Parshat Re’eh contains a series of laws that on the surface have little to do with each other. As Moshe prepares the people for entry to the land, he warns them – once again – not to follow in the pagan ways of the nations dwelling there. The severe punishments for those who entice others to sin are enumerated with the Torah even ruling that a city which has become so corrupt that all worship false gods, must be destroyed. We have the law of the false prophet, of proper mourning for the dead and laws of kashrut. The Torah discusses various tithes, the obligation to eat some of one’s produce in Jerusalem. the laws of the sabbatical year, of charity, and the parsha concludes discussing the holidays. In other words, parshat Re’eh covers many fundamental aspects of Judaism – but what, if anything, is the connection between these various themes?
If one keeps in mind that sefer Devarim is the book of preparation to enter the Land of Israel, then this hodgepodge of laws form a powerful foundation to build and maintain a State.
The first challenge the Jewish people were going to face was the fact that there were at least seven nations who were indigenous to the land dwelling there. It is for this reason Abraham had no rights to the land and had to purchase a burial plot for his wife. However, these nations, due to their idolatrous immoral ways[1] had lost the right to dwell in this special land, the land that “the Lord your G-d seeks from the beginning of the year to the end of year” (Devarim 11:12). Moshe is not concerned with the physical conquest of the Land – that is something G-d will ensure Yehoshua is successful at. What worries Moshe is that the Jewish people might follow the immoral ways of the people in the Land – and like the nations there currently, forfeit their right to the land.
Interestingly, Moshe is focused here on an additional aspect of idolatry. Other nations offer sacrifices to their deities wherever they may be dwelling, but the Jewish people can only offer sacrifices in “the place that the Lord your G-d will choose to place His Name” (Devarim 12:5). As we will find out hundreds of years later, that place is the Temple in Jerusalem. A nation needs one central spiritual home. While satellite places of worship are needed for those living elsewhere i.e. most of the Jewish word, only in Jerusalem may sacrifices be offered.
Further placing Jerusalem as the central place of worship, four out of every seven years one had to either eat 10% of one’s produce in Jerusalem or spend the equivalent of such plus an additional 25%. Jews were to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year, a notion first mentioned in sefer Shemot but repeated here.
Fascinatingly, the Torah in Re’eh only makes mention of the three pilgrim festivals – ignoring the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur – as only those festivals relate to the land. The omer sacrifice was brought on Pesach, the stei halechem, two loaves of bread on Shavuot (along with it being the first time one could bring Bikkurim) and on Sukkot we celebrate with four of the species of the Land. Unlike the “High Holidays” which are primarily personal in nature, these festivals are national and celebrate great moments in the history of our people: The Exodus, receiving the Torah and the journey to the Land of Israel.
As history has taught over and over again the greatest threat to a society comes from within. Hence beyond the need for one central unifying spiritual home[2] is to root out idolatry from within.
Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link so too the Jewish people are only as strong as its people is the greatest need. Hence the emphasis, repeated almost word for word five verses apart, to ensure that one's male servant and maidservant, the Levi[3], the stranger/convert, orphan and widow are given the means and method to rejoice on the festivals. It is why the primary recording of the mitzva of tzedakah is in our parsha[4]. Similarly, the mitzva of Shmitta is mentioned again in parshat Re'eh. But here the Torah introduces a new idea, that of the forgiving of loans for those who are unable to pay. A caring people is, at times, even willing to forgive debts of others[5].
Even the many laws relating to food can be understood as a way to bring people together. Food is one of the primary, perhaps the primary way to forge friendships, and a nation unites over its special foods.
This all too brief survey highlights Moshe’s astute awareness of what was needed to succeed in the Land of Israel a theme we see throughout sefer Devarim. The lessons are no less important today than they were 3,500 years ago.
[1] I am working on the assumption that the main challenge of idolatry is moral not theological. Worshipping false, or even worse, no gods, allows one moral licence to engage in all kinds of inappropriate actions. Hence our Rabbis teach that “the Jewish people worshiped idols [Ba’al Peor] in order to permit sexual immorality in public" (Sanhedrin 63b). Even the Rambam who views idolatry through the eyes of theology, is well aware ofits moral dangers. Sadly, even the worship of the One true G-d, if not done properly, can also lead to many moral perversions.
[2] This idea of the unity of people extends beyond the Jewish world to encompass all people. Hence Yishayahu teaches that the Temple is a “house of prayer for all the nations”.
[3] As to why the Levi is considered amongst those most needy please see here
[4] The mitzva of tzedakah is also implicit in the Torah’s prohibition of interest (Shemot 22:21) where the Torah says that when we give a loan to the poor (or wealthy for that matter) we may not charge interest.
[5] It is due to the abuse of the system that Hillel instituted a Prozbul to circumvent this law.
