What Do You Do When No One is Looking? – Va’era (I Appeared) Exodus 6

 

Torah Portion: Va’era ( I Appeared) Exodus 6:2-9:35

HafTorah: Ezekiel 28:25-29:21

I want us to look at a question that I think has bearing on our Torah portion this week. I have been discussing this subject with some of you this week and have continued to think about it as the week has progressed.  I shared with you a few months ago the title of an interesting book I was reading, “Seven Questions You are Asked in Heaven.” This book will provoke you to think, which is always a good thing.

Ve’etachanan (I pleaded)

Weekly Torah Section: Va’etchanan (I pleaded) Deut. 3:23-7:11, HafTorah Isaiah 40:1-26

Tonight I would like to spend most of our time on the Torah section in Deuteronomy. But to start I want to jump ahead to Deut. 5:22 and talk about this verse first. In our English translation the end of the verse is, “with a loud voice; and He added no more.” First, this is making a statement about the voice of G-d. The phrase and “He added not more” can also be translated from the Hebrew as “never ending.” If we look at it like this it really seems to flow better and help us to understand better what Moses is saying about the voice of G-d. What does he mean when he says G-d’s voice is never ending? Think of it specifically in light of what this section says. His voice did not weaken as ours does. His voice is as relevant today as when He first uttered these words. G-d saw that His people might be caught up in different cultures or societies. The cultural norms would change. He saw people that would question if His words were still relevant. He was making a point here that the voice that goes on to speak the 10 commandments was not only relevant and powerful when it was spoken but it did not end. It still rings out. It still speaks to each of us and it spoke to them especially as they were about to enter the land. A land with different people who would  seek to tempt the people of G-d with different ideas, values and idols.