Torah Study Va’etchanan

Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11, Isaiah 40:1-26, Luke 3:2-15

Torah Portion D’varim/Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

4:1-2 1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land that Adonai the God of your fathers is giving you. 2You must not add to the word that I am commanding you or take away from it—in order to keep the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am commanding you.

What 3 reasons are given as to why Israel must listen to the statutes and ordinances that Moshe taught?

life, enter, and own.

What is the difference between them?

Life as in to continue to exist at all

enter in to the promised land

possess the land and build it as HaShem intended

Do you think this implies a graduated type of benefit to keeping the mitzvot?

It does not. It is an all or nothing. It describes the stages of growth or decay of the kingdom.

How is one to understand the 2nd verse?

Do not add or subtract in number for example 5 fringes or 3 fringes to garments.

Do not create mitzvah’s and remove mitzvah’s.

Does this have any impact on Tradition, “Rabbinical Decree’s”, or Laws as appointed by a governing body? i.e. Fences

As long as these additional regulations do not try to override the 613 laws of HaShem then they do not apply to this mitzvah.

Mitzvot D'Oraita: Commandments from the Torah, Mitzvot D'Rabbanan: Laws Instituted by the Rabbis, Minhag: Customs make up what is called Halakhah.

The word "halakhah" is usually translated as "Jewish Law," although a more literal (and more appropriate) translation might be "the path that one walks." The word is derived from the Hebrew root Hei-Lamed-Kaf, meaning to go, to walk or to travel. Do you think this is what is meant when we read about “walking out faith” in various scriptures especially in the Brit Hadasha.

2 Jn 6 Now this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the commandment—just as you heard from the beginning—that you walk in love.

Eph 5:15 So pay close attention to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise.

Pr 2:20 So you will walk in the way of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous.

4:5-8 5“See, just as Adonai my God commanded me, I have taught you statutes and ordinances to do in the land that you are about to enter to possess. 6You must keep and do them, for it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has gods so near to them, as Adonai our God is whenever we call on Him? 8What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances that are righteous—like all of this Torah that I am setting before you today?

We see 3 different reasons for keeping the mitzvot of the Torah here than we did previously. If the previous reasons where individual what are the these reasons generally or specifically?

Esteem of the nation, esteem of Torah and esteem of HaShem.

The rescue of the world.

Is this evident in many people that are curious/interested in keeping/learning Torah today?

gentiles in the messianic Jewish branch of Judiasm could be examples of this.

Nations that want to Ally with with modern day Israel could be examples of this.

7:1-3 1“When Adonai your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out many nations before you—the Hittite and the Girgashite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you— 2and Adonai your God gives them over to you and you strike them down, then you are to utterly destroy them. You are to make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3You are not to intermarry with them—you are not to give your daughter to his son, or take his daughter for your son.

If HaShem only does good, how is this good?

Only HaShem knows the hearts of people. He knows what these people are and what will continue to happen. His decree to utterly destroy them is because there is not any ability to recover or redeem them out of their own decisions.

Ge 9:24–27. 24When Noah woke up from his wine, he learned what his youngest son had done to him. 25So he said, “Cursed is Canaan: the lowest slave will he be to his brothers.” 26He also said, “Blessed be Adonai, God of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant. 27May God enlarge Japheth, may he dwell in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.”

Ge 10:15–18 15Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn, Heth, 16the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, 17the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, 18the Arvadite, the Zemarite and the Hamathite—and afterwards, the Canaanite families were scattered.

Haftorah Portion yešǎʿyāʹhû/Isaiah