This Shabbat we study the Parsha Re’eh, meaning “See” (Deuteronomy 11:26). “See,” says Moses to the people of Israel. “I place before you today a blessing and a curse”—the blessing that will come when they fulfill G-d’s commandments, and the curse if they abandon them. In the previous Parshah Moses told the people of Israel that keeping to the Torah and mitzvot is the key to conquering the Holy Land and living the good life there. In this week's Parshah Moses teaches about fifty-five mitzvot concerning: Destroying idols, The Temple, Preparing Meat, False Prophets, Kosher Animals, Tithes and Firstborns, Festivals.

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The parshah ends by telling us of the three high points in the Jewish calendar: Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. During the times of the Beit Hamikdash, all the Jews would go up to Jerusalem during these holidays. Today, we celebrate Passover by eating matzah, Shavuot by hearing the Ten Commandments, and Sukkot by eating in special huts for seven days.

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Chabad.org

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A few weeks ago, we read the sublime words: “How goodly are thy tents O Jacob, thy dwelling places O Israel.” As a “Curser for Hire,” Bilaam was employed by Balak, the king of the Midianites, to destroy the Jewish people. With two embarrassing fails under his belt, Bilaam was under a lot of pressure, trying desperately to get the job done. But instead of spewing hateful rhetoric, he spoke effusive praise, blessings and an end-of-days prophecy that ends well for the Jewish people.

How was that even possible? Because the Torah tells us that in that fateful moment, Bilaam “lifted his eyes to be like G-d.” In his natural state, Bilaam could only see the Jewish people through the distorted eyes of who he was: an anti-Semite. But when G-d lifted the curtain to glimpse Divine reality, Bilaam saw a completely different reality. As we know, this clarity lasted but a moment; when Bilaam went back to who he was, his vision clouded once again.

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A moment of clarity is a gift. To sustain clarity, on the other hand, is a conscious choice. Therefore, G-d urges us to see reality—not with eyes that deceive us, but with a G-dly lens. By training ourselves to see reality with G-dly eyes, we can transform ourselves into the kind of person who sees things as they are.

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Such knowledge, however, can only come through an intimate connection with the Creator. And that takes time. It takes vulnerability and humility. And it takes courage. Like it or not, G-d knows you to the core and fiber of your being. And yet, you are special, distinctive and unique. And therefore, the situations you encounter in life are Divinely curated not for your entertainment but for your growth, and as a vehicle for greater connection and intimacy. Whether you see a challenging situation as the blessing of “growth-waiting-to-happen” or the curse of bitter disappointment depends on you. For it is when we are able to see, to know and to appreciate our blessings that we are truly blessed.

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From an article by Hanna Perlberger

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Trust transcends hope, as the sky above transcends the earth below. A thread of hope is an anchor to the ground, a narrow path you’ve set for destiny to lead you. The thread snaps and your eyes look up to see nothing more than the open sky. Hope is gone. All you can do now is trust the One who has no bounds. That is Trust: When you stop suggesting to your Maker how He could rescue you. When you are prepared to be surprised by wonders and open to miracles.

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Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

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The Torah uses here the emphatic expression of “SEE!” This means that the Messianic redemption is not something theoretical or academic that we could suffice with merely listening to it, or studying and understanding it. It is something we must see with our eyes. The redemption must be visible to our physical eyes, in the most literal sense!

One must declare and publicize everywhere, in a most sincere way, that even this very day the Almighty continuously proclaims to every member of the Jewish people, through his faithful prophets: “See! This day I place before you blessing! See and discover that the blessing of the ultimate and complete redemption may come and be realized this very day!”

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From an article by Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet

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During the height of WWII, a certain Polish rabbi fled from his native country to relative safety in London, England. As the Nazis bombed the British capital daily, a city-wide blackout was put into effect, to darken the area so as not to expose any targets to the trigger-happy pilots of the feared Luftwaffe. This posed a problem to the learned rabbi: How would he study Torah throughout the evening as he was accustomed? He was advised to buy blackout curtains—thick, strong drapes to hang over the windows and block out all light. The shopkeeper asked him, “I have two questions for you: How close to the window is your lightbulb, and how many watts is it?” The rabbi seemed mystified, so the shopkeeper explained: “The closer to the window your bulb is, and the stronger it is, the thicker your curtains must be.” Back home, the rabbi announced, “I just learned an incredible lesson! When the darkness is the most intense, when the curtains seem to be absolutely impenetrable, that means the lightbulb on the other side is that much brighter and that much closer.”

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Our parshah devotes a considerable amount of space to the saga of the false prophet. The Torah warns that snake-oil salesmen will eventually arise, and will even present miracles and other tricks to lure people into believing them, and yet, we must do our best to ignore them and stay loyal and devoted to G-d. 

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It’s all a test. The test is not for G-d. It’s for you.

When the verse states, “For G-d is testing you to know,” it’s not for G-d to know anything. It’s for you to know G-d.

This interpretation cuts right to the heart of life itself. “Why is my life so challenging?” people ask. It’s a tough question, and if there was an easy answer, many authors, mentors, and teachers would be long out of business.

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But there isn’t an easy answer. There is no shortage of grief, struggle, and darkness in this world, and when they come up in your life like a tidal wave, it can be outrageously unnerving. “What should I do? Why is this happening to me?” you scream into the night. There aren’t any easy answers. But here’s something to think about: G-d sends you a test for one reason, and one reason only—for you to overcome it and discover the treasure inside.

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According to the Kabbalistic masters, G-d has different ways of relating to this world. There are more obvious, relatable ways, such as the natural order of things that we’re all accustomed to. The sun rises, you wake up, your house is still there, and your friends still like you. But then there are parts of G-d that absolutely don’t relate to this world. If you can imagine G-d as He is for Himself, without bothering to “think about” a world or the entire concept of Creation, well, that space is far loftier than to be able to relate to our mundane, worldly reality.

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From time to time, G-d wants to give you and me some of that, a slice of that tremendous energy that is well beyond anything we’re accustomed to. So He sends it in a counterintuitive package, something so unconventional that it can host something so powerful. And so, it presents itself in your life as a challenge. A dark, dark test that stretches your capabilities to the limit. 

So, here’s how it works: You’re tested. It’s insanely difficult. And the entire point of the test is for you to overcome it and expose what it really has in store for you: a potent force of G-dliness that will catapult you to something fabulous.

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Remember: On the other side of that test is a bright, bright lightbulb. And it’s very close, right there on the other side. If you think that your life is just too dark, well, then know that the lightbulb for you is even brighter and even closer.

Peek behind the blackout curtains. 

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From an article by Rabbi Aharon Loschak

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