Rosh Chodesh Elul, Tues Night

Green Acres, This Sunday, 4pm to 8pm

Knock out English text for V’Shamru

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תא חזי

“Come and see.”

Zohar, Bereshit 86

Hebrew:בֹּא וּרְאֵה Bo u’Re’eh

Aramaic:תא חזי Ta Chazi

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The Babylonian Talmud, when it wants to invite us to inquire and study deeper, it says “Ta Shma!” (Come and Hear). When the Jerusalem Talmud and Zohar want us to go deeper, it says “Ta Chazi.”

“See, I set before you this day �a blessing and a curse.”

Deuteronomy 11:26

“…a person who vividly sees, with his mind's eye, �the potential outcome of his actions, �may choose to act differently.”

R’ Aba Wagensberg, Between the Lines, Aish.com

רְאֵה

אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה׃

“There is a grammatical inconsistency in the first sentence of Re'eh that may hold the secret to our exploration of vision. The text says, "See, I have set before you this day..." The imperative verb "see" is in the singular in the Hebrew phrasing, yet the "before you" is in the plural. In the journey of Torah, a mistake like this becomes a doorway. . . RE'EH begins by commanding each of us to "See!" - to open the eyes of our hearts and behold the world that has been set before us. This clear seeing is both our redemption and our blessing. Only when our vision is no longer obscured by false beliefs, fear, or the illusion of separateness, can we experience the freedom to choose the Blessing that is being offered to us. We are commanded first to SEE, because without that clear vision, it may not be possible to discern blessing from curse.”

Shefa Gold’s Torah Journeys, Re’eh

“I set before you this day a blessing and a curse” can be read as, “Behold I set before you this day — a blessing and a curse.” In other words, the day itself is a blessing or a curse. The day, the present moment, the now that is presented to us each day anew, can be viewed as, and made into, a blessing or a curse. “I have set before you a blessing and a curse” means the choice is before us. It is up to us whether it is a blessing or, Heaven forbid, a curse. Rather than being mere recipients of life, dealing with whatever is presented to us, we can be co-creators in life, living from the inside out and choosing to interpret reality proactively…This is how to see blessings everywhere. And indeed, when we live in a way that we see everything as a blessing, we ourselves become a blessing.”

R’ Dovber Pinson, Awakenings: Drawing Life from the Weekly Torah Reading (p. 392). IYYUN PUBLISHING. Kindle Edition.

“When G-d sends bounty (blessing), it descends as an undifferentiated light. It is up to the individual to form a vessel to receive that bounty. If one’s vessel is whole – i.e. if he guards his covenant – then he can receive G-d’s blessing. But if his vessel is not whole, G-d forbid, then although the light of blessing comes to him, he has no means of receiving it. Thus the verse states, “See I am placing before you.” G-d sends his light from Above; it is up to you to perfect your vessel so you can receive it.”

Likutey Moharan I, 36:6, cited in Rebbe Nachman’s Torah, Volume III, pg. 258

MOUNT EIVAL

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Cursed in the City & Field

Cursed be the fruit of your womb

Cursed be the fruit of your field

Cursed be the fruit of your cattle

Cursed be the kneading of your dough

Cursed be your coming in & going out

Pestilence will cleave to you

Cursed be all the works of your hands

Be destroyed and perish quickly

MOUNT G’RIZIM

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Blessed in the City & Field

Blessed be the fruit of your womb

Blessed be the fruit of your field

Blessed be the fruit of your cattle

Blessed be the kneading of your dough

Blessed be your coming in & going out

Your enemies shall flee from you

Blessed be all the works of your hands

Give the Rain of the Land in its season

If there will arise among you a prophet . . . and he gives you a sign or a wonder (13:2)

The people of Israel did not believe in Moses because of the miracles he performed. Indeed, one who believes because of miracles retains a measure of doubt in his heart, since a “miracle” can be done by trickery or sorcery. Rather, all the miracles he performed in the desert were by necessity, not to prove his prophecy. It was necessary to drown the Egyptians, so he split the sea and submerged them in it. They needed food, so he brought down the manna. They thirsted, so he split the rock. Korach and his company denied [his authority], so the earth swallowed them up. And the same with all the miracles. So why did they believe in him? Because when we stood at Sinai, our own eyes saw and our own ears heard the fire, the sounds and the flames, and how Moses approached the cloud and G‑d’s voice called to him…The event at Sinai alone is the proof that Moses’ prophecy is true without the shadow of a doubt, as it is written [Exodus 19:9], “Behold, I shall come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people should hear Me speak to you, and also believe in you forever.” From this we see that prior to that they did not believe in him with a faith that is everlasting, only with a faith that leaves a possibility for doubts and second thoughts…”

“Thus, the ones to whom Moses was sent are themselves the witnesses that his prophecy is authentic, so that he needn’t perform any proofs for them. He and they both witnessed [his prophecy] together, like two witnesses who witnessed something together, each one of whom is a witness that his fellow is saying the truth, and neither of whom requires any proof of the other’s honesty . . .So if a prophet arises and performs signs and great wonders and seeks to deny Moses’ prophecy, we do not listen to him, and we know with certainty that these signs are by trickery and sorcery. For Moses’ prophecy is not based on proofs, that we should weigh these proofs against those proofs. Rather, we saw it with our eyes and heard it with our ears, just as Moses did. This is as if witnesses would testify to a person regarding something he saw with his own eyes that it was not as he saw it; this person would take no heed of them, but know surely that they are false witnesses . . .”

Mishneh Torah, Laws of the Fundamentals of Torah 8:1–3, cited at Chabad.org

^“As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. ³⁰ And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Yeshua was passing by, cried out, “Master, have mercy on us, Son of David!” ³¹ But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Master, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³² And Yeshua stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³³ They *said to Him, “Master, we want our eyes to be opened.” ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Yeshua touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.”

Matthew 20:29-34, NASB (Modified)

“Yeshua said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house.” He could do no mighty work there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He marveled because of their unbelief. He went around the villages teaching…” �Mark 6:4-7

“Then certain of the scribes and P’rushim answered, "Rabbi, we want to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Yonah the prophet.”

Matthew 12:38-39

⁶ Then they came to Jericho. And later, as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a beggar who was blind named Bar Timai, the son of Timai, was sitting by the road.⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Yeshua the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Yeshua, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ And Yeshua stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the man who was blind, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”⁵⁰ And throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and came to Yeshua. ⁵¹ And replying to him, Yeshua said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man who was blind said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” ⁵² And Yeshua said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

Mark 10:46-52, NASB (Modified)

“He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took hold of the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. He looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees walking.” Then again, he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly…” �Mark 8:22-26

“There is a tradition that the spittle of the firstborn of a father is healing…”�Bava Batra 126b, Soncino Press Edition

 “This depiction of a two-stage healing may anticipate the two-stage reception of Jesus’ messianic identity: the disciples have a lack of clear vision (they understand Jesus is the “messiah,” but they don’t know what the term means, and they only grasp the full reality later, after Jesus’ death…”�The Jewish Annotated New Testament, Mark 8, pg. 76

“Come and see.”�Revelation 6:1

“Come and see.”�Revelation 6:3

“Come and see.”�Revelation 6:5

“Come and see.”�Revelation 6:7

“And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ Yeshua saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Yeshua answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰  Yeshua answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”�John 1:46-50, NKJV (Modified)

“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of G-d, says this: ¹⁵ ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. . . you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, ¹⁸ I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. ²² The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the communities.’

Revelation 3:14-22 (NASB, Modified)

“I have set before you this day….” What you have is ‘this day’; not yesterday and not tomorrow. And every day is a totally new day. Just as no two people are the same, since the beginning of Creation, no two days have ever been the same. Nor, in fact, have two moments been the same. Every day and every moment brings with it new opportunities to create blessings.”

R’ Dovber Pinson, Awakenings: Drawing Life from the Weekly Torah Reading (p. 393). IYYUN PUBLISHING. Kindle Edition.

גַּל־עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ

“Open my eyes, that I see�the wonders of Your Torah.”

Psalm 119:18