Parashah - Va-etchanan (and I pleaded)

Weekly Parashah

Scripture: 

 Deut. 3:23–7:11

Torah

Moses Pleads to Enter

23 “I pleaded with Adonai at that time, saying, 24 ‘O Lord Adonai, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand—for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do deeds and mighty acts like Yours? 25 Please! Let me cross over and see the good land across the Jordan—that good hill country and the Lebanon.’

26 “But Adonai was angry with me because of you, so He would not listen to me. ‘Enough!’ Adonai said to me, ‘Do not speak to Me anymore about this matter. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah, look around to the west and the north and the south and the east, and see with your eyes—for you will not cross over this Jordan. 28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will cross over before this people, and he will enable them to inherit the land that you will see.’ 29 So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth-peor.

Bnei-Yisrael Must Listen and Obey

4 “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land that Adonai the God of your fathers is giving you. 2 You must not add to the word that I am commanding you or take away from it—in order to keep the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am commanding you. 3 Your eyes have seen what Adonai did at Baal Peor, for Adonaiyour God has destroyed from among you everyone who followed Baal Peor. 4 But you who held tight to Adonai your God are alive today—all of you.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deut.+3%3A23%E2%80%937%3A11&version=TLV

Scripture: 

 Isa. 40:1–26

Haftarah

Comfort, Proclaim Good News

40 “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God.
2 Speak kindly to the heart of Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her warfare has ended,
that her iniquity has been removed.
For she has received from Adonai’s hand double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Adonai, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.[a]

4 Every valley will be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low, the rough ground will be a plain and the rugged terrain smooth.
5 The glory of Adonai will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together.”
For the mouth of Adonai has spoken.

6 A voice is saying, “Cry out!”
So I said, “What shall I cry out?”
“All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades.
For the breath of Adonai blows on it.
Surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades.
But the word of our God stands forever.”[b]

9 Get yourself up on a high mountain,
you who bring good news to Zion!
Lift up your voice with strength, you who bring good news to Jerusalem!
Lift it up! Do not fear!
Say to the cities of Judah:  “Behold your God!”
10 Look, Adonai Elohim comes with might,
    with His arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.[c]
11 Like a shepherd, He tends His flock.[d]
He gathers the lambs in His arms carries them in his bosom, and gently guides nursing ewes.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isa.+40%3A1%E2%80%9326&version=TLV

Scripture: 

 Lk. 22:13–38
Matt 23:31-39 Mark 12:28-34

Brit Chadashah

Luke 22 : 13 – 38

13 So they left and found just what Yeshua had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

The Seder in the Upper Room

14 When the hour came, Yeshua reclined at table, and the emissaries with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

17 And when He had taken a cup and offered the bracha, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that I will never drink of the fruit of the vine from now on, until the kingdom of God comes.”

19 And when He had taken matzah[a] and offered the bracha, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you. Do this in memory of Me.” 20 In the same way, He took the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. [b] 21 But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. [c] 22 For indeed, the Son of Man is going as has been predetermined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

23 So they began to discuss among themselves which of them it might be who would do this thing. 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lk.+22%3A13%E2%80%9338+&version=TLV

Matthew 23 : 31 – 39

31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers! 33 O snakes, you brood of vipers! How will you escape the condemnation of Gehenna?

34 “Because of this, behold, I’m sending you prophets and wise men and Torahscholars. Some of them you will kill and execute at the stake, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. 35 And so, upon you shall come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah,[a] whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. [b] 36 Amen, I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.”

Holy Temple to Be Destroyed

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! [c] 39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[d]

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt+23%3A31-39&version=TLV

Mark 12 : 28 – 34

Love Ends the Argument

28 One of the Torah scholars came and heard them debating. Seeing that Yeshuahad answered them well, he asked Him, “Which commandment is first of all?”

29 Yeshua answered, “The first is, ‘Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 And you shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [a] 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, Teacher,” the Torah scholar said to Him. “You have spoken the truth, that He is echad, and besides Him there is no other! [c] 33 And ‘to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’[d] and ‘to love the neighbor as oneself,’[e] is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Yeshua saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared any longer to question Him.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12%3A28-34&version=TLV

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