Vaetchanan 2009

In the Twelfth Century Yehuda HaLevi wrote a book called The Kuzari. It is a fictionalized account of the conversion of the King of the Khazars to Judaism. It was written as a polemic, explaining to Jews under pressure from other religions why they should not convert, why Judaism was better.

In the book, the king of the Khazars decides he needs to change his belief system, and invites a philosopher, a Christian scholar, and an Islamic teacher to explain their faiths to him, and to tell him why he should adopt their belief system. Almost as an afterthought, he invites a rabbi in to talk to him about Judaism. Most of the book is taken up with the rabbi’s explanation, why the king should convert to Judaism, why it is better than the other faiths.

If you were given the opportunity to try to convince someone of the value of Judaism, what would you say? Suppose you only had a few minutes to interest the king. What would you do?

You might light Shabbat candles. You might tell him what it was like to have a seder with your grandparents. Or you might read him something.

If you chose to read to him, there are a number of central texts you might pick. Obviously, one central Jewish text, short and multi-layered, is the Shma. Another one is the Ten Commandments. Both of these fundamental texts are found in this week’s parasha, Vaetchannan.

We know that Moses is pulling out the stops now, trying to assure that the Israelites will remain Jewish after his death. He has only a few days to tell them what is on his mind, so it makes sense for him to repeat the Ten Commandments, which no one under the age of forty heard the first time around. The Shma seems to come out of nowhere. Moses begins several of his sentences that way. Shma! Listen to me!

Both the Shma and the Ten Commandments became part of the earliest liturgy of the Jewish people. I think that is because they each describe vital and complementary parts of Judaism.

To say the Shma  is to say a number of things. To quote Rabbi Milton Steinberg, “First, we reject the claim that Gd is none, that there is no Gd and the world is a product of random chance. Second, we reject the claim that Gd is two, a god of good and a god of evil. Jewish theology does not explain evil by positing a devil, a force of wickedness as powerful as Gd... And third, we reject the claim that Gd is many, that there are many deities... Only when Gd is one can we speak of a a single moral law, of behavior being right or wrong in the sight of Gd.”

I would add two more things we take from this one verse. One is יי is אלקנו, that YHVH is our Gd. Anyone who wants to have a connection with Gd can have one. Gd can be your Gd! As this same Torah portion tells us, וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם מִשָּׁם אֶת־יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמָצָאתָ כִּי תִדְרְשֶׁנּוּ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶׁךָ No matter where you are in exile, “If you seek Gd there you will find Him, if only you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.”

The second thing is that YHVH is our Gd and no other. I would never say that Judaism is the only way to approach Gd, or that our understanding of YHVH encompasses all there is to Gd. But I do believe that for most people, following a faith tradition is the best way to approach Gd, and the Jewish faith tradition is one we can be proud of. Gd is everyone’s Gd, but YHVH is our Jewish understanding of Gd. יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ, Adonai is our Gd.

The Shma doesn’t end there. The very next verse is  וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶךָ “You shall love YHVH your Gd with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your being.” What does it mean to love Gd in that way?

That is why we have the Ten Commandments. We cannot do anything for Gd, but we can follow His commandments and be kind to one another. 

So the Shma is about our limited understanding of Gd, and the Ten Commandments is how that understanding then changes our lives. A pretty good parasha to read to the king, or to anyone. Even to ourselves, when we need it.

The Shma goes on to tell us that we should bind these words as a sign upon our hand and make them frontlets between our eyes, we should inscribe them on the doorposts of our house and on our gates, speak of them when we lie down and when we rise up, and, most importantly, teach them to our children. 

So these words should affect what we do with our hands and how we see the world. Our homes should be based on these words, and we should bear them in mind when we start our days and when we finish them. 

This parasha holds a key, a key that we can use to unlock the door that keeps us from being who we should be. Gd give us the vision to see that key, and the strength to use it. Shabbat shalom.