Tisha B’Av Edition – Parashat Va’etchannan (Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11) 7-22-18

http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=122695 * I can see many tendencies between the Jews of the Torah and the Jews of today. For example, Moses is not all stiff upper lip like a WASP. This parasha begins with him imploring God and in turn shows God expressing non-WASP emotions.

23 At that time I pleaded with the Lord: 24 “Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do? 25 Let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan—that fine hill country and Lebanon.”

26 But because of you the Lord was angry with me and would not listen to me. “That is enough,” the Lord said. “Do not speak to me anymore about this matter.

Moshe would rather blame the Jews for his not getting into the Promised Land rather than take responsibility.

* Moshe talks about what a good land Israel is, but objectively speaking, it is not a good land. It is largely devoid of water and oil. It is not awe-inspiringly scenic. Moshe may be romanticizing the land, or he may be looking at the land through the eyes of faith. Because God gave this land to His people, that automatically makes it a good land.

* God reminds me of a football coach. Deut. 3:26: “Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter.” That’s a very common phrase said by NFL coaches.

* Deut. 4:1: ” Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.”

The purpose of Jewish law is to live and not to die, and to possess and maintain possession of the land God gave the Jews.

The U.S. Constitution is not an end in itself. It is not meant to be a death warrant. It is to help America live and to retain its sovereignty. If a crisis requires amending or suspending part of the Constitution to live, you do that.

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