TorahParsha

Thought for Parshat Va'Etchanan

What knowledge should we seek?

 

i

God said, Let there be Light. And there was light.

And God saw the  Light; and behold: it was good.

*

Light must come because God has spoken.

Words create obligation.

*
But vision does not create obligation.

Vision offers understanding:

God saw the  Light; and behold: it was good.

 

ii

Moses says: Guard yourselves… lest you forget that which your eyes saw at Mount Sinai:

HaShem spoke to you from the midst of the fire

a voice of words did you hear; but you saw no image:

only a voice.  

 

iii

Seeing, we understand.

And so if we had seen a vision of God, we would have received an understanding of God.

But we saw no image of God.

We saw the voice of God’s words.

*
Words obligate.

Seeing God’s words, we saw how God obligates.

We understood how God obligates.

*

We were not asked to know God.

We were asked to know how God obligates us.

We were asked to know what we must do.

At the height of Revelation, we learned this.  

___________

Shabbat shalom, Abe

___________

If you enjoyed this thought, please share it with a friend.

Please continue to pray for Ahuvah Rachel bat Orah, and for Rachel Tovah bat Yehudit Esther.

www.TorahParsha.com

 

The Upheaval of Knowing of God is Creation

I
i
Jacob has a dream of a ladder going to Heaven, and of God's angels upon the ladder, and of God speaking to him.

When Jacob awakes he says: God was in this place and I did not know.

*
He renames the place where he slept. He calls the place: Beit Eil.

Beit Eil means, House of God.

*
But, the verse says, Luz was the city's name at first.

ii
The place gets its new name, House of God. But the verse still makes mention of the original name, Luz.

Luz is still there. Jacob has only changed what Luz is called.

*
But in changing Luz's name, Jacob changes Luz itself.

iii
The world is not different. Jacob has only seen God in it.

Luz becomes the House of God, not because Luz was not the House of God before; but because Luz has always been the house of God.

II
The knowing of God is an upheaval.

Not an upheaval of destroying the world and beginning over: but of seeing, at last, what was always there.

*
That fresh seeing creates all things anew.

~~~