Re'eh
August 14, 2020
24 Av 5780
Parashat Re'eh
Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17
Dear Friends,
We are coming to the end of the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. Like any good parent, Moses wants to ensure the best possible outcome for the people he has been leading for the past 40 years. We may not agree with the way he goes about it, but I believe that his intentions are good.
This Torah portion, Parashat Re'eh, means see. What are we meant to see? See. Re’eh. Open your eyes wide. That's not easy for most of us at this moment, and it wasn't easy for our ancestors either. Take a look at the world as it is -- a hard look. Here are the opening lines of this week’s Torah portion:
“You can therefore see that I am placing before you both a blessing and a curse. The blessing will come if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I am prescribing you today.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-27)
One might think that the blessing comes as a result of following the commandments. I beg to differ. The blessing is a function of living with an awareness of the world around us, of seeing that which we may not have seen before, of being fully present. We are currently living in a moment of deep disruption. We are unsettled.
This portion challenges us to see and have clarity about what needs doing. And it is also to recognize those moments that are moments of blessing. We need to hold those moments close; they are dear, and that recognition is part of seeing.
While in the country this summer, I saw an eagle flying overhead that dwarfed the hawks that flew nearby. It was glorious -- a moment of blessing, ephemeral, and healing. Everything else fell away for just a short time and I felt blessed.
May we find the blessing of the moment as we see what is around us, and may we see that which needs doing. These are the blessings. They represent more than rote observation of the commandments; they are about acting and recognizing that our actions have meaning. To truly see them is the blessing.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn