Re'eh - Simcha through Our Eyes

Part of the weekday maariv liturgy reminds me of the parsha of Re’eh. Although the word תגל (from the root גיל) does not appear in this weeks parsha, the themes of the seeing of eyes, the rejoicing of hearts, and the seeking out of souls do. The theme of seeing is obvious even from the first word and title of the parsha, ראה, from the root “to see.” However, this theme is apparent throughout the whole parsha. Twice is it said in this parsha how Hashem wishes to be worshipped, not in any place, not with blemished animals, but with unblemished animals in the place of Hashem’s choosing.

The first scenario, worshipping anywhere a person wishes and with unblemished animals is referred to as איש כל הישר בעיניו - every man what is proper in his eyes. This was the way of before, in the midbar- in eretz yisrael, things will be sacrificed differently. Linked to the theme of eyes in this parsha is the theme of the soul’s desire. The Israelites are warned that they might follow their soul’s desire to a place where they betray Hashem.

The parsha says השמר לך פן תנקש אחריהם - beware for yourself lest you be attracted after them, referring to the ways of those who worship other gods.

The parsha also warns of a prophet or dreamer who might produce something that could be seen as a sign or wonder, a miracle, leading people astray from Hashem.

Similarly, the parsha warns of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or אשת חיקך או רעך אשר כנפשך - the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is like your own soul, enticing a person in secret to worship other gods. Again the theme of eyes come up. We are commanded not to let our eyes take pity on them, to destroy any person who did this. Over all, our souls and eyes are looked at in this parsha as something to guard, something that could lead us astray to do the wrong thing against Hashem. It reminds me of something my friend told me about his low vision, about someone telling him that sometimes not seeing certain things was a blessing. Having an all-expansive view, not necessarily in physical sight, but in the kind of sight the Torah is speaking of, seeing something and desiring it, can definitely be dangerous.

However, there’s one place in this parsha where the desire of the soul is looked at very differently, and this is in the parts talking about the eating of meat. Twice in this parsha, a similar thing is reiterated. While obviously there are restrictions to what kind of meat one can eat from a kashrut perspective, and the subsequent verses mention this, both immediately the restriction on blood, and later in the parsha the restriction on animals, the desire to eat meat here is viewed as something good rather than, it seems, as something dangerous to be guarded against. Why is this? Maybe it is because meat is linked with one of the other themes of this parsha, simcha, and one would think that true simcha is unlike desire in that it would lead a person to a place of holiness and serving Hashem. Yet, there are places in the Talmud where eating too much meat is seen as a sign of overabundance and gluttony - the discussion on the ben sorer umoreh, and discussing how much meat and wine he has to have eaten. Even when exercising simcha, we have to be careful about exercising this simcha in a way that is an avodat Hashem. While the simcha we experience when doing something to serve Hashem is pure and should be experienced without bounds, we still have to make sure the way we exercise even our desire to rejoice in Hashem matches up with what Hashem wants for us. We have to try to look at the world knowing that it is Hashem’s, and taking care of it, and seeing the world through eyes of trying to continually find ways to do Hashem’s will in this world.