Parshas Re’eh



This is in the merit of my grandmother Esther bat Mazal. May she have a speedy and complete recovery.



A note: Comments within double brackets, [[abc]], are notes I write for myself so that when I look back later on the topics I discussed, I see all the sources I looked at and how I understood them. Readers are encouraged to skip them.





Question:



“Take a [second] tithe of all the seed crops that come forth in the field each year. You must eat this before God your Lord in the place that He will choose as dedicated to His name. [There you shall eat] the [second] tithe of your grain, wine and oil, as well as the first-born of your cattle and smaller animals. You will then learn to remain in awe of God your Lord for all time” (Deuteronomy 14:22-23).



How does one learn to remain in awe of G-d by eating food “before G-d”?







The Implication of Brother and Sisterhood



In this week’s Torah portion, we are told “You are children of Hashem your G-d” (Deuteronomy 14:1).



What are the implications of being G-d’s children?



Certainly there is the fact that G-d loves us, truly loves us and wants only the best for us. Even when this is not apparent, it is true.



However, I heard Rabbi Paysach Krohn, in the Chofetz Chaim video shown on Tisha B’Av, draw another profound idea from this verse. If we are G-d’s children, then we are all also brothers and sisters; we must love each, cry for each other, and provide for each other. When things go well for our siblings, we must rejoice with them and when tragedy strikes, we must feel each others’ pain as if it is our own.



Rabbi Krohn said we pray in plural for the same reason. True concern for another means, in addition to other actions, prayer. We always request from G-d, not only for ourselves, but for others.



And there are tragic consequences when we fail to truly join with others. Rav Soloveitchik says that this was Job’s sin. Sure, he prayed, but only for his family (Job 1:5) and never for others. G-d only restored Job’s position “when he prayed for his friend” (Job 42:10). (Lonely Man of Faith, 58, Fate and Destiny, 13-17). This applies not only to prayer but to all acts of kindness.



Rabbi Krohn illustrated this with a story.



There once was a poor family. This family was so poor that the father requested that his two oldest sons leave and make a living for themselves so the rest of the family could get by. One brother was extremely successful and became the head of a large business. The other could struggled for survival. As time went on, the successful brother began to forget his background and when his eventually came to request employed, he had forgotten that he had even had a brother and sent his brother away. Later, both brothers received a letter that their father was deathly ill and both traveled to be with their father. After spending some time together, the successful brother realized that his father had not spoken a word to him and, with tears dripping down his cheeks from the pain that he was being ignored, cried to his father for him to speak to him. The father replied, if you do not have a brother, you are not my son.



We must be everybody’s sister and brother.



Have a good Shabbas
Mordechai