August 21, 2025 – Dr. Susanna Kokkonen
Re’eh 5785 (2025)
Deuteronomy 11:26-12:10 (Haftarah: Isaiah 54:11-55:5)
Re’eh*, the name of this Torah portion means “See!.” This comes from Deuteronomy (11:26) where Moses asked the people to choose between a blessing and a curse.
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NIV)
Worship
The people were told in the strongest of terms that they were not to worship the gods of the peoples of the land. They were also to destroy all their places of worship. They were to worship God in a way that he described.
We find a reference to Jerusalem here. God would choose one place where He would put His name. This would be their place of worship.
“You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.” (Deuteronomy 12:4-6 NIV)
Not only were they to serve God in that described manner. It was important that there must not be anyone among them to entice them to follow other gods. There is a strong warning in the text against false prophets.
”If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.” (Deuteronomy 13: 1-4 NIV)
Probitions
It may be that human beings do not understand why God commands certain things. It is possible that the general culture of that time was different. This applies to our time too. Certain prohibitions from our perspective make no sense. But the goal of all of this is that those who serve God must be holy. This is because He is a holy God. On a practical level, some of the prohibitions are related, for example, to consumption of food. Others refer to how a person should treat their body.
“You are the children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God…” (Deuteronomy 14:1-2 NIV)
It is easy to think that by following the commandments one is missing out. But there is also a blessing that comes from following God’s commandments. One such thing is giving part of one’s produce to God.
“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year…so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 14:22,29 NIV)
Rebuilding Jerusalem
This week’s Haftarah portion is from Isaiah. More Sabbaths of Consolation, Nachamu, follow Tisha b’Av, which is a day of mourning.
Here Isaiah the prophet sees how God is rebuilding Jerusalem to an amazing, beautiful city where there will be peace.
“Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a]
your foundations with lapis lazuli.
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children will be taught by the Lord,
and great will be their peace.” (Isaiah 54:11-13)
There is also a promise to those who are thirsty that they could “come with no money.” Rabbi Rashi, considered the greatest Torah commentator from the Middle Ages, interpreted the whole Bible. Students study his work in all Hebrew schools. According to Rashi, here “water” means the word of God.
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money…” (Isaiah 55:1 NIV)
The Concept of Water
The book of Isaiah mentions water and Jesus often talked about water.
” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4: 13-14 NIV)
Jesus was a Jew and everything He taught came from the Torah and Prophets. Jesus’ life centered around Second Temple Judaism. Evidence of this is how He celebrated Biblical holidays going up to the Temple.
There is a description in the Gospel of John where he specifically talked about water in the context of Succot, the Feast of Tabernacles.
“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37 NIV)
The Holocaust
Coinciding with the dates of this Torah Portion, on August 25, 1942, a Hungarian-Jewish businessman George Mandel (1901-1992) started giving out Salvadorian false papers to Jewish refugees to save them.
Mandel became a friend of an El Salvador diplomat Jóse Arturo Castellanos (1893-1977). When the latter was appointed to the El Salvadorian Consulate in Geneva, he appointed Mandel as his first secretary. Mandel at that point started using the more Spanish sounding name Mantello. Using his diplomatic position with full knowledge of Castellanos, Mandel was able to give out thousands of Salvadorian papers. This was a key factor in helping people get out from Nazi occupied Europe.
Unlikely as it may have seemed at the beginning of the secretive effort, the rescue was a large operation indeed. Together these two men rescued by all estimates around 40 000 people.
The name of the country, El Salvador (Savior) became a prophecy of Biblical proportions for the desperate people.
*For an explanation of the terms see the first Pearls of The Torah Portion Blog.
| Coral and crystal cannot be mentioned, and the striving for wisdom [is more precious] than pearls. | רָאמ֣וֹת וְ֖גָבִישׁ לֹ֣א יִזָּכֵ֑ר וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ חָ֜כְמָ֗ה מִפְּנִינִֽים: |
Job 28:18 (NKJV)
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46 (NKJV)
Torah Scrolls were attacked and desecrated during the Holocaust. The enduring images of the Kristallnacht (November 9-10,1938) are those of synagogues on fire and Torah Scrolls burning. Some of these desecrated Torah Scrolls disappeared, others were buried. Some were lovingly rescued and are on display in museums in various locations.
[author] [author_image timthumb='on']https://irw.duv.temporary.site/website_047320a9/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Dr-Sussanna-K-Round.png[/author_image] [author_info]Dr. Susanna Kokkonen received her Ph.D. in Holocaust Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. For ten years Dr. Kokkonen was the Director of the Christian Friends of Yad Vashem, World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. Dr. Kokkonen has authored several books about the Holocaust and antisemitism. She educates Christian audiences worldwide including about the Jewish roots of their faith. Dr. Kokkonen is the author of the exhibits for the Holocaust Garden of Hope and serves the Holocaust Remembrance Association as Educational Advisor. [/author_info] [/author]
