Weekly Parashah Commentary

[John]

Hello everyone. Please read the banner. on it is a very important anouncement about a weekly parashah study. this is the first big staff project and i expect contribution from all of you. there are some, like you itiswritten, who i expect to help even if they have no comments or suggestions. others, like pioneer, will be exempt because he is in the process of moving.

if you do not help with the weekly parashah study before it goes up, your staff posistion will be removed. if you have a good reason, please PM me and i will put your position back up.

go to l"staff corner" because it contains some of the questions i need answereed in creating the Parashah study.


shalom and blessings to you all- john

[John]

i have decided that we will be working for next weeks commentary, and i will write this one on my own, to show you what i am looking for. i will post it tommoow or the day after prob.\

shalom- john

[itiswritten]

Re'eh begins with describing the blessings and curses for obeying the commandments of YHVH or disobedience. It should be noted that as the parasha opens we see the aleph-tav in the first verse. However, the aleph-tav is seen only next to the blessing.

In this weeks portion we are reminded to not bring in the pagan customs of other people into our worship of the Most High. These pagan forms of worship are considered an abomination. Despite these warnings, clearly Christianity is filled with pagan customs and practices. It is important that we avoid this kind of mixing. Just as we are admonished in this portion not to "add or take away from these words," we should not add pagan customs or take away from the correct customs outlined in the scriptures.

Eating throughout the scriptures is linked with worship whether it is true worship or false. Instructions are given in the ways this should be done and where. Repeatedly, we are told to not eat blood, for the life is in the blood. This evening in our study a lady who happens to be a Chickasaw Indian was telling me that some Native American tribes would kill certain animals and eat their hearts. In doing this, it was believed that they were taken the soul of the animal into themselves. It is interesting that the scripture says that the life (nephesh) is in the blood. Although in many translations nephesh is translated as life in this section, normally nephesh is translated as soul.
We could then say that the "soul is in the blood."

We also see a completely different picture of the tithe described in this portion than is usually heard in mainstream religion. The tither actually was able to partake of the tithe themselves. In fact, we are told that if a person lived a great distance that they were to exchange the items that were designated for the tithe for silver. They were to then travel to the prescribed location and purchase whatever their soul desired including strong drink. They would purchase food and have a huge feast for their family. Also the Levite, widows, orphans and the strangers were to be invited to participate in this great celebration.

As the portion closes, we are given in some detail what is often referred to as the three pilgrimage feasts. Passover/Unleavened Bread, Shavuot (Weeks) and the Feast of Sukkot. (Tabernacles) (For a complete list of the feasts see Lev 23) The descriptions of these three feast is fairly brief. Mainly we are reminded to not eat leaven during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, to count seven weeks leading up to Shavuot and to rejoice before YHVH during the feast of Sukkot.

[John]

wowo- nice commentary. sorry that i couldnt put it out. i think i might just for fun, even though this is not the week for that.

shalom- john