash. There, when he hands over these foods to the Kohen, he is commanded to verbalize true thoughts--verses of the Torah--so that they penetrate to his heart. Particularly at this time, it is fitting to remind oneself that everything that one has comes from Hashem. To this end, one reads verses that recall but a few of the great kindnesses that Hashem has bestowed upon us and the nation as a whole. The person bringing his bikkurim begins by reading aloud verses about how Hashem saved Yaakov Avinu from the hands of Lavan. Then he reads that Hashem saved our entire nation from terrible subjugation in Egypt. Standing in the presence of the Kohen praising Hashem, he then asks that Hashem's blessing rest upon him always. His heart fills with gratitude and praise for Hashem, and thereby he, in fact, is fitting to be blessed, which is pleasing to Hashem, Who wants to bestow good and shower kindness upon His people. The Chinuch adds that when we stand before Hashem in prayer and make requests of Him, we must say every word very carefully. In addition, when we express ourselves in our words, we must choose our words with great care and express them sincerely. Remember and guard this principle, and apply it when you pray.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUT1482 The import of the Jubilee and sabbatical years, however, goes even beyond ownership of the land by the Deity. For these observances signify a reaffirmation by the Jew that the Deity is the primary factor in any economic success. A long list of mitzvot can be presented to demonstrate this idea, but perhaps the most interesting ones are those of the First Fruits (bikurim). Deuteronomy 26:1-11. To the farmer, the first fruits are very special, as they represent the beginning of a successful venture. Yet, the Torah obligated the Jew to take these first fruits to Jerusalem each year and present them to the priest. In itself, this presentation may not sufficiently demonstrate the concept of thankfulness. What does underscore it is the confession that accompanied the bringing of these first fruits. Every Jew was required to recite a confession at the Temple in which he described how an insignificant little family went down to Egypt, grew rapidly, but was enslaved and persecuted. It was only God’s love, and His power over the forces of nature and man, that redeemed this family (that is, Israel) from their slavery, carried them through the dangers of the desert, and brought them into the Land of Israel. The thankfulness expressed in the confession was for the God-given land, its fertility, its crops, and its first fruits, all granted simply through the grace of God. Nothing could be more indicative of Judaism’s teaching of man's utter dependence upon God for his economic welfare then this confession.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT