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I want to suggest that the key pasuk comes right smack in the middle of the parsha (14:1): "You are children to Hashem your G-d; you shall not cut yourselves nor make a bald spot between your eyes for a dead person." I’m guessing you’re not quite sure why davka this oblique verse is the key to understanding the Sedra. But consider its message: First, we are G-d’s children. He loves us, He cherishes us, He wants us to be whole – not cut up into pieces (extreme body-piercers please take note!).
But the word "titgo’d’du," cut up, has another meaning. We are not supposed to divide ourselves into rival, disparate cliques ("g’dudim") which separate one Jew from another. Our strength lies in our commonality of both dogma & destiny, past & practice, friendship & future. The more we "cut ourselves off" from our co-religionists, the more estranged we become from our Eternal Father, the more our collective family suffers.
We also are warned not to create a "bald spot" between our eyes. One of the most important qualities of a Jew is to have an "ayin tov," i.e. to see others in a benevolent fashion, to look upon our neighbor favorably. The fact that we have 2 eyes, & not just one, metaphorically allows us to see both sides of an issue, & judge favorably.
Our entire Sedra, then, is devoted to bringing the nation together, by establishing standards of proper behavior, including the way we eat & the way we celebrate; by promoting charity, which binds the rich to the poor; by instituting the Sabbatical year, when debts would be forgiven. And by stressing the centrality of the Land of Israel, the Great Equalizer of each & every Jew.
This Shabbat we celebrate Rosh Chodesh Elul, a month symbolized by the mantra: "Ani L’Dodi V’Dodi Li:" I am my Beloved’s & He is mine. The marriage motif is prominent during this time, as we pledge our eternal love to G-d. At a (Ashkenaz) wedding, the kalla circles the chatan 7 times, reminiscent of when Yehoshua circled the walls of Jericho. Through marriage, by sharing our love with another, we break down the barriers of loneliness & isolation, "cut" through the walls which divide us, & see one another - & all the world – with loving eyes.
What better way to insure our blessing for the New Year?
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
