Devarim - Day #7

Devarim דְּבָרִים - Words  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1-27

Shabbat: Deuteronomy 3:15–22

3:15 I gave Gilead to Machir. 16 To the Reubenites and to the Gadites I gave from Gilead even to the valley of the Arnon, the middle of the valley, and its border, even to the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; 17 the Arabah also, and the Jordan and its border, from Chinnereth even to the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah eastward.

18 I commanded you at that time, saying, “Hashem your Elohim has given you this land to possess it. All of you men of valor shall pass over armed before your brothers, the children of Israel. 19 But your wives, and your little ones, and your livestock, (I know that you have much livestock), shall live in your cities which I have given you, 20 until Hashem gives rest to your brothers, as to you, and they also possess the land which Hashem your Elohim gives them beyond the Jordan. Then you shall each return to his own possession, which I have given you.”

21 I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, “Your eyes have seen all that Hashem your Elohim has done to these two kings. So shall Hashem do to all the kingdoms where you go over. 22 You shall not fear them; for Hashem your Elohim Himself fights for you.”

Today’s Meditation:

Hashem is working things out for the tribes who want to stay east of the Jordan, verse 20: “Then you shall each return to his own possession, which I have given you.” It is so wonderful to know that Hashem is the One who gives us anything in our lives. Where we live, where we work, our relationships, and our lives. We just need to be in a relationship with Him so that we realize this. He creates and owns everything, and we must take good care of the things that He places in our lives. We have been selling our house and moving. I have stayed in close contact with Hashem every step of the way. And I must admit I have seen several moves of His hands on all of this. But, bottom line, He owns our house, He owns my family, and He owns my life. And I am glad. I am His. And that is a privilege and a comfort.

Today’s Challenge:

Hashem fights our battles. We read in verse 22, “You shall not fear them; for Hashem your Elohim Himself fights for you.” Hashem has been putting something on my heart about creating a non-profit agency. I think about all the miracles He would do through this project, and then I start wondering how the enemy might oppose it. Then I realize that this will be Hashem’s plan and He will protect it. He will defeat the enemy if the enemy plans any attempts to cause trouble. That is so reassuring. My challenge to you is today to trust in Hashem. If you are going through a battle, seek His face and ask for help. Ask Him to defeat the enemy and protect you. We are assured through the Torah that He will do this.

This Week’s Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1-27

1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2 Hear, heavens,

    and listen, earth; for Hashem has spoken:

“I have nourished and brought up children

    and they have rebelled against me.

3 The ox knows his owner,

    and the donkey his master’s crib;

    but Israel doesn’t know.

    My people don’t consider.” 

4 Ah, sinful nation,

    a people loaded with iniquity,

    Offspring of evildoers,

    children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken Hashem.

    They have despised the Holy One of Israel.

    They are estranged and backward.

5 Why should you be beaten more?

    that you revolt more and more?

The whole head is sick,

    and the whole heart faints.

6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it:

    wounds, welts, and open sores.

    They haven’t been closed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.

7 Your country is desolate.

    Your cities are burned with fire.

    Strangers devour your land in your presence

    and it is desolate,

    as overthrown by strangers.

8 The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard,

    like a hut in a field of melons,

    like a besieged city.

9 Unless Hashem of Armies had left to us a very small remnant,

    we would have been as Sodom.

    We would have been like Gomorrah.

10 Hear Hashem’s word, you rulers of Sodom!

    Listen to the law of our Elohim, you people of Gomorrah!

11 “What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?”, says Hashem.

    “I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams

    and the fat of fed animals.

    I don’t delight in the blood of bulls,

    or of lambs,

    or of male goats.

12 When you come to appear before me,

    who has required this at your hand, to trample My courts?

13 Bring no more vain offerings.

    Incense is an abomination to me.

    New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations:

    I can’t stand evil assemblies.

14 My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts.

    They are a burden to Me.

    I am weary of bearing them.

15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you.

    Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear.

    Your hands are full of blood.

16 Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean.

    Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.

    Cease to do evil.

17 Learn to do well.

    Seek justice.

    Relieve the oppressed.

Defend the fatherless.

Plead for the widow.”

18 “Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Hashem:

    “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.

    Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If you are willing and obedient,

    you will eat the good of the land;

20 but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword;

    for the Hashem’s mouth has spoken it.”

21 How the faithful city has become a prostitute!

    She was full of justice.

Righteousness lodged in her,

    but now there are murderers.

22 Your silver has become dross,

    your wine mixed with water.

23 Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves.

    Everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards.

    They don’t defend the fatherless,

    neither does the cause of the widow come to them.

24 Therefore, Adonai, Hashem of Armies,

    the Mighty One of Israel says:

“Ah, I will get relief from My adversaries,

    and avenge Myself on My enemies.

25 I will turn My hand on you,

    thoroughly purge away your dross,

    and will take away all your tin.

26 I will restore your judges as at the first,

    and your counselors as at the beginning.

Afterward, you shall be called ‘The city of righteousness,

    a faithful town.’

27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice,

    and her converts with righteousness.

Today’s Haftarah Meditation:

The commands and promises are simple. We read in verses 18-20, “Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Hashem:  “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured with the sword; for the Hashem’s mouth has spoken it.” If you obey, you will be blessed; if you do not, you will be devoured. Plain and simple. What is it about this that we don’t get? Why do we continue to sin and turn our faces away from Hashem? There is no excuse. Yes, we are exiled, but we need to get over that. We must follow and obey Torah and Hashem.

Today’s Haftarah Challenge:

Here is the answer to disobedience in verses 16-17, “Wash yourselves. Make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless. Plead for the widow.” Easy. Stop sinning and do good (help others). That’s your challenge today. Try to make your own life and the lives of those around you better.

Devarim - Day #6

Devarim דְּבָרִים - Words  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

Deuteronomy 2:31–3:14

2:31 Hashem said to me, “Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before you. Begin to possess, that you may inherit his land.” 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. 33 Hashem our Elohim delivered him up before us; and we struck him, his sons, and all his people. 34 We took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. We left no one remaining. 35 Only the livestock we took for plunder for ourselves, with the plunder of the cities which we had taken. 36 From Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the valley, even to Gilead, there was not a city too high for us. Hashem our Elohim delivered up all before us. 37 Only to the land of the children of Ammon you didn’t come near: all the banks of the river Jabbok, and the cities of the hill country, and wherever Hashem our Elohim forbade us.

3:1 Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. 2 Hashem said to me, “Don’t fear him; for I have delivered him, with all his people and his land, into your hand. You shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.”

3 So Hashem our Elohim also delivered into our hand Og, the king of Bashan, and all his people. We struck him until no one was left to him remaining. 4 We took all his cities at that time. There was not a city that we didn’t take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, in addition to a great many villages without walls. 6 We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon, king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones. 7 But all the livestock, and the plunder of the cities, we took for plunder for ourselves. 8 We took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon. 9 (The Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.) 10 We took all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, to Salecah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 11 (For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, after the cubit of a man.) 12 This land we took in possession at that time: from Aroer, which is by the valley of the Arnon, and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites; 13 and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to the half-tribe of Manasseh—all the region of Argob, even all Bashan. (The same is called the land of Rephaim. 14 Jair, the son of Manasseh, took all the region of Argob, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth Jair, to this day.)

Today’s Meditation:

This is where people struggle with Torah history. Why the battles? Why the killing of children and women? The only answer is this. Hashem told them to do so. There are things we cannot understand with our earthly minds. And that is when we have to trust Hashem. We know that the conquered people were most likely approached first with bargaining points. They most likely offered to travel through peacefully and pay for water and food. If they refused, then Hashem delivered them into the Israelites' hands. War is hard to understand and makes us very sad. That is why we must strive toward unity with our enemies. We must treat others better than ourselves. We must be kind and generous. And we must be forgiving. This will all be groundwork for peace.

Today’s Challenge:

In verse 36, we read, “Hashem our Elohim delivered up all before us.” He went ahead of the Israelites and prepared the way. Even if we do not understand everything, there is one central truth here. If He asks you to do something, He will prepare the way for you to go. Here’s my challenge today. If you feel that Hashem is taking you in a specific direction but you are hesitant, don’t be. Believe in your heart that He will not only direct your path but also prepare the way ahead of time. He will then walk with you through it. Someone once told me: He doesn’t call you unless He equips you. I believe that, don’t you?

Devarim - Day #5

Devarim דְּבָרִים - Words  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

Deuteronomy 2:2–30

2:2 Hashem spoke to me, saying, 3 “You have encircled this mountain long enough. Turn northward. 4 Command the people, saying, ‘You are to pass through the border of your brothers, the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. Therefore, be careful. 5 Don’t contend with them; for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on, because I have given Mount Seir to Esau for a possession. 6 You shall purchase food from them for money, that you may eat. You shall also buy water from them for money, that you may drink.’”

7 For Hashem your Elohim has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has known you are walking through this great wilderness. These forty years, Hashem your Elohim has been with you. You have lacked nothing.

8 So we passed by from our brothers, the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah, from Elath and from Ezion Geber. We turned and passed by the way of the wilderness of Moab.

9 Hashem said to me, “Don’t bother Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give you any of his land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the children of Lot for a possession.”

10 (The Emim lived there before, a great and numerous people, and tall as the Anakim. 11 These also are considered to be Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them Emim. 12 The Horites also lived in Seir in the past, but the children of Esau succeeded them. They destroyed them from before them, and lived in their place, as Israel did to the land of his possession, which Hashem gave to them.)

13 “Now rise up, and cross over the brook Zered.” We went over the brook Zered.

14 The days in which we came from Kadesh Barnea until we had come over the brook Zered were thirty-eight years: until all the generation of the men of war were consumed from the middle of the camp, as Hashem swore to them. 15 Moreover, Hashem’s hand was against them to destroy them from the middle of the camp until they were consumed. 16 So, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people, 17 Hashem spoke to me, saying, 18 “You are to pass over Ar, the border of Moab, today. 19 When you come near the border of the children of Ammon, don’t bother them, nor contend with them; for I will not give you any of the land of the children of Ammon for a possession, because I have given it to the children of Lot for a possession.”

20 (That also is considered a land of Rephaim. Rephaim lived there in the past, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, 21 a great people, many, and tall, as the Anakim; but Hashem destroyed them from before Israel, and they succeeded them, and lived in their place; 22 as he did for the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them; and they succeeded them, and lived in their place even to this day. 23 Then the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza: the Caphtorim, who came out of Caphtor, destroyed them and lived in their place.)

24 “Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle. 25 Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

26 I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon, king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 27 “Let me pass through your land. I will go along the highway. I will turn neither to the right hand nor to the left. 28 You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give me water for money, that I may drink. Just let me pass through on my feet, 29 as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir, and the Moabites who dwell in Ar, did to me; until I pass over the Jordan into the land which Hashem our Elohim gives us.” 30 But Sihon, king of Heshbon, would not let us pass by him; for Hashem our Elohim hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as it is today.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we read about specifics, where to go, and what to do. Do not attack, but be willing to pay for food and water. And the reasons why. And then there is this huge promise in verse 25, “Today I will begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole sky, who shall hear the report of you, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you.” It’s like Hashem is taking care of everything. He gives very detailed instructions for travel, then says the people will be fearful of them because Hashem will make it known He is with them. I don’t think He has ever stopped doing this. He prepares the way for all of us and shields us from the enemy. But there is a contingency in all of this. We must follow and obey Him and His Torah. We must serve Him and Him only. We must love Him with all our hearts, souls, and strength. Then and only then might His promises be fulfilled.

Today’s Challenge:

If we follow and obey, then verse 7 will come to fruition: “For Hashem your Elohim has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has known you are walking through this great wilderness. These forty years, Hashem your Elohim has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” He will bless all you do. He will walk with you. And you will lack nothing. My challenge to you is to make sure this happens. Change your life to follow only Him. And serve only Him. Then you will no longer be walking alone. You will have the comfort and protection of Hashem.