by Rabbi Margie Cella
Moses continues his instructions to the nation: when entering the land, they must destroy all the Canaanite worship places; they are to remain faithful to God and must not worship foreign gods or consult false prophets or dream interpreters. They are to bring their sacrifices and rejoice at the place that God will designate. They must not add to or diminish the commandments of God. Moses tells them again which animals they may eat and which are forbidden.
On a note of social justice note, Moses reiterates our obligation to support those among us who are unable to support themselves: Levites, strangers, orphans, and widows—in return, we will receive the Lord’s blessings.
Every seventh year is designated for the land to rest. No crops are harvested, all debts are cancelled. A slave is freed but does not go out empty handed; he must be furnished liberally from the flock, the grain, and the wine. If God has blessed you, you must share those blessings and give him a means to sustain himself.
God says,” There shall be no poor among you” (15:4) but 7 verses later (15:11) seems to say the opposite: “the poor shall never cease out of the land.” The seeming contradiction can be explained only if we take the first verse as a commandment rather than a statement. In other words, since there will always be poor among us, God commands us to work towards eradicating their poverty. “You shall open your hand wide to him/her and lend him/her sufficient for his/her needs” (15:8).
Together we must be resolute in fulfilling that which God requires of us: Chazak v’Ematz.
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