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A verse from our Torah portion this week (i.e., Eikev) recalls Yeshua's words that "every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old" (Matt. 13:53). Rashi noted that the phrase often translated, "And it shall come to pass if you diligently hear" in Deut. 11:13, i.e., ve'hayah eem shamo'a teeshme'oo (וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ), is grammatically puzzling, since the Hebrew literally reads "if you hear, you will hear," which suggests that as we listen attentively to the words of Torah, we will hear more, and we will encounter spiritual connections and applications that are new and ready for this hour. The early sages commented: "If you listen to the old, you will listen to the new" (Berachot 40a). Focusing our attention on the commandments even while in exile is likened to practice for the world to come, since then they will not be new to you when the final redemption appears. Happy are those who love the Torah. More light comes as we live in the truth (John 13:17). As Yeshua also said: "For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away" (Matt. 13:12).
Hebrew Lesson
Deut. 11:13a reading with comments (click):
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