RaYBaSH’s Torah Thoughts for Kids

Parashah # 54 V’zot Ha Beracha “And this is the Blessing”

Devarim (Deut.) 33:1-34:26

By: Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr

Deuteronomy 34:1-7 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. Have you ever had someone teach you to do something, like build or fix something and then leave to have you do it all by yourself? It can be scary huh? Well this must be the way Joshua felt. Moshe died and let Joshua in charge of leading the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. G-d told Joshua not to be afraid.

Joshua 1:5-9 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

And we need not be afraid either. Because if we Trust in G-d and Obey His Torah everything will be okay, we will make it in whatever we do, everything will turn out okay despite mistakes me may make along the way.

So really, we are never alone, and we never have to do anything alone because G-d is our helper.

Shabbat Shalom,

-- Rabbi Yehudah

RaYBaSH’s Torah Thoughts for Kids

Devarim (Deut.) 32:1-32:52

Parashah #53 Haazinu “Give Ear”

By: Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr-

Deuteronomy 32:1-3 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.   Most everybody likes music, and most everybody likes songs. When we are happy sometimes we will sing a song and won’t even know it until someone asks us what we are singing. Music and songs are great, they helps us show our emotions, whether happy or sad, or even mad. Songs help us to worship G-d. Songs even tells stories. Songs can even help us remember our home work! In school you will most likely have to memorize President Abraham Lincoln’s speech called the Gettysburg Address, and if you go to a Bible school you will most likely have to memorize all the books of the Bible. I have heard students put these things to a melody or a rap beat and have memorized them for school. It is much easier and fun to learn though songs.

In our Torah Portion Moshe teaches the Children of Israel a song before he dies, and in it, it reminds Israel to always be faithful to G-d and keep His Torah. In the Haftarah David sings a song that Thanks G-d for saving himn from his enemies, and in the Brit Chadasha portion we read of a song we will sing when the Messiah returns and we will live with Him forever.

May the songs we sing remind us to thank G-d and keep His Torah.

Shabbat Shalom,

-- Rabbi Yehudah