Shmuel has returned home to Israel after his long summer travels and has a teaching to share for this week’s portion, Shoftim. This week’s portion is a serious one that is full of relevant commands, namely: the rules of war.
Portion Re’eh details the covenant between the Children of Israel and God. It admonishes the Children of Israel to guard themselves against pagan practices as they enter the land of Israel. Several times it mentions the place that God chose. What is this place? Jerusalem of course!
We are actually living a life that requires us to balance two different tasks at the same time. One is just living an ordinary life. The other is dealing with a terrible war, with threats that we never thought we would have to face, with growing criticism of our country from even our strongest allies.
This week marks eleven months on the Hebrew calendar since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Eleven months is the traditional Jewish mourning period. This week’s Torah portion Ekev speaks of future disasters and destructions, many of which feel all too familiar today.