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Va’etchanan
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people’s consciousness. In fact, the verse preceding the one we have
re’eh ה ֵא ְר been explaining contains Moses’ plea to enter the Land: “Let me now
please cross over and see the good land that is on the other side of
the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon” (Deuteronomy
3:25).” It is fascinating to note that the Hebrew word meaning “cross
over” (la’avor) has the same Hebrew root as “vayitaber be” (became
£Living with the TimesLiving with the TimesLiving with the Times angry with me) found in the very next verse – the very phrase which
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the Arizal read as “he caused an impregnation of me.” In light of
the Arizal’s interpretation, the connection between the two verses
is obvious. Moses’ pleading to cross over into Israel is impregnated
The portion of Re’eh customarily falls near Rosh Chodesh Elul, about
one month before Rosh Hashanah. This entire period is dedicated to into the Jewish consciousness (what Carl Jung would later call the
spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. In accordance with Rabbi collective unconscious) and also into the hearts and minds of the
Shneur Zalman of Liadi’s dictum that we should “live with the numerous leaders throughout the generations who guided the Jewish
times” (i.e., connect with, learn from, and apply the weekly Torah people towards their ultimate return to the Promised Land.
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reading to our lives), we would expect the weekly Torah readings The Arizal further explains that Moses’ presence in each generation
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beginning with Re’eh to contain explicit or implicit allusions to the also serves to rectify his ignoring God’s explicit warning against
approaching Days of Awe and the process of spiritual introspection allowing the mixed multitude (discussed in “Throwing Caution to
undertaken at this time. It is no surprise to learn that this is indeed the Wind” in the portion of Miketz) to leave Egypt with the Jewish
the case, as the first verse in each of the portions makes clear. people. Throughout the forty years in the desert, the mixed multitude
The previous portion, Eikev, begins this trend by alluding to the was the cause of much grief, including the disastrous sin of making
upcoming days of repentance in its first verse: “And it shall come to the Golden Calf. God told Moses that the mixed multitude needed
pass (eikev) if you listen to these judgments and keep and do them” one more generation before they could be properly integrated into
(Deuteronomy 7:12). The word “eikev” also contains the Hebrew root the nation of Israel but Moses was impatient and insisted on taking
for the words “heel” and “footsteps.” The heel, at the end of the body, them out of Egypt.
represents the upcoming end of the year. If we listen carefully and In fact, though, Moses spiritual instincts were based on precedent.
are in tune with the change of the seasons and the inner dimensions After all, he was following in the footsteps of the forefathers of the
of the Jewish calendar, we can already faintly hear in the distance Jewish nation in wanting to rectify the world. Abraham prayed to
the “footsteps” of a new year. save the wicked people of Sodom, for he had a prophetic insight
that the spark of Mashiach was in Sodom. He was correct as the
The portion of Re’eh begins: “See – I put before you this day a
blessing and a curse. A blessing if you listen to the commandments seed of Mashiach was present in his nephew Lot who was saved.
of your God, which I command you this day; and a curse if you Later Joseph tried to circumcise the Egyptians in order to rectify
do not listen to the commandments of your God” (Deuteronomy and elevate their souls, for he hoped this would pave the way for
11:26). The Torah instructs people to keep their eyes wide open, to worldwide redemption. Therefore, in essence, Moses’ intentions were
clearly examine the choices life presents them with, and to accept noble; indeed, the Arizal revealed that the mixed multitude was
responsibility for the consequences of these choices. As we begin the connected on a soul level to the Jewish people. They were just not
ready, as God had warned, to be fully integrated.

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