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Parshat Re'eh
2005
Striving to Take Possession
All of our modern training and western education helps us to think critically and to absorb information from written texts. It is often the very same set of skills that prevents us from encountering the true power and multiple layers of meaning contained in the words of the Torah. We often read for details, facts and information and overlook the most subtle and profound wisdom contained within the text. Rabbi Zadok ha-Kohen of Lublin, a 19th century Chassidic master, makes this same distinction when he explains that "the light of Torah which saves and protects has its effect only on those who use it in the right way." (Zidkat Ha-Tsakid 59) In other words, it's only when we dig beneath the surface that we are able unlock the deeper meaning of the Torah.
In this week's Parshat Re'eh, we read the beginning of Moshe's third discourse to the children of Israel as they are about to enter the land. At this moment of transition, Moshe prepares the children of Israel for their future by reiterating central themes we have seen throughout the Torah. He urges the careful observance of the laws concerning centralization of worship, kashrut, false prophecy and the three pilgrimage holidays. The subtext for Moshe's pleas for observance is the theological understanding that if we follow God's commandments we will be blessed, and if we do not we will be cursed. In this way, the future of Israel is not preordained but is contingent upon the choices and actions of the children of Israel.
But amidst these laws, there is a subtle redundancy in the text that deserves our attention. It is written, "For you are about to cross the Jordan to come to possess of the land that the Lord your God is giving you." (Deuteronomy 11:31) Why did the text go out of its way to command that the children of Israel both "come" to the land and "possess" it? Surely, either of these phrases by itself would have made it clear what the children of Israel were supposed to do when they crossed the Jordan River. Why use two verbs when one would have been sufficient?
Upon closer reflection, this redundancy suggests a more nuanced reading. The text seems to be suggesting that only through two complete actions could the children of Israel transform the land into the fertile home that they were promised. In other words, the simple act of being there was not enough. Their future required the additional act of "possessing" the land and taking ownership of the responsibility to transform their future.
This message applies to us as Hillel professionals. As another year is about to begin, we stand, just like the children of Israel, looking out into our future - in our case, the campus Jewish community. Just like the children of Israel, we must do more than simply "come to the land" and inherit with complacency its existing conditions. This redundancy in Parshat Re'eh reminds us that we must go a step further and "possess the land." By being proactive in the way we participate in the campus community, we can transform the impact of our Hillels on campus. Just as the children of Israel had to make their future happen, we, too, must go farther and meet new students, discover new areas of campus in which we can make our presence felt, inspire our leaders to grow in new ways and help students create new programming ideas that build stronger communities and transform lives. The future of our respective campus communities is not yet decided. Being on campus ("coming to the land") is just the first step. We are also obligated to "possess it" and actively shape our futures. When we do this, we empower ourselves to create a transformative culture in our Hillels, making us more in touch, more welcoming and more productive.
Prepared by Rabbi Mike Uram, associate director, University of Pennsylvania Hillel
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Re'eh at MyJewishLearning.com.
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