Parashat Re’eh: Seeing the Mystery
Parashat Re’eh, Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17
Rabbi Dr. Joshua Brumbach
Congregation Simchat Yisrael, West Haven, CT
The opening line of this week’s Torah portion reads: “See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse” (Deut 11:26).
The first word of the parasha, re’eh, is conjugated in an imperative form, meaning that it is a command to do, to pay attention to, and “to see to” all the instructions God is setting forth.
Moshe does not just present Israel with a choice between blessings and curses. Moshe actually opens with a prophetic blessing to the Jewish people. The blessing is the hope that Israel would be able to re’eh – “see” beyond the blessings and curses. It is the prayer of Moshe that the Jewish people would observe the commandments of Hashem and prophetically “see” God’s ultimate purposes in and through them. This way of understanding the opening words of our Torah portion as a prophetic blessing is supported by the Malbim (Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser, 1809–1879):
The blessing and curse are not simply promises for the future. Once can actually see that people who observe the Torah have a sense of accomplishment, fulfillment, and spiritual growth. The blessing is there for all to see. (Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash, 998)
To be able “to see” is to have vision. As Proverbs 29:18 states, “Without a prophetic vision, the people throw off all restraint; but he who keeps Torah is happy” (CJB). Similarly, Moshe is directly connecting observance of Torah with spiritual discernment and prophetic (spiritual) giftings. Moshe wants the Jewish people to walk in the ways of Hashem, and the mitzvot help guide us on the path toward spiritual maturity.
As we know, the Book of Deuteronomy is a repetition of much of the Torah to the next generation, and this week’s portion is an even further condensed repetition. As such, the opening verse speaks of the importance of re’eh, “seeing” to all that God requires of us.
Therefore, observance of the mitzvot is an exercise in spiritual discipline. In doing the things God instructs us, we become more sensitive to the working of the Spirit. It is the blessing of Moshe that by choosing to follow God’s instructions we will re’eh - “see” into the mysteries of HaShem. That is why this parasha concludes with the commandments concerning the shalosh regalim, the three pilgrimage festivals when we are to appear before God – Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot (Deut 16:16–17). These festivals are known as mo’edim. The word mo’ed is a divine appointment. These are times when God chooses to meet with us, times set aside for God to impart something into us. They are ultimately opportunities for a more intimate relationship.
We know that God’s ultimate purpose for us is relationship. As the great Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel describes it, since creation, God has been in pursuit of a relationship with us (see God in Search of Man, 136–144). This relational connection between observance and our relationship with God is also supported by Yeshua in his instruction: “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15 CJB). Our observance of the Torah is not simply an act of obedience, it is relational. It is an opportunity to become united with our Creator, and through that intimate union, gain greater spiritual perception. In our prayer and observance we become united with Hashem through Yeshua, the Living Torah, and are shaped by that experience, becoming reflections of the Torah/Messiah ourselves. As the Messianic Jewish pioneer Paul Philip Levertoff once wrote, “The deepest longing, therefore, of the genuine [person of faith] is to become a ‘Living Torah.’ The keeping of the Law is to him only a means to an end: union with God” (Love and the Messianic Age, 43).
When we invest in our relationship with God by drawing closer to him through prayer and observing what the Torah instructs, we are choosing “to see” spiritually. We are choosing to view the world, and ourselves, through a spiritual lens. Parashat Re’eh, therefore, provides keys to establishing the very presence of God in our midst. This week’s portion guides us through the observance of kashrut, the dietary laws, the rules for offering gifts (tithes, offerings, and sacrifices), and for the mo’edim, as prophetic opportunities to understand and experience the essence of Hashem.
Shabbat Shalom!