A Nation of Doubt
Devarim (Deuteronomy) is the re-telling of the Jewish Experience from the mouth of Moses.
You would think this wouldn't be necessary. After all, these very people witnessed, first hand, the miracles during the wondering. So, why the review? And, if THEY needed a review how can you and I, divorced from those miracles by several thousand years, ever be convinced that God is real and His promise is alive?
We were and are a nation of doubters.
We doubt our politicians, our government, our friends and sometimes our family. We doubt the car dealer, the teacher, the lawyer even each other. Polls tell us that a majority of the people in the United States doubt the president, congress and BOTH candidates for president.
What seems real isn't and what is not real seems genuine.
Maybe we put too much faith in things other than God? God becomes for many of us something to reach for when WE need Him...the problem isn't God...it's us.
I'd wager that few Jews in this city actually pick up their Chumash and read what is written. If they do, can somebody explain what is going on when Jews openly disregard the Torah? Here is an example from this week. On Monday there is a Jewish sponsored event in town. It's over the noon hour. I got my invite along with the request that if I want lunch I should make my selection known to the Federation office. So, I asked if the food choice was going to be Kosher. Nope.
Is it any wonder we doubt? Who stands for what?
You don't have to be a Torah expert or a rabbi to get the message from this week's Torah Portion. (Ekev - Deut: 7:12 - 11:25) There isn't any vague message here. There is no additional commentary needed. There is no guessing, no interpretation necessary. They are commandments not "suggestions" and the Torah pretty much lays out what happens if we follow the commandments and what happens if we do not.
But, we don't read, we don't study...we don't know. So we listen to "somebody else" define who and what we are...and we doubt.
How silly...
See you in shul!
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