August 9, 2025: Torah Portion Parashat Va'etchanan - "And I Pleaded"

In this study, we will explore the Torah Portion Va'etchanan - "And I Pleaded"

• Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

• Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1-26

• Brit Chadashah (New Testament): Matthew 23:31-39; Mark 12:28-34

Va'etchanan - "And I Pleaded"

📜 In last week's Parashah Devarim, Moses began his personal speech summarizing Israel's 40 year history of wandering in the wilderness, leading up to the conquests of Sihon (Deut 2:24-37) and Og (Deut 3:1-11).

The Israelites were now in the land of Moab, just east of the Jordan, waiting to enter the Promised Land.

This very much coincides with the nation of Israel today, that has just announced the approval of the plan to conquest the Gaza Strip! It looks like Israel finds itself in the exact same position, as on the very same Parashah that finds them waiting to enter the rest of the Promised Land!

Make no mistake that Gaza is part of that Promised Land, given as an inheritance to Abraham and his decedents, forever (Genesis 15:18-21)!

Make sure to read this very important and prophetic article that Dr. Hadassah Elia wrote about THE PROPHETIC RESTORATION OF GAZA TO ISRAEL, back in 2023!

Now, back to the Parashah:

The very first line of this week’s Parashah is spoken by Moses, where he recounts, “I pleaded with YHWH…” (Deut 3:23). The Hebrew word for “I pleaded,” va’etchanan, is fascinating, because it is the instinctive form of the word grace, or hen, in Hebrew.

Parashat Va'etchanan is always read following the somber fast of Tishah B'Av. This Torah portion includes some of the most foundational texts of the Jewish Scriptures, including the Ten Commandments, and the Shema (Hear, in Hebrew), which is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9; the duty to love ADONAI and study His Torah:

"⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our GOD, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

In addition, in this portion Moses predicted the worldwide exile (galut) and the eventual redemption of the Jewish people in acharit hayamim, the prophesied "End of Days".

We always read this portion on the Shabbat that follows Tishah B'Av, called Shabbat Nachamu, the "Sabbath of Comfort," since the Haftarah speaks about consolation in the coming kingdom of God: "Comfort, comfort, my people, says your God." Isaiah 40:1

The Torah portion for this week, Parashat Va'etchanan, begins with Moses' plea to the LORD to be allowed entry into the Promised Land, despite ADONAI's earlier decree (see Num. 20:8-12; 27:12-14).

The Hebrew word va'etchanan ואתחנּן comes from the verb chanan, which means to beseech or implore. It derives from the noun hen חן, grace, implying that the supplication appeals to God's favor, not because of personal merit. Moses was asking God to show him grace by reversing the decree that forbade him to enter the Promised Land.

However, Moses was forbidden to cross the Jordan. Yehoshua (Joshua), the type of Mashiach YESHUA, would be the one to bring the people into the land of promise.

Nevertheless, in HIS Grace, ADONAI allowed Moses to see the Land from the top of Pisgah and commanded him to strengthen Joshua, in leading Israel to cross over the Jordan.

The Call to Obedience:

Since the Israelites were about to take possession of the land without him, Moses called on them to earnestly keep the commandments of the LORD:

"And now, O Israel, listen (shema: שׁמע) to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land that ADONAI the GOD of your fathers is giving you." Deuteronomy 4:1

It is forbidden to add to or "beautify" the commandments of the Torah, or even to add "fences" - gezeirot, to the Torah (The idea of creating additional precautionary rules or fences around the original command, so that you don't break the original command). Adding to the Torah commandments will inevitably lead to a distortion of their original intent, and therefore to eventual disobedience to God's clear instructions.

Worse yet, it will invite the presence of religious and manipulative spirits, that will try to control you, instead of you living in freedom, under the authority of the RUACH HA'KODESH (Holy Spirit).

The keeping and doing of the commandments will impart wisdom (chokhmah) and understanding (binah) to the people and this will glorify the LORD before all the nations!

The LORD YHVH יהוה here identifies Himself as El Kana, the Jealous ELOHIM (a designation repeated in various other places in Scripture (See: Exodus 34:14, Deut. 5:9; 6:15; 1 Kings 19:10, 14) in memory of the "marriage ceremony" between Israel and ADONAI.

A Jew who engages in idolatry is like a spouse who willfully engages in adultery (indeed, idolatry is a form of spiritual adultery).

The LORD watches over Israel lovingly and closely, like a faithful and passionate husband watches over his beloved wife.

Moses prophesied that if the Israelites later forgot the LORD and served idols, they would perish from the Promised Land and be put to exile (galut). However, if they would turn to the LORD and repent (teshuvah) with all their hearts and all their souls, ADONAI would have mercy upon them.

"When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days (acharit hayamim), you will return to the LORD your GOD and obey His voice. For the LORD your GOD is a merciful GOD. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them." Deuteronomy 4:30-31

Note further that this restoration of Israel from her long exile will be accomplished only when they are in tribulation.... This agrees with the words of YESHUA who foretold of the coming trouble of Israel in the end of days:

"²¹ For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again." Matthew 24:21

Only after Israel cries out, "Baruch haba b'shem ADONAI" (Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the LORD), in reference to YESHUA as their Savior, will be delivered during the birth pangs of YESHUA'S return!

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📜 Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1-26

The exiles had mourned that they lacked anyone to comfort them (Lamentations 1:2, 9, 16, 21), but here we read, Nachamu, Nachamu, Ami, "Be Comforted, Be Comforted, My People," marking a significant shift in perspective.

"Comfort, comfort, my people, says your God." Isaiah 40:1

In that coming day, Jerusalem will be exalted and the people of God regathered and comforted. The suffering of the exiles will have been completed, and all Israel will be saved from her enemies. (May it happen speedily, and in our day, in YESHUA'S NAME!)

As Messianic believers in our LORD YESHUA the MESSIAH, we believe that the ultimate comfort coming to the Jewish people will finally be realized when the LORD YESHUA returns to set up His kingdom at the time of the Second Coming.

Indeed, He is coming soon to Zion and His reign will have no end! May it be speedily, in our day, IN YESHUA'S MIGHTY NAME!!! Amen

"The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; The earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel." Joel 3:16

Nonetheless, the Scripture also states:

“I will bring them back, and they will live in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). They will be MY people; and I will be their ELOHIM, with faithfulness and justice.” Zechariah 8‬:‭8‬

There are hundreds (700+!) of Scriptures about Aliyah in the Bible. Let us stand in agreement with the Word of YHWH that eventually, the Jewish diaspora will return to live in the Land and know that YESHUA is their MESSIAH!

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📖B’rit Hadashah Overview:

Matthew 23:31-9 provides us a glimpse of the LORD's jealous heart for Jerusalem. Zion is the symbol of ADONAI's rule over all the earth, representing the consummation of His love for mankind.

In this passage YESHUA denounces the religious leaders of Israel for rejecting Him - and thereby hindering the ultimate restoration of Jerusalem.

Poignantly He cries,

"37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, Baruch haba B'shem ADONAI ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Matthew 23:37-39

In other words, Zion will remain without comfort until MESSIAH YESHUA is received by the people of Israel,  as their rightful King!

In the reading from the book of Mark, the LORD YESHUA was asked which of the mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah is the most important of all? Or, to put it another way, what is it that God requires of us? What is the purpose of our lives, and how can we fulfill that purpose?

YESHUA answered this question by reciting the Shema, with the v'ahavta as the greatest commandment and added the commandment from Leviticus 19:18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" as the second greatest commandment:

"²⁹ YESHUA answered, “The first is, ‘Shema Yisrael, ADONAI ELOHEINU, ADONAI echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. ³⁰ And you shall love ADONAI your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

Va'etchanan means "I pleaded," which, here in this passage, we may now see it as ADONAI's plea that we:

1. Love Him as the Source of all our real and abiding good

2. Love one another as we love ourselves

The love of ADONAI and others! Think of it! The greatest commandment is not found in the knowledge of Torah, regardless of how edifying or noble it may be to have head knowledge of it; nor in external observances, regardless of how carefully or beautifully observed; nor in the practice of Jewish customs, regardless of how much they might make us feel identified with God's Chosen People.

No! YESHUA's answer is that the greatest duty of our lives is to love ADONAI with every bit of our passion, inwardness, and strength, and to extend that same love we instinctively feel toward ourselves to others around us.

When we walk in the power of the RUACH HA'KODESH (Holy Spirit) and allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be produced within us, we will not find ourselves walking contrary to the way of the Torah:

"22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

And the inward motivation of the Torah will be written upon our hearts:

“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.

I will be their GOD, and they will be my people." Jeremiah 31:33

As Rav Sha'ul (Apostle Paul) wrote in Romans 13:10, "Love is the fulfilling of the law."

May it please the LORD to give us a heart that can love and worship Him in spirit and in truth!

"But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him." John 4:24

Amen and Amen!

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