Ki Tavo: When you come in — כי תבוא

Thoughts on Torah for Last Week.

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​Deuteronomy 21-25
The parsha for last week seems to be a collection of miscellaneous commands.  These commands can be viewed in the larger context for creating order.   Moreover, this order can be further organized into different types of government in society.  In our review of the parsha last week, we discussed the responsibility of each person to govern their own actions and how these actions affect the stability of a free society.  John Rushdoony wrote in the Institutes of Biblical Law, “We must recognize that as Christians for us the first and most basic government is the self-government of the Christian man.  Without this, we have nations of slaves.” This week we move forward to explore the second basic form of government – the family.  But before we continue, lets review the mitzvot/commandments in this parsha.  Go to Part 18 starting at time mark 44 minutes - HERE.

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Second Form of Government
The second form of government in society is the family.  Of this second form, John Rushdoony said,  “Then, second, the basic governmental institution is the family, man’s first sphere of government, his first church and school, his first area of economic knowledge …”  He further stated that “The family, as we have seen, is the most powerful institution in society, controlling as it does, in terms of Biblical law, the three key areas of society - children, property and inheritance. vol 2, page 131.
 
Also commenting on the importance of the family in society, noted Harvard sociologist Carl Zimmerman observed, “We might state that in general the most important contribution of the family to great civilizations has been made by the [religious based/god-centered family] unit.  This type seems essential to high civilization.”  “The [humanistic/man-centered] family, when it attains complete dominance, is the accompaniment of dying cultures.” (Family and Civilization, p. 801).
 
And finally, Mr. Rushdoony said, “God’s law provides us with His law in every area of sphere.  It alone can equip us to resist the encroachment of alien powers.  It alone empowers the individual person and the family to govern properly."
 
 
The Three Key Areas of Society
The discussion set out above sees the family’s most important areas of governance with Children, Property and Inheritance.  Moreover, we see the Lord instructing parents to educate children in the Law and Gospel. In the parsha for this week, lets review the commands made for the family within the area of Children.
 
God squarely places the responsibility for creating and managing children within the institution of traditional marriage.  Communities and societies are populated with people who began as children in a family.  These children as citizens in a community can either elevate that community or add to its demise as noted by Carl Zimmerman.  At the center of Biblical marriage, is the power to create life and then the duty of parents to teach and train those lives to be responsible and successful contributors of society.  For these reasons, God details the parameters of sexuality to protect procreation and in the larger context to protect society itself - see Chapter 22.  We also see in this parsha a man's ability to procreate is also protected. 23:1 and 25:11.

Consider the following video on the sacred nature of life and then ponder on our responsibility as parents to not only protect life but to teach and train children properly.

​Another command mentioned in this parsha concerning children is the respect of authority. God requires that children are to honor their parents.  Children are to learn to respect the law and those who are responsible for administering it.  Respecting authority is so important in the Bible that it is tied to being a capital crime, which is reserved for those who are in open rebellion against authority - 21:18.

Consider the following video on Honor parents.

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Hebrew Study

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Isaiah Chapter 48
Jehovah’s Endtime servant calls on Jacob/Israel(Believers in the God of Israel) to forsake its idols and return in a new exodus out of Babylon.

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Resource Links for this Week's Portion

TORAH: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
GOSPELS: Matthew 4:13-24

Listen and Read the Portion
First Fruits of Zion

Torah Pearls with Nehemia Gordon

HAFTARAH: Isaiah Chapter 49

Commentary with Avraham Gileadi, PhD