Parshas Re’eh

Pesukim: 126 [Siman:פליאה]

Haftorah: Yeshayahu 54:11-55:5

Rishon

1. The Brachos and Kelalos of Har Gerizim and Har Eival:

• “See that I am giving you today the blessings and curses. The blessings are received if you fulfill Hashem’s will, while the curses are received if you transgress Hashem’s will and you go astray after foreign gods.”
• Har Gerizim and Har Eival: Upon your arrival to the promised land, the blessings will be given on Har Gerizim while the curses will be given on Har Eival.

2. Commandments relating to conquering the land:

• The following are the laws that you shall follow upon entering the promised land: “You are to destroy all the areas of worship of the gentile nations. You are to destroy their altars, statues, and idols, and burn their trees of idolatry, and all their apparatus.
• Do not do this to Hashem your G-d [to destroy items of Holiness].”

3. Commandments relating to Karbanos, meat and tithes:
   • Bringing the sacrifices to Shilo: “You are to offer all the Karbanos only in the Temple, in the area that Hashem has chosen to reside. You are to eat there before Hashem and rejoice there. You will no longer bring sacrifices on Bamos as you are accustomed today.”

Sheiyni

• Bringing the sacrifices to Jerusalem: You are to offer all the Karbanos only in the Temple, in the area that Hashem has chosen to reside. You are to eat there before Hashem and rejoice there. You may not bring sacrifices in other areas.
• Shechita: You may slaughter animals as you desire, and you may eat their meat in any area, while pure or impure.
• Blood: You may not eat the blood of the animal.
• Maaser Sheiyni: Maaser Sheiyni may not be eaten outside of the chosen area [i.e. Yerushalayim].
• Bechor: The Bechor animal may not be eaten outside of the chosen area [i.e. Yerushalayim].
• The Levite: Do not abstain from giving the Levites their presents and rejoicing them by the Holidays.
• Voluntary offerings: You shall offer the sacrifices that you vowed to offer onto the altar. Its blood is to be spilled on the altar, while its meat is to be eaten.

Shelishi

4. Commandments relating to the inhabitants of the conquered land:
   • “When you enter the land that Hashem has conquered before you, do not be fooled to seek out their idolatry and worship them. You shall not do this to Hashem, as all the abominations which Hashem hates they did towards their gods, and they burned their children in fire.
   • You are to guard all the commands and not add or subtract from the commands.”

5. Laws relating to a prophet of idolatry:
   • “When a prophet or dreamer rises from amongst you who performs miracles, and he states that he received a prophetic vision from G-d that one is to serve idolatry, you are not to listen to him. Hashem is testing you to see if you love Him with all your heart and soul. The above prophet is to be killed, and you should destroy the evil from your midst.
   • You shall go in the path of Hashem, fear Him, guard His commands, serve Him, and attach to Him.”

6. Laws relating to a Meisis-Missionaries of idolatry:
   • “If your brother, or son, or daughter, or wife, or friend tries to persuade you to serve idolatry, telling you “Let us go and worship the gods of other nations” you are not to listen to him. You are to have no mercy on him, or protect him, and cover up for him. Rather, you shall kill him. Your hand should be the first to kill him and the hand of the nation will be the last. You shall stone him until he dies, and all the Jewish people will hear and witness, so they do not do the same.”

7. Laws relating to an Ir Hanidachas:
   • “If you hear that missionaries have persuaded an entire city to serve idolatry, you are to properly inquire the matter, and if found true the city is to be destroyed. All of the cities possessions are to be gathered in the square and burnt. The city is never to be rebuilt. It is forbidden to take any spoils from the city.
   • If you do the above, you will quench Hashem’s anger and He will have mercy on you.”

Revi’i

8. Lo Sisgodedu and Karcha:
   • “You are children of Hashem and a holy nation. Therefore, you are not to cut your skin or shave your head in mourning of a loved one.

9. Laws relating to Kashrus:
   • You are not to eat any abominating item.
   • The Kosher animals: You may only eat the following animals: The ox, sheep, goat, ram, deer, Yachmur, Akko, Dishon, Teo and Zamer. You may eat all animals that have split hooves and chew their cud. The following animals you may not eat amongst those who chew their cud or have split hooves: The Shesuah, camel, rabbit, and hyrax, as although they chew their cud they do not have split hooves. Likewise, the pig may not be eaten, as it has split hooves but does not chew its cud. You may not eat their flesh, and may not touch their corpse [during the festivals].
   • Kosher fish: The following sea creatures may be eaten: All fish that have fins and scales may be eaten. All fish that do not have fins and scales are not Kosher and are considered impure for you.
   • Non-Kosher birds: You may eat all pure birds. The following [20] birds may not be eaten: [the identification of these birds from the original Hebrew is mostly unknown] 1) Eagle; 2) Peres; 3) Ozniah; 4) Raah, Ayah, and Dayah; 6) Raven; 7) Bas Hayaanah; 8) Tachmos; 9) Shachaf; 10) Netz [i.e. sparrow hawk]; 11) Kos; 12) Yanshuf [i.e. owl] 13) Tinshemes; 14) Kaas; 15) Rachamah; 16) Shalach [i.e. seagull]; 17) Chasidah [i.e. stork]; 18) Anafah; 19) Duchifas [i.e. wild rooster]; 20) Atalef [bat].
   • Insects: All flying creatures are impure for you and may not be eaten.
   • Fowl: All pure fowl may be eaten.
   • Niveila: A Niveila may not be eaten and it is to be given to the strangers who live with you, or sold to the gentiles, as you are a holy nation onto G-d.
   • Meat and milk: You shall not eat meat and milk together.

Chamishi

10. Laws relating to Maaser Sheiyni:
    • “You shall tithe all the produce of your field annually.
    • Where to eat it: This tithe is to be eaten in the chosen place where Hashem rests [i.e. Jerusalem] so that you learn to fear Hashem all your days. The tithe of your grains, wine, oil, and the firstborn of your cattle and flock. [This Maaser is called Maaser Sheiyni.] If you live a distance from the area, and are unable to carry all the produce there, then you shall redeem the produce with money and take the money to the chosen place [i.e. Jerusalem]. That money shall than be used [in Jerusalem] to buy cattle, flock, wine, and everything that you desire.
    • You and your family are to rejoice there. You are not to ignore the Levite.”

11. The law of Biur Maaser:

• “At the conclusion of the 3^rd year you are to remove all of your tithes from your home and place it within your gates. The Levite, and convert, orphan and widow will come and eat it to satiation. Do this so that Hashem shall bless you in all your actions.”

Shishi

12. The laws of Shemitas Kesafim:
    • “At the conclusion of the seventh year you are to perform a Shemita release. The following is the release that you are to do: You are to abolish all debts that you are owed. You are to no longer press your friend to pay back the loan. However, a gentile is to be pressed to pay what he owes.”

13. Poverty:
    • “No poor people if listen to Hashem: You will have no poor people amongst you as Hashem will bless you if you adhere His words. You will lend to nations and will not need to borrow from them and they will not rule over you.
    • Tzedaka to the poor: If there shall be a poor person from amongst you, you are to support him. Do not close your heart and hands from giving to your brother the pauper. You shall open your hands to him and grant him whatever he lacks.
    • Not to abstain from lending the poor because of Shemita: Beware, lest you tell yourself not to lend your destitute brother due to the approach of the Shemita. He will call out to Hashem against you and you will have sinned. You shall grant him a loan and not be of bad heart to abstain, as by doing so Hashem will grant you blessing in all that you do.
    • There will always be poor people: You will always have poor people amongst your land [if you disobey Hashem’s will], and therefore I am commanding you to support them.”

14. Laws relating to freeing a slave:
    • “Seventh year let free: If your brethren, a man or woman, are sold to you, the slave shall serve you for six years and is to be let free in the seventh year.
    • Severance pay: When you send him free, you are not to send him emptyhanded. Grant him presents from your flock and grains and wine, and from everything that Hashem has blessed you with. Remember, that you were once a slave in Egypt and Hashem redeemed you from there, and hence I too am now commanding you to do as stated above.
    • A slave who does not wish to leave: If the slave tells you that he does not wish to leave, as he likes his house and his dwelling with you. Then you shall take the awl and pierce his ear by the doorpost, and he is then to become an eternal slave. The same shall be done for a maidservant.”

Shevi’i

15. Laws of Bechor:
    • “Every firstborn animal that will be born to your cattle and flock is to be sanctified to Hashem.
    • Work and use: You are not to perform work with the firstborn ox, nor sheer the sheep.
    • Where to eat: It is to be eaten [by the Kohen] in the chosen area by Hashem [i.e. Jerusalem].
    • Mum: If it has a Mum/blemish, such as being lame or blind, it is not to be slaughtered to Hashem your G-d, and is rather to be eaten in your cities by the pure and impure.
    • Blood: One may not eat its blood and it is rather to be spilled on the earth like water.”

16. Laws relating to Pesach:
    • “One is to guard the month of Aviv/spring to celebrate Pesach, as in this month G-d took you out of Egypt at night.
    • The sacrifice: The Karban Pesach is to be brought to the area that G-d chooses to reside [i.e. Jerusalem]. It is to be offered in the afternoon. You shall cook it and eat it in the area that G-d chooses, and then leave back home the next morning. You may not let the meat remain past the morning.
    • Chametz and Matzah: One may not eat Chametz with it, and one is to eat Matzos for seven days, as you left Egypt in a haste. You may not see [i.e. own] Chametz or yeast [i.e. leavened bread] in all your borders for seven days.
    • Melacha: On the seventh day one may not do Melacha.”

17. Laws relating to Shavuos:
    • To count the Omer: “You shall count for yourselves seven weeks from when the harvest of the Omer takes place.
    • Shavuos: You are to celebrate the festival of Shavuos for G-d [on the 50^th day] in accordance to what you have to offer from that which G-d has bequeathed you.
    • Rejoicing: You shall rejoice before G-d, you and your children and slaves, the Levite, orphan, and widow who is in your midst, in the area that G-d has chosen.”

18. Laws relating to Sukkos:
    • “You shall celebrate the festival of Sukkos for seven days, when you gather from your fruits and from the wine pit.
    • Visamachta Bechagecha-To rejoice on Sukkos: You are to rejoice for seven days, you and your children and slaves, and the Levite, orphan and widow who is in your midst, in the area that G-d has chosen. As Hashem has blessed you in your harvest and you are to be happy.”

19. Laws relating to Aliya Laregel:
    • “Three times a year every male is to see G-d in the area of His choosing [i.e. Jerusalem], during the festival of Matzos, Shavuos and Sukkos.
    • Karban Reiya: One is not to come see My face empty handed. Each man is to bring in accordance to that which he can afford.”