SHOFTIM_DEUTERONOMY XVI,18 – XXI,9

The Torah mandates the establishment of a system of administration of justice for all cities in the country. Our text demands the location of the Shoftim, the judges, in the Sha’ar, the gate of the city. Apparently, this Sha’ar was not a simple gate, but a specific place where several community institutions were located. The functions performed in the Sha’ar include the administration of justice. (In the biblical book Ruth, we read that Bo’az, the wealthy relative of the family of the late husband of Ruth, goes to the Sha’ar, place of the religious authorities, to claim his right to become her husband.

The concept of justice is an essential factor in biblical teaching. The Sages, our Chachamim, echo the fundamental importance of this idea, affirming that the world is anchored on three pillars. Justice is one of them. For some, the emphasis on justice reflects severity, a lack of feeling of love, pointing out that Judaism is intransigent and inflexible. Those of us who live in nascent democracies where justice is not entirely independent of the other political interests of society, know the effects of compromised judgments and decisions. Can justice be present where equality before the law does not exist?

Many Jewish communities include an arbitration commission that serves to iron out or resolve differences among its members. Isaac Bashevis Singer tells of the different individuals who went to the Beit Din Shtibel, the room in his father’s home, a Rabbi in Warsaw, which was used to listen to the demands and complaints of litigants. For centuries, in villages and towns, the homes of the Rabbis served as courts of justice.

The biblical King Shlomoh, who stands out for his keen intelligence, is the prototype of the referee and judge who sought the right solution in conflictive situations. We recall Shlomoh’s sagacity in the case of a newborn who was claimed as theirs by two mothers.

According to Yalkut Shimoni, one of the texts of Midrash that collects commentaries on the Sacred Scriptures, there were six steps in front of the throne of King Shlomoh. When Shlomoh began his ascension to the throne, one of the ordinances of our text was announced on each of the steps.

The first step was Lo tate mishpat, which means, do not twist the judgment. According to the Talmud, falsehoods and half-truths drive away and exile the Divine Presence from among us. One of the characteristics of the Supreme Being is truth, as affirmed by our tradition by declaring: Chotatamo shel HaKadosh Baruch Hu emet, “the seal of God is the truth”. There are those who observe that the seal is applied in one step. A seal does not require a process, such as writing a word that has a beginning and continues with additional traces in order to reach its end. A seal, on the other hand, is imprinted with one stroke on the paper. The same goes for truth. Truth has to be complete and immediate. There are no half-truths, revealed as a process as time passes.

As he climbed the second rung, Shlomoh heard the admonition, Lo takir panim, “you will not make exceptions among people”. Everyone must be equal before the Law, in front of the judges. Our folklore tells that on one occasion a woman told her husband that she was going to take the maid before the rabbi because she suspected she was stealing, the husband replied that he would accompany her. The wife argued that it was not necessary because she knew how to defend herself; the husband replied that his purpose was rather to protect the maid, who could feel intimidated in the presence of the Rabbi. 

Some recall that in the room that Rabbi Shmelke Nickelsburger used for his decisions in litigation cases, a cane and a purse were hanging on the wall. These objects were present at all times, as palpable evidence that the incorruptible Rabbiwas willing to leave the city at any moment, rather than allowing the merchants of power to try to influence his decisions.

Lo tikach shochad, do not admit bribes, was the exhortation on the third rung. Our text warns us, that no judge escapes the consequences of the gift of one of the parties, Ki hashochad ye’aver einei Chachamim, because bribery blinds the eyes of the wise. (In the Midrash we find the case of a judge who received Shochad, who became blind before he died).

(With reference to this assertion, a tongue-in-cheek story is told about the inhabitants of a certain village who questioned the Midrash because the local judge who had a reputation for acting in a dubious manner had become deaf. This contradicts our Midrash which claims that the result of the behavior in question is blindness, based on the biblical text that points out that bribery blinds the eyes of the sage. The contradiction was resolved by pointing out that the judge in question had not physically received Shochad. It had only been promised to him, he only heard about it and did not see it).

The Talmud suggests that the word Shochad comes from the root chad, which means sharp, thus insinuating that Shochad cuts and lacerates both, the one who offers it and the one who receives the bribe.

The ascent to the fourth rung corresponded to the proclamation of Lo tita lecha asherah, which means, you will not plant a tree (as idolators do) next to the altar. According to the Treatise Sanhedrin, the election of a judge who is unprepared to perform his role is tantamount to encouraging idolatry in the community. In the vision of our Chachamim, idolatry is identified with arbitrariness and chance. The Torah, on the other hand, is the manifest will of God, it is immutable, does not depend on whims nor permit ignorance. Every ruling must be based on clear and transparent rules. Only the presentation of robust arguments, based on Halachah, can lead to the review of any previous decision.

Velo takim lecha matsevah, “and do not erect statues (or monuments)”, is the exhortation of the fifth step. A judge should not separate himself from the conditions prevailing in the society that surrounds him, place himself above or outside his environment. In order to understand what litigation is about, it is necessary to identify and live the reality of your time. At the time of the worship of the Egel Hazahav, the golden calf, God suggests to Moses that he cannot appreciate the real situation of the Hebrew people from the heights of Mount Sinai. God commands him, Lech red, “surely go down,” because only by seeing and living in the midst of the situation will Mosesbe able to decide what action to take.

On the sixth and final rung it was announced, Lo tizbach laShem Elohecha… kol davar ra, which means, do not sacrifice before the Eternal thy God… anything bad (faulty). This is a wake-up call to remember that in the Jewish tradition the end does not justify the means. A ruling cannot be used to alleviate suffering and ailments, nor to correct other ills of society. Every judgment has to be entirely fair and correct for the parties involved.

Our chapters list different additional laws that are necessary to regulate relationships between community members. Although compassion, understanding and sensitivity to the evils that afflict others are moral qualities of the first caliber, justice and equity are unparalleled in the ordering and hierarchy of imperatives that are essential for the coexistence, harmony, material and spiritual development of any society.

MITSVAH: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 14 POSITIVE MITSVOT AND 27 BANS

491.  Deuteronomy 16:18 Appoint judges and officers in each Jewish community

492.  Deuteronomy 16:21 Do not plant a tree by the Altar

493.  Deuteronomy 16:22 Do not erect an idolatrous pillar

494.  Deuteronomy 17:1 Do not offer an animal with a blemish, even if it is a temporary blemish

495.  Deuteronomy 17:10 Abide by what the Jewish Supreme Court rules in each generation

496.  Deuteronomy 17:11 Do not disobey the word of the Jewish Supreme Court

497.  Deuteronomy 17:15 Name a Jewish King

498.  Deuteronomy 17:15 Do not name a Jewish King who is not a native Israelite

499.  Deuteronomy 17:15 A king should not accumulate more horses than he needs

500.  Deuteronomy 17:16 Do not reside in the Land of Egypt

501.  Deuteronomy 17:17 A king should not have too many wives

502.  Deuteronomy 17:17 A king shall not accumulate excess gold and silver

503.  Deuteronomy 17:18 A king must write a Torah, in addition to the one every other Jew must write

504.  Deuteronomy 18:1 The Levites should not inherit land in the Land of Israel

505.  Deuteronomy 18:1 The Levites should not participate in the spoils during the conquest of the Land of Israel

506.  Deuteronomy 18:3 Deliver to a Kohen the shoulder, jaw, and last stomach of an animal offering

507.  Deuteronomy 18:4 Separate Terumah from the products

508.  Deuteronomy 18:4 Handing the Kohanim the first shearing

509.  Deuteronomy 18:4 The Kohanim should serve in the Temple according to guards and in times of festivities should serve in unison

510.  Deuteronomy 18:10 Do not practice divinations

511.  Deuteronomy 18:10 Do not practice witchcraft

512.  Deuteronomy 18:10-11 Do not use amulets

513.  Deuteronomy 18:10-11 Do not consult a medium

514.  Deuteronomy 18:10-11 Do not consult a Yidoni (magician)

515.  Deuteronomy 18:10-11 Do not attempt contact with a dead person

516.  Deuteronomy 18:15 Listen to every prophet of the generation unless he adds or reduces what is in the Torah

517.  Deuteronomy 18:20 Do not issue false prophecy

518.  Deuteronomy 18:20 Do not issue prophecy in the name of an idol

519.  Deuteronomy 18:22 Do not stop the execution of a false prophet nor fear him

520.  Deuteronomy 19:3, 6 Prepare 6 Cities of Refuge

521.  Deuteronomy 19:13, 21 Have no mercy on a person who deals a fatal blow during a capital punishment trial

522.  Deuteronomy 19:14 Do not move your boundaries falsely

523.  Deuteronomy 19:15 Do not judge based on the word of a single witness

524.  Deuteronomy 19:19 Do unto a false witness what he tried to do to a victim with his testimony

525.  Deuteronomy 20:3; 7:21 Do not fear the enemy in battle

526.  Deuteronomy 20:5-7 Anoint the Kohen for the time of war

527.  Deuteronomy 20:10 Behave in an Elective War according to the rules of the Torah

528.  Deuteronomy 20:16 Do not allow to live any of the 7 nations that inhabited the Land of Israel

529.  Deuteronomy 21:1 Do not destroy fruit trees during a siege, nor cause pointless destruction

530.  Deuteronomy 21:1 Break the calf’s neck in the riverbed

531.  Deuteronomy 21:4 Do not plow nor sow in the riverbed where the calf’s neck was broken

RE’É_DEUTERONOMIO XI,26 – XVI,17

Re’é, “mira”, dice la Torá, coloco delante de ti Berajá ukelalá, “una bendición y una maldición”. De esta manera se nos hace saber que la opción es nuestra, que el resultado de nuestras acciones puede anticiparse, y que las consecuencias de estas no son arbitrarias. Si cumplimos con las Mitsvot, obtenemos la Berajá, y en el caso contrario, sufrimos la Kelalá. En próximos capítulos se repetirá está advertencia y leeremos en el texto, “…os di para escoger entre la vida y la muerte, entre la bendición y la maldición, Uvajartá bajayim, y os exhorté a escoger la vida…”. 

En una visita que el finado presidente de Israel Zalman Shazar realizó a los Estados Unidos, se presentó ante una reunión del New York Board of Rabbis, donde citó el texto en cuestión. Shazar cuestionó el hecho de que la Torá contradice la hipótesis de Bejirá jofshit, que es el libre albedrío, al instruir Uvajartá bajayim. La posibilidad de escoger hubiera sido mejor aplicada si nuestro texto se limitase a señalar las consecuencias anticipadas de nuestro comportamiento y permitir que cada uno escoja su propio camino. 

Shazar continuó luego con un análisis de los grandes males morales que afligen a nuestra sociedad y terminó señalando que el desinterés y la apatía provocan la deshumanización, asfixiando cualquier posibilidad de avance y de progreso. La insensibilidad al sufrimiento ajeno es moralmente indefendible y la apatía resulta más perniciosa para una sociedad que la falta de preocupación por el dolor del prójimo. La incomprensión y la indiferencia producen mayor angustia que la actitud mezquina de no ofrecer una mano de apoyo o una ayuda concreta.

La Torá está atenta a esta falla humana y el texto citado ordena la reflexión sobre la Berajá y la Kelalá. Debemos meditar acerca de cuáles son los resultados cuando se vive de acuerdo con las Mitsvot en contraposición a un comportamiento que no las toma en cuenta. La Torá ordena meditar sobre nuestras responsabilidades y en consecuencia no podemos asumir un comportamiento que se caracteriza por la inercia y la ausencia de acción. La conclusión de cualquier reflexión, según Shazar, tiene que desembocar forzosamente en Uvajartá bajayim. Porque todos deseamos una sociedad armoniosa y sin conflictos, la cual es imposible lograr en ambiente donde impera el robo. Porque todos apoyamos, en principio, la unidad y la solidez del núcleo familiar y conocemos la tragedia que la paternidad irresponsable acarrea. Porque todos sentimos que el trabajo es necesario, pero, al mismo tiempo, sabemos que el espíritu también requiere atención. 

Nuestra debilidad esencial consiste en que no le dedicamos suficiente atención al análisis de nuestra conducta diaria que nos permita anticipar con alegría y optimismo lo que nuestras acciones cosecharán en el futuro. El resultado deseable y aconsejable de cualquier estudio sería una vida ordenada, bajo un régimen de ley y de orden humanos, lo que debe conducirnos, invariablemente, a Uvajartá bajayim.

La Bejirá jofshit, que es el libre albedrío, sin embargo, es fundamental para nuestra tradición, porque de otra manera no podríamos contemplar la estructura total de Sejar veónesh, la recompensa por las buenas acciones y el castigo por los delitos lo cual forma parte de nuestro pensamiento religioso. La posibilidad de escoger libremente es un requisito indispensable para poder luego solicitar y exigir que se asuma la responsabilidad por las consecuencias de las acciones.

Harav Yosef Dov Haleví Soloveitchik maestro de maestros cuestiona la respuesta de nuestros antepasados, cuando se les ofrece la Torá, que es la ley. Según el texto bíblico, la respuesta al pie del Monte Sinaí fue Naasé venishmá, que nuestros Parshanim interpretan como una manifestación de la disposición de nuestros antepasados a obedecer y cumplir los preceptos, aun antes de conocer los detalles y el contenido de estos. En efecto, la generación de aquella época no ejerció su Bejirá jofshit, ya que previamente no realizaron una evaluación y un juicio ponderado en relación con el compromiso que estaban asumiendo.

Soloveitchik propone la existencia de dos tipos de voluntad. A la primera la denomina Ratsón elyón, que quiere decir voluntad superior. Esta expresión de nuestra voluntad no se basa en un proceso intelectual y no recurre al razonamiento. El Ratsón elyón, responde a ciertos impulsos de nuestra espiritualidad y revela la auténtica identidad del ser humano. El debate interno que consiste en una evaluación lógica de las diferentes posibilidades pertenece al mundo del Ratsón tajtón, que es la voluntad inferior. Es esta la voluntad que utilizamos en nuestros quehaceres y en los numerosos razonamientos que diariamente hacemos.

Es de interés notar del hecho que las grandes resoluciones de la vida no son el resultado de una actividad intelectual que minuciosamente examina el haber y el débito que nuestras acciones implican. Generalmente Las decisiones de mayor consecuencia, como el matrimonio y la profesión, no son precedidas por un minucioso examen de las opciones. La fe, por ejemplo, es más bien el resultado de un brinco existencial y consecuencia de un fuerte sentimiento irresistible y no señala la culminación de un proceso de raciocinio. 

Nuestro padre Avraham no llegó a su concepción de la Divinidad porque examinó con un fino telescopio la órbita de los planetas o procedió a contar las estrellas del firmamento. Al contemplar la vastedad del cosmos, Avraham siente, en lo más profundo de su ser, la presencia Divina. Es una convicción emocional y una verdad espiritual la que en aquel momento reconoce el patriarca. El momento del descubrimiento o del hallazgo científico se da, en numerosas ocasiones, como una especie de luz interna que sin motivo aparente llega al intelecto, explicando el, fenómeno que anteriormente no era inteligible. (También hay quiénes acertadamente señalan, que únicamente los investigadores y los que trabajan con ahínco durante mucho tiempo en la solución de ciertos problemas, son los que, súbitamente, reciben esa iluminación espontánea).

La hipótesis que señalamos implica ciertos riesgos o peligros pues afirma que las intuiciones y los sentimientos son los que rigen los procesos más complejos de nuestras vidas. La probabilidad de pulsar una tecla de alguna computadora que puede desatar una conflagración atómica mundial, según nuestras consideraciones, tal vez depende de este Ratsón elyón, voluntad que está fuera del control de nuestro intelecto. El ejercicio del Ratsón elyón viene a ser el resultado de sensaciones involuntarias y de impulsos incontrolables, aparentemente, no verificables.

El Ratsón tajtón probablemente tenga también la función de una suerte de control sobre el Ratsón elyón. Descubrimiento e invento son el resultado de esa indefinible luz interna que es el Ratsón elyón. Pero luego entra en función el Ratsón tajtón para verificar y comprobar las teorías y las conclusiones sugeridas.

La rápida aceptación de la Torá representada por el Naasé por nuestros antepasados fue seguida por el Nishmá que exige el estudio y la investigación sobre las consecuencias del salto de fe que dieron inicialmente. Tal vez se pueda deducir de nuestra reflexión que el Naasé, por si solo es insuficiente y puede llevar a la superstición, a menos que sea seguido por el Nishmá, la ponderación y la reflexión acerca de las leyes recibidas.

Los textos de la Kabalá sugieren que únicamente en Dios se unen el Ratsón elyón y el Ratsón tajtón en una armonía total. Mientras que, en el hombre, en muchas oportunidades, estas dos voluntades están en conflicto. Depende, tal vez, de nuestras metas en la vida. El Ratsón tajtón es pragmático, se satisface con logros mediocres y busca la utilidad inmediata. Se limita a la percepción visual y actual de las cosas. Pero la gloria pertenece al Ratsón elyón, que responde a una visión, a las causas que tienen valor eterno y a los propósitos nobles.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 17 MITSVOT POSITIVAS Y 38 PROHIBICIONES

1. Deuteronomio 12:2 Destruir los lugares de servicio idólatra
2. Deuteronomio 12:4 No borrar escritos sagrados, el escrito Nombre de Dios, o destruir lugares de devoción que llevan Su Nombre
3. Deuteronomio 12: 5-6 Traer todas las ofrendas y ofrendas voluntarias prometidas en el primer festival de peregrinaje que acontece después de hecha la promesa
4. Deuteronomio 12:13 No sacrificar fuera del Templo
5. Deuteronomio 12:13 Sacrificar todas las ofrendas en el Templo y no en ninguna parte fuera de él
6. Deuteronomio 12:15 Redimir animales consagrados para ofrendas que han adquirido tachas
7. Deuteronomio 12:17 No comer el segundo diezmo de granos fuera de Jerusalem
8. Deuteronomio 12:17 No consumir el segundo diezmo de vino fuera de Jerusalem
9. Deuteronomio 12:17 No consumir el segundo diezmo de aceite fuera de Jerusalem
10. Deuteronomio 12:17 No consumir un primogénito animal sin tacha fuera de Jerusalem
11. Deuteronomio 12:17 No comer la carne de una ofrenda por pecado u ofrenda por culpa fuera del Templo
12. Deuteronomio 12:17 No comer la carne de una ofrenda quemada
13. Deuteronomio 12:17No comer la carne de una ofrenda de menor santidad antes que su sangre sea salpicada sobre el Altar
14. Deuteronomio 12:17 Los Kohanim no deben comer los primeros frutos antes que sean colocados en la Patio del Templo
15. Deuteronomio 12:19 No dejar de dar a los Leviim sus correspondientes obsequios, especialmente en el momento de la festividad
16. Deuteronomio 12:21 Sacrificar ritualmente al animal antes de comer su carne
17. Deuteronomio 12:23 No comer un miembro de un animal vivo
18. Deuteronomio 12:26 Traer la ofrenda de un animal que se debe ofrendar en el Templo, incluso desde la diáspora
19. Deuteronomio 13:1 No añadir a las Mitsvot de la Torá
20. Deuteronomio 13:1 No sustraer de ninguna de las Mitsvot de la Torá
21. Deuteronomio 13:4 No escuchar a quien profetice en nombre de un ídolo
22. Deuteronomio 13:9 No tener afecto por quien incita al culto idólatra
23. Deuteronomio 13:9 No disminuir nuestro odio por quien incita al culto idólatra
24. Deuteronomio 13:10 No rescatar de la muerte a quien incita al culto idólatra
25. Deuteronomio 13:9 Quien ha sido mal influenciado no debe hablar a favor de quien incita al culto idólatra
26. Deuteronomio 13:9 Quien ha sido mal influenciado no debe dejar de criticar a quien incita al culto idólatra
27. Deuteronomio 13:12 No incitar a un judío al culto idólatra
28. Deuteronomio 13:15 Examinar exhaustivamente a los testigos
29. Deuteronomio 13:17 Quemar la ciudad que se ha desviado y adora ídolos, junto con todo lo que contiene
30. Deuteronomio 13:17 No reconstruir a su condición anterior la ciudad que se ha desviado y adoró ídolos
31. Deuteronomio 13:17 No derivar beneficio alguno de la riqueza de la ciudad que se ha desviado y adoró ídolos
32. Deuteronomio 14:1 No darse tajos como hacen quienes adoran ídolos
33. Deuteronomio 14:1 No desarraigar el pelo de la cabeza por tristeza causada por un muerto
34. Deuteronomio 14:3 No comer las ofrendas de animales sagrados que fueron descalificados
35. Deuteronomio 14:11 Examinar las señales del ave para ver si es kasher
36. Deuteronomio 14:19 No comer langostas que no son kasher o insectos con alas
37. Deuteronomio 14:21 No comer la carne de cualquier animal doméstico o animal salvaje que murió por sí solo
38. Deuteronomio 14:22 El Segundo Diezmo
39. Deuteronomio 14:28 El Diezmo para el Pobre en el tercer año en lugar del Segundo Diezmo
40. Deuteronomio 15:2 No exigir pago por una deuda sobre la cual pasó el Año Sabático
41. Deuteronomio 15:3 Cobrar el pago total de un préstamo a un no-judío
42. Deuteronomio 15:3 Perdonar deudas en el Año Sabático
43. Deuteronomio 15:7 No dejar de apoyar a un pobre y darle lo que necesita
44. Deuteronomio 15:8 Dar caridad
45. Deuteronomio 15:9 No dejar de prestar al pobre porque el Año Sabático cancelará la deuda
46. Deuteronomio 15:13 No permitir que el esclavo hebreo salga libre con manos vacías
47. Deuteronomio 15:13 Darle en regalo de indemnización al esclavo hebreo cuando sale libre
48. Deuteronomio 15:19 No hacer trabajar al animal que ha sido consagrado como ofrenda
49. Deuteronomio 15:19 No rapar el animal que ha sido consagrado como ofrenda
50. Deuteronomio 16:3 No comer jaméts después del mediodía en el día anterior a Pésaj
51. Deuteronomio 16:4 No dejar carne de la ofrenda de la festividad, sacrificada el 14 de Nisán hasta el tercer día 
52. Deuteronomio 16:5 No ofrendar el sacrificio de Pésaj en un altar privado
53. Deuteronomio 16:14 Regocijarse en las Festividades de Peregrinaje
54. Deuteronomio 16:16 Presentarse en el Beit HaMikdash, el Templo, en las Festividades de Peregrinaje
55. Deuteronomio 16:16 No subir a Jerusalem y presentarse en el Beit HaMikdash para una Festividad de Peregrinaje sin una ofrenda animal

RE’EH_DEUTERONOMY XI,26 – XVI,17

Re’eh, “look”, says the Torah, I place in front of you Berachah ukelalah, “a blessing and a curse”. In this way, we are made to know that the choice is ours, that the result of our actions can be anticipated, and that the consequences of these are not arbitrary.  If we comply with the Mitzvot, we obtain the Berachah, and in the opposite case, we suffer the Kelalah. In future chapters, this warning will be repeated, and we will read in the text, “… I gave you a choice between life and death, between blessing and curse, Uvacharta bachayim, and I exhorted you to choose life…”.

On a visit by Israel’s late president Zalman Shazar to the United States, he appeared before a meeting of the New York Board of Rabbis, where he quoted the text in question. Shazar questioned the fact that by instructing Uvachartah bachayim, the Torah contradicted the hypothesis of Bechirah chofshit, which is free will. The ability of choice would have been apparent if our text merely pointed out the anticipated consequences of our behavior and allowed everyone to choose their own path. 

Shazar then continued with an analysis of the great moral ills that afflict our society and concluded by pointing out that disinterest and apathy cause dehumanization, stifling any possibility of advancement and progress. Insensitivity to the suffering of others is morally indefensible, and apathy is even more pernicious to society than the lack of concern for the pain of others. Incomprehension and indifference produce greater anguish than the petty attitude of not offering aid or a concrete helping hand.

The Torah is attentive to this human fault and the quoted text orders the reflection about the Berachah and the Kelalah. We must meditate on what the results are when living according to the Mitsvot as opposed to a behavior that does not take them into account. The Torah commands us to meditate on our responsibilities and consequently, we make do with behavior that is characterized by inertia and the absence of action. The conclusion of any reflection, according to Shazar, must necessarily lead to Uvachartah bachayim. Because we all want a harmonious and conflict-free society, which is impossible to achieve in an environment where theft reigns. Because we all support, (nowadays it seems that not all of us) in principle, the unity, and solidity of the family nucleus and we know the tragedy that irresponsible fatherhood entails. Because we all feel that work is necessary, but, at the same time, we know that the spirit also requires attention. 

Our essential weakness is that we do not devote enough attention to the analysis of our daily behavior that permits us to anticipate with joy and optimism what our actions will reap in the future. The desirable and advisable result of any study would be an orderly life, under a regime of human law and order, which should invariably lead us to Uvachartah bachayim (this principle, unfortunately, is presently being questioned by some members of our society).

The Bechirah chofshit, which is free will, however, is fundamental to our tradition, because otherwise, we could not contemplate the total structure of Sechar ve’onesh, the reward for good deeds and punishment for crimes which is part of our religious thinking. The possibility of free choice is a prerequisite for being able to then request and demand that responsibility be taken for the consequences of actions.

Harav Yosef Dov Haleví Soloveitchik, the teacher of teachers, questions the response of our ancestors when they were offered the Torah, which is the Law. According to the biblical text, the response at the foot of Mount Sinai was Na’aseh venishma, which our expositors interpret as a manifestation of the willingness of our ancestors to obey and fulfill the precepts, even before knowing the details of its content. Indeed, the generation of that time did not exercise their Bechirah chofshit, since they did not make a previous evaluation and a weighted judgment in relation to the commitment they were assuming.

Soloveitchik proposes the existence of two types of will. The first is called Ratson elyon, which means higher will. This expression of our will is not based on an intellectual process and does not resort to reasoning. The Ratson Elyon responds to certain impulses of our spirituality and reveals the authentic identity of the human being. The internal debate consisting of a logical evaluation of the different possibilities belongs to the world of the Ratson Tachton, the inferior will. This is the will that we use in our work and in the many arguments, we make every day.

It is interesting to note that the great resolutions of life are not the result of an intellectual activity that painstakingly examines the credits and debits that our actions imply. Generally, decisions of greater consequence, such as marriage and profession, are not necessarily preceded by a thorough examination of options. Chance and first impressions play an important role. Faith, for example, is rather the result of an existential leap and a consequence of a strong irresistible feeling and does not signal the culmination of a process of reasoning.

Our forefather Avraham did not arrive at his conception of the Divinity because he examined with a fine telescope the orbit of the planets or proceeded to count the stars of the firmament. As he contemplated the vastness of the cosmos, Avraham felt, in the depths of his being, the Divine presence. It is an emotional conviction and a spiritual truth that the patriarch recognized at that time. The moment of discovery or scientific discovery is given, on numerous occasions, as a kind of internal light that for no apparent reason reaches the intellect, explaining the phenomenon that was previously unintelligible. (There are also those who rightly point out that only researchers and those who work hard for a long time in solving certain problems are the ones who suddenly receive this spontaneous illumination).

The hypothesis that we point out involves certain risks or dangers because it affirms that intuitions and feelings govern the most complex processes of our lives. The probability of pressing a key of some computer that can unleash a world atomic conflagration, according to our considerations, perhaps depends on this Ratson Elyon, a will that is beyond the control of our intellect. The exercise of the Ratson Elyon comes to be the result of involuntary sensations and uncontrollable impulses, apparently, unverifiable.

The Ratson Tachton probably also has the function of a kind of control over the Ratson Elyon. Discovery and invention are the results of that indefinable inner light that is the Ratson Elyon. But then the Ratson Tachton comes into the function to verify the theories and give a stamp of approval to the suggested conclusions.

The rapid acceptance of the Torah represented by the Na’aseh of our ancestors was followed by the Nishma that demands study and research on the consequences of the leap of faith they gave initially. Perhaps it can be deduced from our reflection that the Na’aseh, alone is insufficient and can lead to superstition, unless followed by the Nishma, the pondering and reflection on the Laws received.

Texts of the Kabalah suggest that only in God do the Ratson Elyon and Ratson Tachton unite in total harmony. Whereas, in man, on many occasions, these two wills are in conflict. It depends, perhaps, on our goals in life. The Ratson Tachton is pragmatic, satisfied even with mediocre achievements, and seeks immediate utility. It is limited to the visual and current perception of things. Glory belongs to the Ratson Elyon, which response to a vision, to causes that have eternal value, and to noble purposes.

MITSVAH: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 17 POSITIVE MITZVOT AND 38 PROHIBITIONS

1. Deuteronomy 12:2 Destroying Idolatrous Service Places
2. Deuteronomy 12:4 Do not blot out sacred writings, the written Name of God, or destroy places of devotion bearing His Name
3. Deuteronomy 12:5-6 Bring all the promised offerings and voluntary offerings at the first pilgrimage festival that happens after the promise is made
4. Deuteronomy 12:13 Do not sacrifice outside the Temple
5. Deuteronomy 12:13 Sacrificing all offerings in the Temple and not anywhere outside it
6. Deuteronomy 12:15 Redeeming Consecrated Animals for Offerings That Have Acquired Tachas
7. Deuteronomy 12:17 Do not eat the second tithe of grains outside of Jerusalem
8. Deuteronomy 12:17 Do not consume the second tithe of wine outside Jerusalem
9. Deuteronomy 12:17 Do not consume the second tithe of oil outside Jerusalem
10. Deuteronomy 12:17 Do not consume an unblemished firstborn animal outside of Jerusalem
11. Deuteronomy 12:17 Do not eat the flesh of a sin offering or guilt offering outside the Temple
12. Deuteronomy 12:17 Do not eat the flesh of a burnt offering
13. Deuteronomy 12:17 Do not eat the flesh of an offering of lesser holiness before its blood is splattered on the Altar
14. Deuteronomy 12:17 The Kohanim should not eat the first fruits before they are placed in the Temple Courtyard
15. Deuteronomy 12:19 Do not fail to give the Leviyim their corresponding gifts, especially at the time of the feast
16. Deuteronomy 12:21 Ritually slaughtering the animal before eating its flesh
17. Deuteronomy 12:23 Do not eat a member of a living animal
18. Deuteronomy 12:26 Bring the offering of an animal to be offered in the Temple, even from the diaspora
19. Deuteronomy 13:1 Do not add to the Mitsvot of the Torah
20. Deuteronomy 13:1 Do not subtract from any of the Mitsvot of the Torah
21. Deuteronomy 13:4 Do not listen to one who prophesizes in the name of an idol
22. Deuteronomy 13:9 Have no affection for those who incite idolatrous cult
23. Deuteronomy 13:9 Do not diminish hatred for those who incite idolatrous cult
24. Deuteronomy 13:10 Do not rescue from death those who incite idolatrous worship
25. Deuteronomy 13:9 One who has been badly influenced should not speak on behalf of those who incite idolatrous cult
26. Deuteronomy 13:9 One who has been badly influenced should not fail to criticize those who incite idolatrous cult
27. Deuteronomy 13:12 Do not incite a Jew to idolatrous worship
28. Deuteronomy 13:15 Thoroughly Examine witnesses
29. Deuteronomy 13:17 Burn the city that has been deviant and worships idols, along with all that it contains
30. Deuteronomy 13:17 Do not rebuild to its former condition the city that has deviated and adored idols
31. Deuteronomy 13:17 Do not derive any benefit from the wealth of the city that has deviated and adored idols
32. Deuteronomy 14:1 Do not give yourself gashes as those who worship idols do
33. Deuteronomy 14:1 Do not uproot the hair from your head out of sadness caused by a dead person
34. Deuteronomy 14:3 Do not eat the offerings of sacred animals that were disqualified
35. Deuteronomy 14:11 Examine the bird’s signs to see if it is kasher
36. Deuteronomy 14:19 Do not eat lobsters that are not kasher or insects with wings
37. Deuteronomy 14:21 Do not eat the flesh of any pet or wild animal that died by itself
38. Deuteronomy 14:22 The Second Tithe
39. Deuteronomy 14:28 The Tithe for the Poor in the Third Year instead of the Second Tithe
40. Deuteronomy 15:2 Not to demand payment for a debt after the Sabbatical Year
41. Deuteronomy 15:3 Collect the full payment of a loan from a non-Jew
42. Deuteronomy 15:3 Forgive debts in the Sabbatical Year
43. Deuteronomy 15:7 Do not stop supporting a poor man and giving him what he needs
44. Deuteronomy 15:8 Giving Charity
45. Deuteronomy 15:9 Do not stop lending to the poor because the Sabbatical will cancel the debt
46. Deuteronomy 15:13 Not allowing the Hebrew slave to go free empty-handed
47. Deuteronomy 15:13 Give a gift of compensation to the Hebrew slave when he goes free
48. Deuteronomy 15:19 Do not do work with the animal that has been consecrated as an offering 
49. Deuteronomy 15:19 Do not shave the animal that has been consecrated as an offering
50. Deuteronomy 16:3 Do not eat chamets after noon on the day before Pesach
51. Deuteronomy 16:4 Leaving no flesh from the offering of the feast, sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan until the third day
52. Deuteronomy 16:5 Do not offer the sacrifice of Pesach on a private altar
53. Deuteronomy 16:14 Rejoice in the Feasts of Pilgrimage
54. Deuteronomy 16:16 Appear at the Beit HaMikdash, the Temple, on the Pilgrimage Festivities
55. Deuteronomy 16:16 Do not go up to Jerusalem and show up at the Beit HaMikdash for a Pilgrimage Feast without an animal offering

EKEV_DEUTERONOMY VII,12 – XI,25

Our chapters affirm that Ekev, as a consequence of the fulfillment of the Mitzvot, the Divine ordinances, the Eternal will watch over the Brit, the covenant He concluded with our ancestors. Our fulfillment of the Mitzvot results in Va’ahevcha uverachecha vehirbecha,” and (God) will love you, bless you, and multiply you”. We note that the concept of love is present and mentioned several times in this biblical text. Indeed, the word love plays a very important role in a chapter of previous readings that is very notable for being considered as the pillar of our faith. We refer to Shema Israel, the paragraph that begins with the statement: “Listen Israel, the Eternal, our God, the Eternal is One.”

In the Hebrew language Lishmo’a, which means to listen, also means to understand and obey. Thus, Shema Israel is not merely an invitation to hear a statement about Divine oneness. Shema tells us that it is necessary to understand the implications of this uniqueness in a general way in relation to the universe, and in particular, its consequences with regard to human behavior.

On the one hand, the oneness of God leads us to conceive a logical ordering in the structures and laws that govern the cosmos. The notion of the existence of a unique creator and designer of the universe allows us to think that each effect has a cause. This monotheistic conception becomes the genesis of science that explores and classifies to find convincing explanations of the phenomena of nature. At the same time, the one God is a factor of democracy within the diversity we find in the human species. The Creator himself is responsible for the existence of all beings without exception.

A generally accepted feature of Jewish tradition states that action is paramount. Ikar hama’ase, action is all-important, avers a motto of our Chachamim. In the Jewish tradition, faith and belief do not necessarily lead to salvation. The practice of good deeds and honorable conduct is indispensable in order to be worthy of religious approval. However, the importance attached to the phrase Shema Israel suggests to us that mere listening is a moral desideratum. 

The biblical paragraph mentioned, Shema Israel, states that the oneness of God demands as a consequence, Ve’ahavta et HaShem Elohecha bechol levavcha…, “and you shall love the Eternal thy God with all thy heart…. Of course, you can’t command love for another person or another being. By definition, we consider spontaneity to be the defining quality of genuine love and, therefore, cannot be induced by a set of artificially manufactured or compulsorily imposed feelings. Ve’ahavta can be reached perhaps, as a result of certain global behavior and as a consequence of being immersed in Vehagita bo yomam valaila, in the constant study of the Torah as a way and a means for an approach to the Creator.

My teacher Harav Yosef Dov Haleví Soloveitchik taught me that there are four ways to approach God. We thereby transcend the abyss that separates the infinite from the finite. These paths are Talmud Torah, study, Ahavat HaShem, the love of God, Shemirat hamitsvot, the fulfillment of ordinances, and Tefilah, which means prayer.

If we start from the premise that God knows everything, Talmud Torah becomes an instrument to approach and identify with His knowledge. It is a way to draw near to God’s intellect. In study, we share divine knowledge and produce a fusion between the finite and the infinite. God is revealed through nature, the cosmos, and in the moral order, which in Judaism is represented by the Torah. The study of the universe and a better understanding of the ethical and moral parameters are a way of appreciating and apprehending, although without ever fully understanding, the essence of the Divinity. Jewish tradition orders study as the most precious good by enunciating Talmud Torah Keneged kulam, that the study of the Torah surpasses all (the other virtuous acts).

Love of God, Ahavat HaShem, has to be the consequence of a life that is governed by compliance with the rules ordained by the Divinity. The life of Mitsvah serves to mobilize our emotions and feelings, to recognize in every experience and event, the benevolent intervention of the deity. Ahavat HaShem is the irresistible inner response to the apprehension of the Divine Presence in the universe, which is what gives sustenance and existence to the cosmos. In the absence of God, existence and being are an impossibility.

Man serves God through the exercise of his moral will to reach decisions of ethical content. The purpose of Halachah, according to Soloveitchik, is to bend the will of man to the Will of God. The purpose is to raise man to a higher spiritual level, guiding his biological impulses and instincts so that they have transcendental content and significance. The goal of the Mitsvah is the transformation of what is mechanical and habitual in our lives, into actions that are situated on the spiritual plane of Kedushat haguf, the sanctification of the body.

In some other religions, the body is considered to be corrupt and irredeemable. In Judaism, on the other hand, the synthesis and fusion between body and intellect are sought to forge a spiritual being. Although Talmud Torah is essentially addressed to the intellect, the Mitsvah involves the whole being, to achieve harmony and integration between body and mind.

Talmud Torah, Ahavat HaShem, and Mitsvah are human activities that are intended to foster rapprochement and encounters with Deity. But Tefilah has an additional characteristic, which is the existence of an interlocutor and reciprocity. The human being raises his prayer to God, and God responds to him. (The answer may also be of a negative nature, yet it is an answer). In a figurative sense man ascends the mountain of prayer and God descends from the heavens for them to meet halfway. 

Thus says the Bible in the book of Shemot, Vayered HaShem al Har Sinai…, vaya’al Moshe: “and God descended on Mount Sinai…, and Moses ascended” (so that an encounter between the two may occur). Prayer is not a monologue but a participatory dialogue. In Tefilah there is movement on the part of both, while, in the first modalities mentioned, man is the action being and God is the passive entity.

Jewish tradition describes God as Shome’a tefillah, Who hears prayer, because, without the interlocutor, prayer becomes an act of self-suggestion and ceases to be a dialogue. Prophecy is a way for God’s communication with a man (according to Rambam, the Navi, the prophet, is a person of great spiritual preparation that allows him to be connected to the Divine message). 

The Anshe’i Knesset Hagedolah, the members of “The Great Assembly”, instituted prayer at the end of the period of prophecy, in order to continue the Divine relationship, and to begin a new period in our spiritual history, this time in the form of dialogue. Although prayer has an important dose of Techinah, which is the petition, its primary motivation is the encounter with the deity.

These ideas are clearly set out and contained in the words of our weekly text, Ve’atá Israel mah HaShem Elohecha sho’el me’imach,  “and now Israel what does the Eternal thy God require of you”, Ki im leyir’a et HaShem Elohecha lalechet bechol derachav ule’ahavah otó,”but to fear Him and follow His ways, loving Him”,  Vela’avod et HaShem Elohecha bechol levavecha uvechol nafshecha, “and serving Him with all your heart and with all your soul”. Lishmor et mitsvot HaShem ve’et chukotav asher anochi metsavech hayom, “fulfilling His mandates and precepts which I prescribe to you today”, (because the basic and essential purpose of all the above is) Letov lach, “for your good”.

MITSVAH: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARASHAH

CONTAINS 6 POSITIVE MITZVOT AND 2 PROHIBITIONS

1. Deuteronomy 7:25 To obtain no benefit from the ornaments of an Idol
2. Deuteronomy 7:26 Not to possess an object belonging to the cult of idols or to derive any benefit from them
3. Deuteronomy 8:10 Blessing God after eating bread
4. Deuteronomy 10:19 Loving those who convert to Judaism
5. Deuteronomy 10:20 Fearing God
6. Deuteronomy 10:20 Pray to God
7. Deuteronomy 10:20 Associate and adhere to Torah scholars
8. Deuteronomy 10:20 Swearing in the Name of God when making a vow

ÉKEV_DEUTERONOMIO VII,12 – XI,25

Nuestros capítulos afirman que Ékev, como consecuencia del cumplimiento de las Mitsvot, las ordenanzas Divinas, el Eterno velará por el Brit, el pacto que cerró con nuestros antepasados. Nuestro cumplimiento de las Mitsvot trae como resultado Vaahevjá uverajejá vehirbejá, “y (Dios) te amará, te bendecirá y te multiplicará”. Señalamos que el concepto del amor está presente y mencionado varias veces, en este texto bíblico. En efecto, el vocablo amor juega un papel muy importante en un capítulo de lecturas anteriores que es muy notable por ser considerado como el pilar de nuestra fe. Hacemos referencia a Shemá Israel, al párrafo que comienza con la afirmación: “Escucha Israel, El Eterno, nuestro, Dios es Uno”.

En el idioma hebreo Lishmoa, que quiere decir escuchar, significa en especial, entender y obedecer. De tal modo, Shemá Israel no es únicamente una invitación a escuchar una afirmación acerca de la unicidad Divina. Shemá nos dice que es necesario entender las implicaciones de esta unicidad de manera general en lo referente al universo, y en particular, a sus consecuencias sobre el comportamiento humano.

Por un lado, la unicidad de Dios nos lleva a concebir la posibilidad de un ordenamiento lógico en las estructuras y en las leyes que rigen el cosmos. La noción de la existencia de un creador y diseñador único del universo nos permite pensar que cada efecto tiene una causa. Esta concepción monoteísta se convierte en la génesis de la ciencia que explora y clasifica para encontrar una explicación convincente de los fenómenos de la naturaleza. Al mismo tiempo, el Dios único, es un factor de democracia dentro de la diversidad que encontramos en la especie humana. El mismo Creador es el responsable por la existencia de todos los seres sin excepción.

Una característica generalmente aceptada, de la tradición judía afirma que la acción es primordial. Ikar hamaasé, lo fundamental es la acción, reza un lema de nuestros Jajamim. En la tradición judía, la fe y la creencia no conducen necesariamente a la salvación. Es indispensable la práctica de las buenas acciones y la conducta honorable para ser merecedor del visto bueno religioso. Sin embargo, la importancia que se le otorga a la frase Shemá Israel nos sugiere que el mero escuchar es un desideratum moral. ¿Acaso no se considera que nuestra época sufre de sordera, porque no escucha el clamor de los menos afortunados?

El párrafo bíblico mencionado, Shemá Israel, afirma que la unicidad de Dios exige como consecuencia, Veahavtá et HaShem Eloheja bejol levavjá…, “y amarás al Eterno tu Dios con todo tu corazón…. Claro que no se puede ordenar el amor hacia otra persona o hacia otro ser. Por definición, consideramos que la espontaneidad es la cualidad que define al amar genuino y, por tanto, no puede estar compuesto por un conjunto de sentimientos fabricados artificialmente o impuestos de manera obligatoria. Se puede llegar a Veahavtá tal vez, como resultado de cierto comportamiento global y como una consecuencia de estar inmerso en Vehaguita bo yomam valaila, en el estudio constante de la Torá, como una vía y un medio para un acercamiento al Creador.

Mi maestro Harav Yosef Dov Haleví Soloveitchik enseña que se dispone de cuatro vías para acercarse a Dios. A través de este medio el hombre transciende el abismo que separa lo infinito de lo finito. Estos caminos son: Talmud Torá, que es el estudio, Ahavat HaShem, que es el amor a Dios, Shemirat hamitsvot, que es el cumplimiento de las ordenanzas, y Tefilá, que quiere decir la oración.

Si partimos de la premisa de que Dios lo sabe todo, Talmud Torá se convierte en un instrumento para acercarnos e identificarnos con Su conocimiento. Es una manera de establecer una frontera con el intelecto de Dios. Al estudiar, compartimos los conocimientos Divinos y efectuamos una fusión entre lo finito y lo infinito. Dios se revela a través de la naturaleza que es el cosmos y en el orden moral, que en el judaísmo es la Torá. La investigación del universo y una mejor comprensión de los parámetros éticos y morales, son una manera de apreciar y aprehender, aunque sin jamás llegar a comprender totalmente, la esencia de la Divinidad. La tradición judía ordena el estudio como el bien más preciado al enunciar Talmud Torá Kenégued kulam, que el estudio de la Torá sobrepasa a todo (los otros actos virtuosos).

El amor a Dios, Ahavat HaShem, tiene que ser la consecuencia de una vida que se rige por el cumplimiento de las normas ordenadas por la Divinidad. Una vida de Mitsvá sirve para que nuestras emociones y sentimientos se movilicen, para reconocer en toda experiencia y suceso la intervención benévola de la deidad. Ahavat HaShem es la irresistible respuesta interna a la aprehensión de la Presencia Divina en el universo, que es la que le da sustento y existencia al cosmos. En ausencia de Dios, la existencia y el ser son una imposibilidad.

El hombre sirve a Dios a través del ejercicio de su voluntad moral para llegar a decisiones de contenido ético. El propósito de la Halajá, según Soloveitchik, es el de doblegar la voluntad del hombre a la voluntad de Dios. El propósito es buscar la elevación del hombre a un nivel espiritual, guiando sus impulsos e instintos biológicos para que tengan un contenido y una significación trascendentales. La meta de la Mitsvá es la transformación de lo mecánico y habitual en nuestras vidas, en acciones que se sitúan en el plano espiritual, de Kedushat haguf, la santificación del cuerpo. 

En algunas otras religiones se considera que el cuerpo es corrupto e irredimible. En el judaísmo, en cambio, se busca la síntesis y la fusión entre cuerpo e intelecto para forjar al ser espiritual. Aunque Talmud Torá está dirigido esencialmente al intelecto, la Mitsvá, en cambio, involucra a todo el ser, para lograr la armonía y la integración entre cuerpo y mente.

Talmud Torá, Ahavat HaShem y Mitsvá son actividades humanas que tienen el propósito de fomentar el acercamiento y el encuentro con la Deidad. Pero Tefilá tiene una característica adicional que es la existencia del interlocutor y de la reciprocidad. El ser humano eleva su plegaria a Dios, y Este le responde. (La respuesta también puede ser negativa, pero es una respuesta). En un sentido figurado el hombre asciende el monte de la oración y Dios desciende desde los cielos que encuentran a mitad de camino. 

Así reza la Biblia en el libro de Shemot, Vayéred HaShem al Har Sinai…, vayáal Moshé: “y Dios descendió sobre el Monte Sinaí…, y Moshé ascendió” (para que se produzca un encuentro entre ambos). La oración no es un monólogo sino un diálogo participativo. En Tefilá hay movimiento de parte de ambos, mientras que, en las primeras modalidades mencionadas, el hombre es el ser activo y Dios es el ente pasivo.

La tradición judía califica a Dios como Shomea tefilá, quien escucha la oración, porque sin el interlocutor, el rezo se convierte en un acto de auto sugestión y cesa de ser un diálogo. La profecía es una vía para la comunicación de Dios con el hombre (según Rambam, el Naví, el profeta, es una persona de una gran preparación espiritual que le permite estar conectada al mensaje Divino). 

Los Anshei Knéset Haguedolá, los integrantes de “La Gran Asamblea”, instituyeron la plegaria, al término del período de la profecía, para poder continuar con la relación Divina, e iniciar un nuevo período en nuestra historia espiritual, esta vez en forma de diálogo. Aunque la oración tiene una dosis importante de Tejiná, que es la petición, su motivación primaria es el encuentro con la deidad.

Estas ideas están claramente expuestas y contenidas en las palabras de nuestro texto semanal, Veatá Israel ma HaShem Eloheja shoel meimaj, “y ahora Israel ¿qué requiere de ti el Eterno tu Dios”, Ki im leyirá et HaShem Eloheja laléjet bejol derajav uleahavá otó, “sino que Le temas y sigas Sus caminos amándole”, Velaavod et HaShem Eloheja bejol levavejá uvejol nafshejá, “y sirviéndole con todo tu corazón y con toda tu alma”. Lishmor et mitsvot HaShem veet jukotav asher anojí metsavejá hayom, “cumpliendo Sus mandatos y preceptos que hoy te prescribo”, (porque el propósito básico y esencial de todo lo antedicho es) Letov laj, “para tu bien”.

MITSVÁ: ORDENANZA DE LA TORÁ EN ESTA PARASHÁ

CONTIENE 6 MITSVOT POSITIVAS Y 2 PROHIBICIONES

1. Deuteronomio 7:25 No obtener beneficio por los ornamentos de un ídolo
2. Deuteronomio 7:26 No poseer un objeto perteneciente al culto de ídolos ni obtener beneficio alguno de ellos
3. Deuteronomio 8:10 Bendecir a Dios después de comer pan
4. Deuteronomio 10:19 Amar a quienes se convierten al judaísmo
5. Deuteronomio 10:20 Temer a Dios
6. Deuteronomio 10:20 Rezar a Dios
7. Deuteronomio 10:20 Asociarse y adherirse a eruditos de la Torá
8. Deuteronomio 10:20 Jurar por el Nombre de Dios al hacer un voto