Nitzavim/Vayelech - Day #7

Nitzavim - Vayelech  

Torah Portion:

Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10-63:9

Shabbat: Deuteronomy 31:20-30

31:20 For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break My covenant. 21 It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.”

22 So Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.

23 He commissioned Joshua, the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and courageous; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore to them. I will be with you.”

24 When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, 25 Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of Hashem’s covenant, saying, 26 “Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of Hashem your Elohim’s covenant, that it may be there for a witness against you. 27 For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. Behold, while I am yet alive with you today, you have been rebellious against Hashem. How much more after my death? 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn away from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days, because you will do that which is evil in Hashem’s sight, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”

30 Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song, until they were finished.

Today’s Meditation:

Moses seems anxious about how the Israelites will fare after his death. In verse 29, he says, “For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves.” How sad is this? After 40 years of substantial miracles and witnesses of Hashem’s power and glory, the chosen people are still disobeying Him. What is it about humankind that just can’t seem to get it together? How could they have looked upon the pillar of the cloud in the day and the pillar of fire at night? Wouldn’t that miracle alone (His presence) be enough in your life to want to stay on your knees day and night? Why are we so weak? Even today, look at the world. It is crazy. Right is wrong and wrong is right. We are so upside down. Those of us who profess to know Hashem and love Him still disobey Him and sin. The beauty of it all is teshuvah.  We must repent and turn around. When we turn around, we don’t look back. We must become lights for Hashem for the rest of the world. So that He wants to send the Mashiach.

Today’s Challenge:

The book of the Law in verse 25 reminds them (us) about how we are to live. It is a witness. That’s why they carry it in the ark. It needs to be with them at all times. Just like now. We need the Torah by our side every day. It needs to be in plain view where we can study it and learn from it. That is the advantage of doing the daily reading schedule. It is always in your life, every day. And that is my challenge to you today. Make a promise to yourself that as the new Torah cycle begins (after Sukkot), you will immerse yourself. Pick a time every day to study, and if you happen to miss a study, make it up. Get yourself a journal to record your thoughts. Let the Torah speak to you in powerful ways each day. Remember, it is life.

This Week’s Haftarah - Isaiah 61:10-63:9

61:10 I will greatly rejoice in Hashem!

    My soul will be joyful in my Elohim,

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.

    He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

    as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland

    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth produces its bud,

    and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up,

so Hashem Adonai will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace,

    and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,

until her righteousness shines out like the dawn,

    and her salvation is like a burning lamp.

2 The nations will see your righteousness,

    and all kings your glory.

You will be called by a new name,

    which Hashem’s mouth will name.

3 You will also be a crown of beauty in Hashem’s hand,

    and a royal diadem in your Elohim’s hand.

4 You will not be called Forsaken any more,

    nor will your land be called Desolate any more;

but you will be called Hephzibah,

    and your land, Beulah;

for Hashem delights in you,

    and your land will be married.

5 For as a young man marries a virgin,

    so your sons will marry you.

As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,

    so your Elohim will rejoice over you.

6 I have set watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem.

    They will never be silent day nor night.

You who call on Hashem, take no rest,

7  and give him no rest, until He establishes,

    and until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

8 Hashem has sworn by His right hand,

    and by the arm of His strength,

“Surely I will no more give your grain to be food for your enemies,

 and foreigners will not drink your new wine, for which you have labored,

9 but those who have harvested it will eat it, and praise Hashem.

    Those who have gathered it will drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.”

10 Go through, go through the gates!

    Prepare the way of the people!

Build up, build up the highway!

    Gather out the stones!

    Lift up a banner for the peoples.

11 Behold, Hashem has proclaimed to the end of the earth,

    “Say to the daughter of Zion,

    ‘Behold, your salvation comes!

Behold, His reward is with him,

    and His recompense before him!’”

12 They will call them “The Holy People,

    Hashem’s Redeemed”.

You will be called “Sought Out,

    A City Not Forsaken”.

63:1 Who is this who comes from Edom,

    with dyed garments from Bozrah?

Who is this who is glorious in his clothing,

    marching in the greatness of his strength?

“It is I who speaks in righteousness,

    mighty to save.”

2 Why is your clothing red,

 and your garments like him who treads in the wine vat?

3 “I have trodden the wine press alone.

    Of the peoples, no one was with Me.

Yes, I trod them in My anger

    and trampled them in My wrath.

Their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,

    and I have stained all my clothing.

4 For the day of vengeance was in My heart,

    And the year of My redemption has come.

5 I looked, and there was no one to help;

    and I wondered that there was no one to uphold.

Therefore, My own arm brought salvation to Me.

    My own wrath upheld Me.

6 I trod down the peoples in My anger

    and made them drunk in My wrath.

    I poured their lifeblood out on the earth.”

7 I will tell of the loving kindnesses of Hashem

    and the praises of Hashem,

    according to all that Hashem has given to us,

and the great goodness toward the house of Israel,

    which he has given to them according to His mercies,

    and according to the multitude of His loving kindnesses.

8 For He said, “Surely, they are My people,

    children who will not deal falsely;”

    so He became their Savior.

9 In all their affliction He was afflicted,

    and the angel of His presence saved them.

In His love and in His pity, He redeemed them.

    He bore them,

    and carried them all the days of old.

         

Today’s Haftarah Meditation:

I was thinking about verse 63:7 and about how good He has been to me,  “…according to all that Hashem has given to us.” Sometimes, as we study His Scriptures, we get caught up in history, or poetry, or the people of the Bible, and we tend to forget all He has done for us. When I look back on my life and see all the amazing and wonderful things Hashem has done, I am amazed and grateful. Thank you, Hashem, for all You do for us and for Your loving kindness. Try to trust in Him today for all that is going on in your life. He loves you and is being kind.

Today’s Haftarah Challenge:

The first verse in this Haftarah is “rejoice in Hashem”.  So, what does that look like to you? Are you experiencing joy today because of who He is in your life? Are you rejoicing about Him through your prayers of thanksgiving? Are you so happy and full of joy that others see that in you? I challenge you today to reflect on your life. Make sure you are displaying His love in all you do and say. If not, make it a point to improve. We are to be lights to the nations.

Nitzavim/Vayelech - Day #6

Nitzavim - Vayelech  

Torah Portion;

Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

Deuteronomy 31:14-19

31:14 Hashem said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

15 Hashem appeared in the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood over the Tent’s door. 16 Hashem said to Moses, “Behold, you shall sleep with your fathers. This people will rise up and play the prostitute after the strange gods of the land where they go to be among them, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come on them; so that they will say in that day, ‘Haven’t these evils come on us because our Elohim is not among us?’ 18 I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.

19 “Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel.

Today’s Meditation:

Verse 17 carries strong discipline: “Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them.” Hashem prophesies that after the people begin living in the land, they will turn from Him and follow other gods. They will be influenced by the people and tempted to live a life outside of Hashem. How does Hashem react to this? He simply leaves them. He forsakes them and hides His face. Kind of like now. When we sin, we are separated from Hashem. He is no longer with us. Not until we teshuvah. We turn completely from our sin, we repent, and we make restitution. After sinning and repentance, we must fully return to Hashem. Not just a part of us but all of us. He is serious when He tells us to love Him with “all your heart, soul, and strength”. Remember all this the next time you consider sinning. Remember the cost. And stop in your tracks. Try to pray each day for Hashem to give you strength to withstand temptation.

Today’s Challenge:

Joshua and Moses met Hashem in the Tent of the Meeting (the Tabernacle). Hashem appears in a pillar of cloud. I believe this is because the cloud, in a special way, hid His presence from them so that they wouldn’t die. No one can see Elohim. That is a fact. But here is my challenge for you today. For you and for me. Let’s search for the cloud that Hashem has revealed to us. This cloud could be found through worship, prayer, and service. It may not look like a cloud, but He does present Himself to us in many ways. I see Him work miracles in my life every day. Some small, some large. Just take the time to look for Him. You may be surprised by how often He shows up throughout your day.

Nitzavim/Vayelech - Day #5

Nitzavim - Vayelech  

Torah Portion: 

Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

Deuteronomy 31:7-13

31:7 Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Hashem has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 Hashem Himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”

9 Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of Hashem’s covenant, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, in the set time of the year of release, in the feast of booths, 11 when all Israel has come to appear before Hashem your Elohim in the place which He will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and the foreigners who are within your gates, that they may hear, learn, fear Hashem your Elohim, and observe to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known, may hear and learn to fear Hashem your Elohim, as long as you live in the land where you go over the Jordan to possess it.”

Today’s Meditation:

Here they are, getting ready to go into the Promised Land. Moses is speaking to the people and encouraging them. And now he is presenting Joshua as their new leader. He tells both the people and Joshua not to be afraid. That Hashem is going ahead of them and He won’t fail them. And most importantly, not to be discouraged. I think of the times when Hashem has called me to do something, only maybe it doesn’t look like I think it should. Discouragement and confusion can set in, but that is not from Hashem. We need to seek His face and trust in Him that He has the plan. And then we try to follow Him the best we are able. Moses wanted the people to have peace in a time of change. And I pray that for your life today.

Today’s Challenge:

Today is about preparation. Moses is preparing the people and giving them specific instructions for entering the land. And here are the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark always goes first, even into battle. In your life, the Ark should come first, that is, the Torah. Make sure you are carrying it everywhere you go. Torah is life, and it has to be a big part of our lives.  That’s my challenge to you today. Place Torah study in your life every day. Fill up your heart and soul with Torah Scripture. Then resolve yourself to follow it the best you are able. Carry the Torah in your heart all day long. It will change you, mold you, and make you the best person you can be.

Nitzavim/Vayelech - Day #4

Nitzavim - Vayelech  

Torah Portion:

Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30

Deuteronomy 30:15-31:6

30:15 Behold, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and evil. 16 For I command you today to love Hashem your Elohim, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that Hashem your Elohim may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away and worship other gods, and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you will surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 to love Hashem your Elohim, to obey His voice, and to cling to Him; for he is your life, and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which Hashem swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

31:1 Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 He said to them, “I am one hundred twenty years old today. I can no more go out and come in. Hashem has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ 3 Hashem your Elohim Himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua will go over before you, as Hashem has spoken. 4 Hashem will do to them as He did to Sihon and to Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. 5 Hashem will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandment which I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for Hashem your Elohim himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”

         

Today’s Meditation:

If your heart turns away, you will perish (verses 16-17). This is a concurrent theme throughout Scripture. We must not turn to other gods (money, relationships, sin). Our life depends on it. We must only follow Hashem and His Torah. This requires us to guard our hearts. And how does that work? That means we stay saturated in His Word. That means we don’t go to places or hang out with people who tempt us to sin. Instead, we surround ourselves with people who love Hashem with all their hearts. It also means we pray and worship Him consistently. Remember, Torah is life. Not to follow Hashem and His Torah is death. I

Today’s Challenge:

When you choose life, it is required (according to today’s reading) that you love Hashem, obey His voice, and cling to Him. We know how to hear His voice (I hope). We know how to obey Him. But how do we cling to Him? Ruth clung to her mother-in-law, Naomi. She told her she would love her, follow her, and her Elohim, her country, everything. That is what clinging is. You hold close. It’s not letting go when you hug someone. I challenge you today to not let go of Hashem. To cling to Him. Give Him everything you have. Do everything for Him and for others. He is your life. Don’t let go.