Parashah 47: Re’eh (See) 11:26 –16:17

²⁶ “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — ²⁷ the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am giving you today; ²⁸ and the curse, if you don’t listen to the mitzvot of Adonai your God, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today and follow other gods that you have not known.

²⁹ “When Adonai your God brings you into the land you are entering in order to take possession of it, you are to put the blessing on Mount G’rizim and the curse on Mount ‘Eival. ³⁰ Both are west of the Yarden, in the direction of the sunset, in the land of the Kena‘ani living in the ‘Aravah, across from Gilgal, near the pistachio trees of Moreh. ³¹ For you are to cross the Yarden to enter and take possession of the land Adonai your God is giving you; you are to own it and live in it. ³² And you are to take care to follow all the laws and rulings I am setting before you today.

12 Here are the laws and rulings you are to observe and obey in the land Adonai, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess as long as you live on earth. ² You must destroy all the places where the nations you are dispossessing served their gods, whether on high mountains, on hills, or under some leafy tree. ³ Break down their altars, smash their standing-stones to pieces, burn up their sacred poles completely and cut down the carved images of their gods. Exterminate their name from that place.

⁴ “But you are not to treat Adonai your God this way. ⁵ Rather, you are to come to the place where Adonai your God will put his name. He will choose it from all your tribes; and you will seek out that place, which is where he will live, and go there. ⁶ You will bring there your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tenths [that you set aside for Adonai], the offerings that you give, the offerings you have vowed, your voluntary offerings, and the firstborn of your cattle and sheep. ⁷ There you will eat in the presence of Adonai your God; and you will rejoice over everything you set out to do, you and your households, in which Adonai your God has blessed you. ⁸ You will not do things the way we do them here today, where everyone does whatever in his own opinion seems right; ⁹ because you haven’t yet arrived at the rest and inheritance which Adonai your God is giving you. ¹⁰ But when you cross the Yarden and live in the land Adonai your God is having you inherit, and he gives you rest from all your surrounding enemies, so that you are living in safety; (ii) ¹¹ then you will bring all that I am ordering you to the place Adonai your God chooses to have his name live — your burnt offerings, sacrifices, tenths, the offering from your hand, and all your best possessions that you dedicate to Adonai; ¹² and you will rejoice in the presence of Adonai your God — you, your sons and daughters, your male and female slaves and the Levi staying with you, inasmuch as he has no share or inheritance with you.

¹³ “Be careful not to offer your burnt offerings just anywhere you see, ¹⁴ but do it in the place Adonai will choose in one of your tribal territories; there is where you are to offer your burnt offerings and do everything I order you to do. ¹⁵ However, you may slaughter and eat meat wherever you live and whenever you want, in keeping with the degree to which Adonai your God has blessed you. The unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer. ¹⁶ But don’t eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

¹⁷ “You are not to eat on your own property the tenth of your grain, new wine or olive oil [that you set aside for Adonai], or the firstborn of your cattle or sheep, or any offering you have vowed, or your voluntary offering, or the offering from your hand. ¹⁸ No, you are to eat these in the presence of Adonai your God in the place Adonai your God will choose — you and your sons, daughters, male and female slaves, and the Levi who is your guest; and you are to rejoice before Adonai your God in everything you undertake to do. ¹⁹ As long as you are living on your property, take care not to abandon the Levi.

²⁰ “When Adonai your God expands your territory, as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I want to eat meat,’ simply because you want to eat meat, then you may eat meat, as much as you want. ²¹ If the place which Adonai your God chooses to place his name is too far away from you; then you are to slaughter animals from your cattle or sheep, which Adonai has given you; and eat on your own property, as much as you want. ²² Eat it as you would gazelle or deer; the unclean and clean alike may eat it. ²³ Just take care not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you are not to eat the life with the meat. ²⁴ Don’t eat it, but pour it out on the ground like water. ²⁵ Do not eat it, so that things will go well with you and with your children after you, as you do what Adonai sees as right. ²⁶ Only the things set aside for God which you have, and the vows you have vowed to make, you must take and go to the place which Adonai will choose. ²⁷ There you will offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the altar of Adonai your God. The blood of your sacrifices is to be poured out on the altar of Adonai your God, and you will eat the meat. ²⁸ Obey and pay attention to everything I am ordering you to do, so that things will go well with you and with your descendants after you forever, as you do what Adonai sees as good and right.

(iii) ²⁹ “When Adonai your God has cut off ahead of you the nations you are entering in order to dispossess, and when you have dispossessed them and are living in their land; ³⁰ be careful, after they have been destroyed ahead of you, not to be trapped into following them; so that you inquire after their gods and ask, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I want to do the same.’ ³¹ You must not do this to Adonai your God! For they have done to their gods all the abominations that Adonai hates! They even burn up their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods!

13 ^(12:32) “Everything I am commanding you, you are to take care to do. Do not add to it or subtract from it.

^2 (1) “If a prophet or someone who gets messages while dreaming arises among you and he gives you a sign or wonder, ^3 (2) and the sign or wonder comes about as he predicted when he said, ‘Let’s follow other gods, which you have not known; and let us serve them,’ ^4 (3) you are not to listen to what that prophet or dreamer says. For Adonai your God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do love Adonai your God with all your heart and being. ^5 (4) You are to follow Adonai your God, fear him, obey his mitzvot, listen to what he says, serve him and cling to him; ^6 (5) and that prophet or dreamer is to be put to death; because he urged rebellion against Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from a life of slavery; in order to seduce you away from the path Adonai your God ordered you to follow. This is how you are to rid your community of this wickedness.

^7 (6) “If your brother the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or your wife whom you love, or your friend who means as much to you as yourself, secretly tries to entice you to go and serve other gods, which you haven’t known, neither you nor your ancestors — ^8 (7) gods of the peoples surrounding you, whether near or far away from you, anywhere in the world — ^9 (8) you are not to consent, and you are not to listen to him; and you must not pity him or spare him; and you may not conceal him. ^10 (9) Rather, you must kill him! Your own hand must be the first one on him in putting him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people. ^11 (10) You are to stone him to death; because he has tried to draw you away from Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a life of slavery. ^12 (11) Then all Isra’el will hear about it and be afraid, so that they will stop doing such wickedness as this among themselves.

^13 (12) “If you hear it told that in one of your cities which Adonai your God is giving you to live in, ^14 (13) certain scoundrels have sprung up among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city by saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods, which you haven’t known,’ ^15 (14) then you are to investigate the matter, inquiring and searching diligently. If the rumor is true, if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done among you, ^16 (15) you must put the inhabitants of that city to death with the sword, destroying it completely with the sword, everything in it, including its livestock. ^17 (16) Heap all its spoils in an open space, and burn the city with its spoils to the ground for Adonai your God; it will remain a tel forever and not be built again — ^18 (17) none of what has been set apart for destruction is to stay in your hands. Then Adonai will turn from his fierce anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and increase your numbers, as he swore to your ancestors — ^19 (18) provided you listen to what Adonai says and obey all his mitzvot that I am giving you today, thus doing what Adonai your God sees as right.

14 (iv) “You are the people of Adonai your God. You are not to gash yourselves or shave the hair above your foreheads in mourning for the dead, ² because you are a people set apart as holy for Adonai your God. Adonai your God has chosen you to be his own unique treasure out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.

³ “You are not to eat anything disgusting. ⁴ The animals which you may eat are: ox, sheep, goat, ⁵ deer, gazelle, roebuck, ibex, antelope, oryx and mountain sheep. ⁶ Any animal that has a separate hoof that is completely divided and also chews the cud, these animals you may eat. ⁷ But you are not to eat those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof. For example, the camel, the hare and the coney are unclean for you because they chew the cud but don’t have a separate hoof; ⁸ while the pig is unclean for you because, although it has a separate hoof, it doesn’t chew the cud. You are not to eat meat from these or touch their carcasses.

⁹ “Of all that lives in the water, you may eat these: anything in the water that has fins and scales, these you may eat. ¹⁰ But whatever lacks fins and scales you are not to eat; it is unclean for you.

¹¹ “You may eat any clean bird; ¹² but these you are not to eat: eagles, vultures, ospreys, ¹³ kites, any kind of buzzard, ¹⁴ any kind of raven, ¹⁵ ostriches, screech-owls, seagulls, any kind of hawk, ¹⁶ little owls, great owls, horned owls, ¹⁷ pelicans, barn owls, cormorants, ¹⁸ storks, any kind of heron, hoopoes and bats.

¹⁹ “All winged swarming creatures are unclean for you; they are not to be eaten; ²⁰ but all clean flying creatures you may eat.

²¹ “You are not to eat any animal that dies naturally; although you may let a stranger staying with you eat it, or sell it to a foreigner; because you are a holy people for Adonai your God.

“You are not to boil a young animal in its mother’s milk.

(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

⁹ “‘On Shabbat offer two male lambs in their first year and without defect, with one gallon of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with olive oil, and its drink offering. ¹⁰ This is the burnt offering for every Shabbat, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

¹¹ “‘At each Rosh-Hodesh of yours, you are to present a burnt offering to Adonai consisting of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs in their first year and without defect; ¹² with six quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for the one ram; ¹³ and two quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for each lamb. This will be the burnt offering giving a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire for Adonai. ¹⁴ Their drink offerings will be two quarts of wine for a bull, one-and-one-third quarts for the ram, and one quart for each lamb. This is the burnt offering for every Rosh-Hodesh throughout the months of the year. ¹⁵ Also a male goat is to be offered as a sin offering to Adonai, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.