Weekly Message 08.01.2025 Parashat Devarim
- jccwestpasco
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
Parashat Devarim (the words) Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22
HafTorah Isaiah 1:1-27
Dear Friends,
We are back from our week-long trip to NJ/NY to celebrate a Rutgers colleague and attend a family wedding. We were fortunate to celebrate Shabbat with you all virtually on Zoom!
This Shabbat weekend, perhaps the saddest of the year, culminates with our observance of Tisha B'Av and the reading of the Book of Lamentations (איכה) attributed to the prophet Jeremiah who witnessed the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem and the exile of the Hebrew nation from the promised land of Israel. We have been preparing for Tisha B'Av for the past three weeks with the reading of Jeremiah's Haftorahs of rebuke and contemplating how and why our ancestors were victimized and how their behavior (lack of faith, discarding the Mitzvot, and mistreating both people and the physical environment) largely attributed to their demise as a holy people. For me, Tisha B'Av is particularly trying this year as the war and suffering in Gaza continues.
As we begin the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) this Shabbat and recall the military victories in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land, we also feel for the victims of all conflicts regardless of who they are. We have to be careful to read chapters two and three of Devarim metaphorically and not literally. Yes, we must stamp out evil but not stamp out innocent people.
This Shabbat's Haftorah, the last of the three Haftorahs of Rebuke will be from the beginning of Isaiah's prophesy, Chapter 1:1-27 a number of years before the destruction of the Temple and the exodus from Israel, but with the seeds of disaster already planted by the behavior of the nation and its inhabitants Isaiah warns us where this turning away from Adanoi and the mitzvot will lead but leaves open the possibility of redemption in the final verse צִיּ֖וֹן בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט תִּפָּדֶ֑ה וְשָׁבֶ֖יהָ בִּצְדָקָֽה "Zion will be redeemed with justice, and they that return of her with righteousness". No matter how dark the day is, redemption can occur through repentance, justice, and righteousness. And Jeremiah concludes the Book of Lamentations with "Turn us back to You Lord that we may return and renew our days as of old". Thus, we begin to contemplate the themes of the High Holy Days which will be upon us in less than two months.
And as sad as this period is (and in the northern hemisphere occurs in the hottest least comfortable time of the year), we are commanded to temper our mourning when the day has passed and to match "days of sorrow with days of joy". We learn in Ecclesiastes that "there is a season for everything, a time to mourn and a time to dance". To that end, next Shabbat, we will celebrate Tu B'Av, the celebration of love, i.e. the Hebrew version of Valentine's Day!
Please join me for Shabbat services this evening at 7:30 pm and tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9:30 am and for the reading of the Book of Lamentations (איכה) on Sunday morning at 9:30 am. All will be in-person and available virtually on Zoom. Looking forward to seeing you all!
Ron Becker,
Spiritual Leader
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ZOOM LINK FOR FRI AND SAT
JCC is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Shabbat Services 08/01 @ 7:30 pm, 08/02 @ 9:30 am
Time: This is a recurring meeting Fri & Sat
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Meeting ID: 497 903 0958
Passcode: 5QdVaA
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ZOOM LINK FOR TISHA B'AV SUNDAY 9:30 AM
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