8.5.26 – Intense Living

Here are some in-sight'ful thoughts (pun intended) for this week's Torah portion :-). Feel free to go to www.lightintorah.org for more studies.

In our Torah portion, Re'eh ("to see"), we find that the emphasis is on seeing—and throughout the portion, there is INTENSITY!

Last week...

  • Deut. 11:13 — "If you will listen, you will listen"

  • Deut. 11:22 — "If you will observe, you will observe"

This week...

  • Deut. 12:2 — "Destroying, you shall destroy"

  • Deut. 13:16 — "Smite, you shall smite"

  • Deut. 14:22 — "Tithe, you shall tithe"

  • Deut. 15:8 — "Opening, you shall open"

  • Deut. 15:8 — "Grant, you shall grant"

  • Deut. 15:10 — "Giving, you shall give"

  • Deut. 15:14 — "Extending, you shall extend"

These are tautological infinitive verbs—where two different forms of the same verb are used to double the impact of the action. They remind me of the old "Doublemint" commercial from days gone by. 

Notice that last week's tautological infinitive verbs were conditional. But this week's commands? Why the shift? Moses is giving the people options to choose. And once the choice is made to move forward into the mission of life—occupying the Land to establish the Kingdom throughout the world—then the tautological infinitive verbs become commands centered on ridding ourselves of the enemy, sharing, and working together to accomplish the goal. The shift moves from potential to active, from waiting to doing, and is exactly the thrust of Moses' address as Israel stands on the threshold of the Land.

There is no passivity here. Everyone is active. Everyone is involved, and everyone benefits. That is the heartbeat of Deuteronomy's vision—a society where destroying evil and sharing blessings are two sides of the same coin. The commands are not random. They are about clearing the land of corruption and filling it with justice, generosity, and mutual care. The tautology is not just grammar; it is the way of Kingdom living.

Life is about active choices! On this fourth day of the week, where we—speaking of me, myself, and I—what active choices will you intensify for His glory?

Shalom!
Alan

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