Parashat Re’eh רְאֵה

By: Rabbi Yoram Dahan

HaShem says to Bnei-Yisrael “Re’eh” “רְאֵה“ (look) as you all witness here today, both two options are given to you. The option of blessings or the option of curses will be given to you on Mount Eival and Mount Gerizim. I, HaShem giving you blessings every day. We must have the ability to see these beautiful daily Godly attribute.

The word  “Re’eh” “רְאֵה“ is also acronym of:

R - ר - ראיתם

A - את - א 

H - ה׳ - השם

You all saw God 

The blessings will be given to you with the clear understudying that you shall follow “my laws and Mitzvot HaShem says”. Should you choose not to listen to my commandments, HaShem promises, the curses will be brought upon you. As we know HaShem left us the right to choose. You will have the freedom to choose but choose the good, HaShem guides Bnei-Yisrael to choose life.

The Torah writes, in the first verse, “Today” (“הַיּוֹם”), which teaches us that HaShem’s Laws and Mitzvot are relevant for each and every day for eternity. The numerical value of the word Grizim (“גְּרִזִים”) is 260 which is ten times 26 of HaShem name Y.H.V.H., alluding to the Ten Commandments and their blessings. It is interesting to see that the word God in English is also 26 in numerical code. G - 7, O - 15, D - 4. 

The name of our Torah portion is Re’eh, which means, “See.” After the Jewish People will enter the Land of Israel, the first place that they are commanded to stop is at the City of Shechem, this exact location represent theTikun for the sale of Yosef. In Shechem the Priests/Cohanim and Levites would express God’s blessing to them should they would fulfill the Torah, or God’s curses should they sin.

Six tribes were commanded to ascend Mount Grizim, to the south of Shechem to receive the blessing, and the remaining six tribes were commanded to ascend Mount Eival, to the north of Shechem to receive the curse. According to our Sages the blessings and curses are visually apparent on the mountains themselves. Mount Grizim, the mountain of blessing, is green and verdant. It is interesting to point out that the numerical value of mount “המריה" “Hamoriah” (the temple mount) is also 260, same as Gerizim.

The word “Brachah” (“בְּרָכָה” – blessing) is an acronym for the true blessings in life:

Beit "ב" - is for "ברכה" “Brachah” constant blessings with all.

Reish "ר" - is for "רפואה" “Refuah” health.

Chaf “כ" - is for “כבוד" “Cavod” respect.

Hayie "ה" - is for “הצלחה" “Hatzlachach” success.

The root שורש  of the word ברכה blessing is ב.כ.ר - alluding to each letter is double value of the letters before them א -י- ק  equal to 222 בכר firstborn who receives double portion of the inheritance. The people of Israel know to be HaShem’s “firstborn” amongst all nations.

In addition the word “Kelalah” (“קְלָלָה”  - curse) has the same numerical value of (165) as the word “HaEtz” (“העץ” ), alluding to the notion that if one choses the curse, he will not benefit from “Etz HaChayiem”, the tree of life, as the verse says, the Torah is the Tree of Life ("עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה”). This “tree” also refers to Adam and Eve’s sin. HaShem, with his Divine mercy, wanted to reward Bnei-Yisrael eternity and so He gave them the “Brachah”, the constant blessings even after death. In our second verse (11:27) we notice a hidden code in the words “אֶת-הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ” “the blessings you shell hear”. The last letter of each word spells the word “תורה” “Torah” alluding to keeping all the Torah Mitzvot, in order to receive all the blessings.

HaShem created Adam as it is written in Beresheet (2:7) “YYatzar” (“ייצר” - created). The word in Hebrew has two letters “Yud" (“יי”) to teach us that we have two “Yetzarim” (“יצרים”- wills to do somthing, inclinations); the good inclination (“יצר הטוב”) and the evil inclination (“יצר הרע”). All of creation was created from nothing as it is says “BARA” (“ברא” - יש מאין - something from nothing). Adam and Eve were created from something, hence the word “YATZAR”. This comes to teach us that we always must choose the good over the bad, and life over death.

From here we learn that HaShem always gives us the choice to choose whether to observe a Mitzvah or not. But, we should always remember that HaShem says “choose the good… choose life”. HaShem gave us two types of laws, super-rational, “abnormal” commandments (“חוקים” - Chukim), and self-understood laws called “Mishpatim” (“משפטים”), laws and Mitzvot. Whether we understand these Mitzvot or not, we must perform them according to God’s will.

The title of our Parasha is  “Re’eh” ("ראה" - look), which representing a beautiful message as it is an acronym for "ראינו את המן” HaShem miracles.

The letter “ר" “Reish” - stand for the word “Raeinu” we saw.

The letter “א" “Alef” - stand for the word “Et” the (sign and oath).

The letter “ה" “Hayei” - stand for the word “HaMann” the miraculous Mann  and HaShem .

Alluding to the fact that all of Bnei-Yisrael witnessed the miracles HaShem performed in the desert in order to sustain them all.

Shabbat Shalom