D'varim/Deuteronomy
CHAPTER 11
26. "Look [re'eh]! Today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse--
And, not or: This is only one set of directions; what we do with them determines whether they will be a blessing or a curse to us.
27. "a blessing if you listen to [and obey] the orders of YHWH your Elohim, which I am laying on you today,
28. "and a curse if you do not heed the orders of YHWH your Elohim and reject [turn aside from] the path about which I am giving you orders today, in order to follow after other elohim with which you have not been familiar.
If we follow them, we will be blessed; if we do things our own way, by our own logic, or only halfway, we cannot help but receive a curse. Who would look up driving directions on the Internet, and start to follow them, but then skip from the first to the third, and expect to end up in the right place? Because our ancestors picked and chose which of YHWH’s commandments they wanted to obey, we ended up as the “lost sheep of the House of Israel”. To end up where we belong, we need to follow the directions completely.
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CHAPTER 15
1. "From the end of every seven years you shall put into effect a release [from debt].
“Release” here means to fling down, remit, or leave alone. This does not connote letting go begrudgingly, but willingly and with enthusiasm. Since the term “debt” is only implied and not overt here, a more widely-applicable message of this verse is, “Upon completion, let it go.” We do not need to take with us baggage from camps from which YHWH’s presence has moved on. It will only delay our reaching the goal. There are specific routines and activities that are only profitable as long as we are camped at one stopping-place, but which are of no use at the next campsite, where the environment and terrain are different. We knew when YHWH’s presence was about to move on because the Ark of the Covenant went on ahead. (Num. 10:33ff) When it did, all that was left behind where the altar had stood was a mound of earth or stones. It was a sign of where we had been, but no longer are, and, more importantly, where He no longer was. They moved on to new landscapes where they had to be new logistics. Likewise, His presence has rested on many “movements” throughout history, such as the Reformation, the Charismatic revival, or the Messianic movement, but each time the season has changed and YHWH, finished with what He was going to do there, has moved on to something else, many people stayed behind and formed denominations, being more comfortable with the piles of stones, rather than moving on with Him as living stones. His covenant is what these directions lead us back to. The Torah—is what was in the Ark, and any true move of YHWH is meant to move us back to it. We must not stop and set up camp until it does. It is the test of what doctrines are permanent and which were only stopgaps to get us through certain aspects of our exile or transitional understandings to get us out of our indifference to His ways and turn us back in the other direction, but which have no place once we reach His Land or even when we are more mature. The covenant does not change, but it keeps moving on until we reach the Promised Land, though we cannot skip to the end, but must follow step by step and stay together. When the light turns green again, keep moving. To stay back with what is more familiar and therefore more comfortable, is to forfeit His continued presence. What are we holding onto from the last camp that no longer has any usefulness? We have new priorities now that we know we are Israel—different from much of the morality we had while in the holding-tank of the Church, for it would only be a burden that hinders us from obeying much of the Torah now. Tammuz crosses, Easter eggs, the Trinity, pet doctrines from our childhood, doubt, bitterness, self-pity, and the priorities the commerce system sets for us were “over” a long time ago, and will not serve us well in this walk. Why do we keep carrying what YHWH is finished with? The walk is much lighter without the loyalties we developed while we were slaves in Egypt. That time is over; let it go. Amaleq attacks the stragglers who hang back, hesitant to move on, or who cannot move quickly because of too much baggage from the last camp. We need to let those who choose not to continue forward stay there, as much as it may break our heart. Do not jettison cargo to the point of becoming irresponsible, but do not keep carrying what you are not going to need any longer. Like food that has been outdated for seven years, it will only make you ill. There is a time to keep and a time to throw away. (Qoh./Eccles. 3:6) Whatever we embrace attaches itself to us and grows a life of its own; but if we choose to let it go, it will have to release its grip on us as well. Often we hold ourselves in debt to things within our own minds that really have been over for a long time, and which are probably not even holding onto us anymore; we just think they are.
2. "Now this is the manner of the release [from debt]: every creditor must let drop anything he has lent to his fellow; he must not put pressure on his fellow or his brother, because a release for YHWH has been proclaimed.
Creditor: literally "owner of a loan", "debt-master" or even "debt-husband". We totally miss this nuance in English. When we owe someone, a negative relationship forms between us in that area until the obligation is satisfied. We are servants of the lender, "married" to him in a convoluted way. So at reasonable intervals, the One who truly owns us tells us to let them go. The release is not just for one's brother's sake; it is "for YHWH" or "unto YHWH", so that your neighbor can be free to be YHWH's direct servant again, enslaved to no other. We see in the book of Judges how Israel's enemies kept them always oppressed by exacting tribute from them. This was the way of the Kanaanites, whose name also means "merchants". When paying off a debt consumes all of our resources, the only way to continue to live in the meantime is to incur even more debt, it seems that there is no way out. YHWH does not want any of His people becoming so hopelessly in debt, so He sets this very definite limit on how far it can go among His people. If we seek after things we do not really need, He may turn us over to them for a time. But He does not even let His most intense indignation last more than 2,300 days (Daniel 8:14)--which is less than seven years. At the same time the Land gets its rest, there is a release of burdens of this type as well, built into the cycle of years just as it is built into the cycle of seven days. This is not set up so that we will take advantage of one another, but it is a time when we are to no longer demand back what a brother owes us. We cannot expect finance companies to treat us this way, but we must at this point cancel all debts our fellow Israelites owe us. ("Fellow" literally means "one of the same flock, who feeds in the same pasture and has the same shepherd".)
3. "You may require it from an outsider, but your hand must release whatever of yours is with your brother,
Not everyone receives the same mercy that YHWH’s flock receives, because more is expected of them. Non-Israelites do not need to be released from any obligation on the seventh year. There are different rules for how to treat those outside the flock to which we are committed and which is committed to us. That YHWH allows a double standard here does not imply malice or that He discourages compassion toward those who are outside Israel, but simply means our primary focus must be on meeting Israel’s needs.
4. "although there should not be any needy among you--because YHWH will indeed bless you in the Land that YHWH your Elohim is entrusting to you as an inheritance to take as a possession
I.e., set an example of walking in the Torah until there is no longer a need for borrowing, because if we take care of one another we will all be prosperous. Of course, “poor” should not be defined as not having a new car, but as having nothing to eat or no shelter! The fact that this debt is released does not mean the debtor should not keep trying to compensate his creditor in other ways, especially if he could not pay it all off on time, for this is honorable. This takes the burden off one from the outside, but we should keep the expectation on ourselves so that there will not be a blot on our “credit report”. We are always indebted to each other in one way or another, for we remain brothers.
5. "if you will indeed obey the voice of YHWH your Elohim, in order to be careful to obey these commandments which I am drilling into you today--
Only if we diligently obey will the Land respond to us to this extent. This is YHWH’s “prosperity doctrine”. Here is even more motivation to obey the Torah, albeit not the highest. Moshe knew Israel’s propensities, and in v. 11 he essentially says Israel will not get it 100% right, because there would always remain some poor among us. Everyone was given land, but many made bad decisions and lost it. There will be some who follow their own hearts, or who obey for the wrong reasons, thinking this is a formula for personal wealth, so the Land will not respond to them, because we will all prosper only as we are about taking care of one another in the way the Torah defines. If it is done for the purpose of personal gain, the blessing evaporates. So everything has its limits. This releases the lender from entanglement with someone who is proving to have only used him, so that he can cut off dealings with him, because he knows his propensities.
6. "because YHWH your Elohim is going to bless you just as He promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you yourself will not borrow, and you will exercise dominion in many nations, but they will not exercise dominion in you.
Lend but not borrow: a welcome promise, for we have too often been the borrowers. Indeed, in exile, we are often poor specifically because we keep the Torah, seeking the Kingdom first, and thus are out of the loop of who holds the money now, but when we get back to the Land there will be even more of a change for which to be thankful. But even now, true prosperity comes when we all take care of one another. Israel is not meant to be counted among the nations; when obeying YHWH, no one else is to rule over her, influence her, or obligate her to their customs. If we practice this on the micro-level, treating our brothers rightly, then from this tiny piece of land, YHWH will spread our influence so far that the nations, who mismanage their wealth, will start coming to Israel for loans, because they see that His way works. In the process we will teach them what it is based on—this Torah practice of releasing one another from debt. Of course, that part will not apply to them, and they may even wish to become part of Israel so that they, too, will have this advantage. We would hope that they would then catch onto the underlying principles in Torah of loving our neighbors as ourselves. When we have the upper hand, we need to remember how it felt to be on this side of the equation. This does not mean letting anyone be lazy; it is not just feeding one another when hungry, but holding each one accountable to do the right thing. if all are diligent and productive everyone will prosper. YHWH shows a 6-to-1 bias toward compassion, but there may be times to remember who the greedy bankers who put us in such dire straits were, when it comes our turn to be the lenders; they should expect no favors from us then.
7. "When there is a needy person among you, one of your relatives from within any of your gates in the Land that YHWH your Elohim is giving you, you must not let your heart become obstinate or close your hand against your needy brother,
8. "because you are to open wide your hand to him, and by all means lend him enough of anything he needs that is lacking to him.
Lending without interest is also required toward others within Israel. If you have enough, lend him all he needs; do not even withhold your rainy day fund, if he does not have enough to celebrate YHWH’s feast. Of course, make sure it is truly a need; no one needs an X-box or a jet ski! An outright gift might get someone out of your hair, but that is not what we want in regard to our brothers. The Hebrew term for “lend” connotes becoming involved, even entangled, with someone. A loan means something is expected in return, for YHWH wants us all involved in making sure we all perform at a higher level, making sure they make better decisions next time. This does not mean you can harass him to pay you back. (See chapter 24) But the one who borrows rather than receiving an “entitlement” knows that someone is depending on him to do better. Whenever one has someone depending on him, whether it be a creditor, a wife, or children, he is less likely to take foolish risks. The lender has a right to make sure the borrower does not use the loan to buy a lottery ticket or feed to the ducks the beans he gave him to feed his family! He can hold his feet to the fire to be responsible in planting some as well as eating them, so he will not need to borrow again. This is a very stabilizing force, and one who is depended upon is more motivated to be dependable. We have a right to expect those of this flock to do the right thing; if they do not, become the “master of their debt” so that they will turn around. When it comes to the forgiveness of sin, there are different rules. In Luke 17, Yahshua lays them out: If your brother sins against you, first rebuke him (not insult him or chew him out but show him what Scripture says about what he has done; in some cases he may not know. Don't expect thanks, for few people are immediately thankful for a rebuke. If he responds properly (repents with actions, not just words), then you forgive him--even seven times a day (possibly an allusion to verse 1 here). What about “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors?” That is, in fact, the key. YHWH will forgive us in the same way we are told in Torah to forgive: a debt is forgiven when the matter is complete. Until it is, do not let it go, for that would only be to cast him to the wolves. It proves you do not really care about him; if you give up on his ever being a profitable sheep, you have branded him as useless and untrustworthy. “Forgive and forget” sounds noble and compassionate, but just writing it off builds no accountability in him. Nothing gets fixed., and the problem will only show up again. Uphold the standard. Forgiveness is never a blank check; this only gives people an excuse to never change. There is no profit (no ascension) in that. Of course there are limits—70 times 7—at which point one who just does not stop taking advantage of us is turned over to the courts to be punished as a thief. One can never repent for killing someone, unless he can bring them back to life, so the Torah demands his death; forgiveness is not possible here. Just do not let anger or bitterness take root while you are still withholding forgiveness. Do whatever you can to see that they do repent so they can be restored. If they go above and beyond the minimum, extend your hand further to restore them, and be sure to show proper appreciation.
9. "Keep watch over yourself lest there be a pointless idea in your mind that says, ‘The seventh year--the year of release--is getting close", and your eye becomes stingy toward your needy brother, so that you give him nothing, and he cries out to YHWH against you; this will constitute guilt for you.
Pointless: Heb., Beli-ya’al--worthless, unprofitable, or destructive. Do not hesitate to lend when it appears you will receive nothing back. (Luke 6:34) Guard your mind, because we are not even allowed to think such a thought. Besides, in the seventh year, you will not plant your field, so you will not need as much help. Eye becomes evil: an idiom for being stingy or ungenerous. Yahshua says such a dim view of our neighbors makes our whole life dark (Mat. 6:21ff), for even our motives in giving to our brothers will be selfish. Giving so that we may be blessed in return is not light. Putting our resources into someone so that we can maintain influence over him is still serving two masters. Worry is what makes our “eyesight” worse. When we are taking care of one another, we will not have to worry about being cared for. If we use our extra resources to care for the one who is hungry today instead of hoarding them for what may be a need tomorrow, we will find that it is his turn to feed us tomorrow (if it ever comes), and everyone will be blessed. (2 Cor. 8:12-15) Cries out: like a sibling who says, “I’m telling Daddy!” YHWH wants all of His children to love each other just as does any father who loves all of his children. This will constitute guilt for you: see Psalm 140:12. The confessions, guilt, and sin offerings will cost you much more than you would have lent to your brother.
10. "Indeed, you shall give to him, and your heart must not be displeased when you give to him, because on account of this, YHWH your Elohim will bless you for this purpose, in all your pursuits and in every undertaking of your hand.
He gets more radical still! First He told us how to think; now He tells us how we must feel. It takes discipline to obey the Torah! Our natural tendency is to be afraid we will not have enough left for our own needs if we meet someone else's needs, but YHWH is our true source of sustenance; helping the poor is like lending to Him, and He is the one who will repay us (Prov. 19:17; 28:27); we should not depend on frail mankind to meet our needs. When you give: While He does not obligate us to give to the needy, but only lend to them so that they will not lose their dignity either, the timing of this particular instance means that for all practical purposes the loan will turn out to be a gift, because the release will come soon after the loan is made. For this purpose: so that we can continue to be generous so that all Israel will be prosperous. (2 Cor. 9:6-8) He blesses us so that we will have something to give, not so we will be far ahead of our brothers. If we are blessed with understanding, it is so we can help the rest of Israel understand. The best way to learn is to teach. If we do not make our talents or our courage available to those in Israel who need them, we must answer to “Daddy”. And it does not have to be lofty, scholarly things; if you sweep the floor well, you will be a great blessing to one who cannot. This is a family mentality; YHWH’s people are His storehouses. Whatever He has stored in them is not to be turned against one another for the sake of commerce; it is not about how skilled a pastor or rabbi we can hire. If we do not give out what YHWH gives us, we will not receive any more. In a stagnant pond, everything dies. Of course, we give it out as needed, not frivolously or wastefully. But as we give out, we must keep replenishing the storehouses so we continue to have available what Israel needs. This may mean increasing our skills or talents so that we will make ourselves more valuable to the Kingdom, to the community, and to one another. The knowledge of the ancient ways will be all the more useful as more modern methods of storage and distribution continue to fail. We must read the Torah carefully so that we will put the right things in the storehouse to meet real, not just perceived, needs.
11. "For there will never cease to be needy [people] in the midst of the Land; that is why I am commanding you, saying you must open wide your hand to your poor or needy brother within your Land.
This is Yahshua’s authority for saying, “The poor you will always have with you.” (Mat. 26:11) Someone will always do it wrong, so always be ready to open your hand. Does this hold true even in the Kingdom? Yes, people will make mistakes then too, and there may be plagues and famines, though we would expect not as many—unless they fail to come up to Sukkoth! So practice the principles now, so we are ready when we do get to the Land. Jewish sages say that failure to thus open one’s hand is the reason leprosy comes upon some houses in Israel. (Lev. 14:34ff) One’s house is not ritually unclean until the priest declares it so. Therefore, one is to remove all the contents of the house before the priest comes to inspect it. This way, if one lied and told his neighbor that he did not have the item he wanted to borrow from him, the neighbor can see what was in his house and say, “What is this I see? You said you had none, but you actually had four!” Poor or needy: What is the difference? One means “afflicted” (by a variety of types of pressure) and the other means “destitute” (lacking basic necessities). Many do not need you to lend money or physical things, but do have a great need for sound advice, a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on. Be just as generous to both. (If someone lends you his ear, give it back quickly! Stay on the subject at hand!) Make sure you are bearing the right burdens. Have we ignored anything that should have been repaid to our brothers or to YHWH? What baggage is a brother or sister carrying because we have not brought some matter to completion? Deal with it—then let it go.
Commentary on
Parashat Re'eh
Let it Go!
