(v) ²² “Every year you must take one tenth of everything your seed produces in the field, ²³ and eat it in the presence of Adonai your God. In the place where he chooses to have his name live you will eat the tenth of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep, so that you will learn to fear Adonai your God always. ²⁴ But if the distance is too great for you, so that you are unable to transport it, because the place where Adonai chooses to put his name is too far away from you; then, when Adonai your God prospers you, ²⁵ you are to convert it into money, take the money with you, go to the place which Adonai your God will choose, ²⁶ and exchange the money for anything you want — cattle, sheep, wine, other intoxicating liquor, or anything you please — and you are to eat there in the presence of Adonai your God, and enjoy yourselves, you and your household.

²⁷ “But don’t neglect the Levi staying with you, because he has no share or inheritance like yours. ²⁸ At the end of every three years you are to take all the tenths of your produce from that year and store it in your towns. ²⁹ Then the Levi, because he has no share or inheritance like yours, along with the foreigner, the orphan and the widow living in your towns, will come, eat and be satisfied — so that Adonai your God will bless you in everything your hands produce.

15 (vi) “At the end of every seven years you are to have a sh’mittah. ² Here is how the sh’mittah is to be done: every creditor is to give up what he has loaned to his fellow member of the community — he is not to force his neighbor or relative to repay it, because Adonai’s time of remission has been proclaimed. ³ You may demand that a foreigner repay his debt, but you are to release your claim on whatever your brother owes you. ⁴ In spite of this, there will be no one needy among you; because Adonai will certainly bless you in the land which Adonai your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess — ⁵ if only you will listen carefully to what Adonai your God says and take care to obey all these mitzvot I am giving you today. ⁶ Yes, Adonai your God will bless you, as he promised you — you will lend money to many nations without having to borrow, and you will rule over many nations without their ruling over you.

⁷ “If someone among you is needy, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which Adonai your God is giving you, you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from giving to your needy brother. ⁸ No, you must open your hand to him and lend him enough to meet his need and enable him to obtain what he wants. ⁹ Guard yourself against allowing your heart to entertain the mean-spirited thought that because the seventh year, the year of sh’mittah is at hand, you would be stingy toward your needy brother and not give him anything; for then he may cry out to Adonai against you, and it will be your sin. ¹⁰ Rather, you must give to him; and you are not to be grudging when you give to him. If you do this, Adonai your God will bless you in all your work, in everything you undertake — ¹¹ for there will always be poor people in the land. That is why I am giving you this order, ‘You must open your hand to your poor and needy brother in your land.’

¹² “If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, is sold to you, he is to serve you for six years; but in the seventh year, you are to set him free. ¹³ Moreover, when you set him free, don’t let him leave empty-handed; ¹⁴ but supply him generously from your flock, threshing-floor and winepress; from what Adonai your God has blessed you with, you are to give to him. ¹⁵ Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this order today. ¹⁶ But if he says to you, ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household, and because his life with you is a good one; ¹⁷ then take an awl, and pierce his ear through, right into the door; and he will be your slave forever. Do the same with your female slave. ¹⁸ Don’t resent it when you set him free, since during his six years of service he has been worth twice as much as a hired employee. Then Adonai your God will bless you in everything you do.

(vii) ¹⁹ “All the firstborn males in your herd of cattle and in your flock you are to set aside for Adonai your God; you are not to do any work with a firstborn from your herd or shear a firstborn sheep. ²⁰ Each year you and your household are to eat it in the presence of Adonai your God in the place which Adonai will choose. ²¹ But if it has a defect, is lame or blind, or has some other kind of fault, you are not to sacrifice it to Adonai your God; ²² rather, eat it on your own property; the unclean and the clean alike may eat it, like the gazelle or the deer. ²³ Just don’t eat its blood, but pour it out on the ground like water.

16 “Observe the month of Aviv, and keep Pesach to Adonai your God; for in the month of Aviv, Adonai your God brought you out of Egypt at night. ² You are to sacrifice the Pesach offering from flock and herd to Adonai your God in the place where Adonai will choose to have his name live. ³ You are not to eat any hametz with it; for seven days you are to eat with it matzah, the bread of affliction; for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste. Thus you will remember the day you left the land of Egypt as long as you live. ⁴ No leaven is to be seen with you anywhere in your territory for seven days. None of the meat from your sacrifice on the first day in the evening is to remain all night until morning. ⁵ You may not sacrifice the Pesach offering in just any of the towns that Adonai your God is giving you; ⁶ but at the place where Adonai your God will choose to have his name live — there is where you are to sacrifice the Pesach offering, in the evening, when the sun sets, at the time of year that you came out of Egypt. ⁷ You are to roast it and eat it in the place Adonai your God will choose; in the morning you will return and go to your tents. ⁸ For six days you are to eat matzah; on the seventh day there is to be a festive assembly for Adonai your God; do not do any kind of work.

⁹ “You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain. ¹⁰ You are to observe the festival of Shavu‘ot [weeks] for Adonai your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which Adonai your God has prospered you. ¹¹ You are to rejoice in the presence of Adonai your God — you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L’vi’im living in your towns, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you — in the place where Adonai your God will choose to have his name live. ¹² Remember that you were a slave in Egypt; then you will keep and obey these laws.

(Maftir) ¹³ “You are to keep the festival of Sukkot for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing-floor and winepress. ¹⁴ Rejoice at your festival — you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves, the L’vi’im, and the foreigners, orphans and widows living among you. ¹⁵ Seven days you are to keep the festival for Adonai your God in the place Adonai your God will choose, because Adonai your God will bless you in all your crops and in all your work, so you are to be full of joy!

¹⁶ “Three times a year all your men are to appear in the presence of Adonai your God in the place which he will choose — at the festival of matzah, at the festival of Shavu‘ot and at the festival of Sukkot. They are not to show up before Adonai empty-handed, ¹⁷ but every man is to give what he can, in accordance with the blessing Adonai your God has given you.

Haftarah Re’eh: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 54:11–55:5

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Re’eh: 1 Corinthians 5:9–13; 1 Yochanan (1 John) 4:1–6

¹⁹ but present an offering made by fire, a burnt offering, to Adonai, consisting of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs in their first year (they are to be without defect for you) ²⁰ with their grain offering, fine flour mixed with olive oil. Offer six quarts for a bull, four quarts for the ram, ²¹ and two quarts for each of the seven lambs; ²² also a male goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you. ²³ You are to offer these in addition to the morning burnt offering, which is the regular burnt offering. ²⁴ In this fashion you are to offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, making a fragrant aroma for Adonai ; it is to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.