…John Rawls calls ‘the language of public reason’. Ralbag (Commentary to parashat Va-etchanan) is clear on this point: “Our Torah is unique among the laws and ethics of the nations in that it contains nothing that does not flow from right and reason (ha-yosher veha-binah). That is why this Divine law draws people to it by virtue of its essence…
…seeks not just our obedience but also our understanding. All nations have laws, and laws are there to be obeyed. But few nations other than Israel set it as their highest task to understand why the law is as it is. That is what the Torah means by the word Shema. [1] Gersonides, Commentary to Va-etchanan, par. 14. [2]David…
…religious duty, recalling and re-enacting the events of the Exodus every year, and in particular, making children central to the story. Noting that in three of the four storytelling passages (three in our parsha, the fourth in Va’etchanan) children are referred to as asking questions, the Sages held that the narrative of Seder night should be told in response to…
…re-enacting the events of the Exodus every year, and in particular, making children central to the story. Noting that in three of the four storytelling passages (three in our parsha, the fourth in Va’etchanan) children are the ones asking questions, the Sages held that the narrative of Seder night should be told in response to a question asked by a…
…“as though he had heard it from the mouth of God” – and thus a covenant renewal ceremony. How did he arrive at such an idea? Almost certainly it was because of Moses’ description of the Giving of the Torah in Va’etchanan: The day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, “Assemble…
…Giving of the Torah in Va’etchanan: The day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, “Assemble [hakhel] the people to Me that I may let them hear My words, in order that they may learn to revere Me as long as they live on earth, and may so teach their children.” (Devarim…
…Babylonian exile) the Jews. Bereishit Noach Lech Lecha Vayera Chayei Sarah Toldot Vayetse Vayishlach Vayeshev Mikketz Vayigash Vayechi Shemot (Exodus) The book of Exodus – Shemot – is the West’s meta-narrative of hope. It tells an astonishing story of how a group of slaves were liberated from the mightiest empire of the ancient world. Theologically, its message is even more…
…make for a more human, multi-leveled, less controlling governance system, and a universal culture that celebrates differences and is enriched by the variety of human influences. Y. Greenberg, When Exodus Replaces Creation (Or Not), Parashat Va-etchanan 5781 Rabbi Yuval Cherlow The recognition that all people are created in the image of God is an axiom. This arises from the plain…
…Precisely because we are small, we are each summoned to greatness. Va’etchanan: The Fewest of All Peoples Why would God choose a man who found it hard to speak to lead the Jewish people? Perhaps because one who cannot speak learns how to listen. A leader is one who knows how to listen: to the unspoken cry of others and…