Re’eh
Issac: A Picture of the Future.
רְאֵה
That which You have Not Known?
Vayera is a Torah portion from the Book of Genesis (Chapters 18:1–22:24) that begins with the Hebrew phrase meaning “and he appeared”.
This parashah is known for exploring themes of faith, hospitality, and divine justice.
In this series of lectures, we will examine traditions. Traditions of Jews and Christians. How do those traditions influence us in how we look at scriptures?
When I speak with Christians, they tell me what they think the Bible says. So, I ask them where they get that tradition. You see, we all have a tradition that explains what the Bible says.
The strongest supporters of truth are the Christian and Messianic Jewish world, and those who claim to follow the Torah, and who also claim that the Jewish people have missed the coming of their Messiah.
Today, I would like to look at the Holy Torah and see if the traditions of the Christian and Messianic world follow the Torah Law.
How the Commandments Provide a Detailed List of Things Not to Do
Re’eh’s commandments, particularly in Chapters 11–13, outline a detailed prohibitions against idolatry, framing it as straying from the “known” path of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These aren’t vague warnings but specific directives to avoid corruption by foreign influences:
- Do not follow unknown gods or practices: Explicitly, avoid “other gods which you have not known” (Deut. 11:28; 13:2), even if enticed by miracles, prophets, or family—treat such as tests of loyalty (Deut. 13:3–4).
- Do not adopt foreign worship sites or methods: Destroy pagan altars, pillars, and idols in the land; worship only at God’s chosen place (Deut. 12:2–4), not scattering offerings everywhere like the nations.
- Do not eat or handle blood improperly: Spill blood on the ground like water in kosher slaughter (Deut. 12:16, 23–24), avoiding pagan blood rites.
- Do not imitate abominable national practices: Shun “every abomination that the Lord hates” (Deut. 12:31), including burning children as offerings—God despises such acts.
- Do not add or subtract from commandments: Observe exactly what’s commanded, without innovation (Deut. 13:1), ensuring fidelity to the revealed Torah.
- Do not show mercy to idolaters: Even close kin enticing to idolatry must be stoned, without pity (Deut. 13:7–11), to purge evil.
- Do not be swayed by signs or wonders: Ignore prophets whose predictions come true if they lead to unknown gods (Deut. 13:2–6).
- Do not do what is right in your own eyes: Repeatedly, act only as “right and good in the sight of the Lord” (Deut. 12:8, 25, 28), rejecting subjective morality.
These form a comprehensive safeguard, emphasizing relationship-based worship over power-driven or innovative deviations.
How Each of The Torah Themes Disqualifies Jesus
Re’eh, mirrored in the Akedah, highlights God’s hatred of child sacrifice and demand for “known” worship. Applied to Christianity, each disqualifies Jesus as a divine figure or sacrificial redeemer, as his role introduces “unknown” elements foreign to the Torah’s God—elevating a human to godhood, promoting human sacrifice for atonement, and diverging from Abraham’s proven relationship. Here’s how each theme connects:
Do what is yashar (good and straight) in God’s eyes: Re’eh repeats this, contrasting human eyes (subjective morality) with God’s, as Abraham did in the Akedah by trusting known goodness. Christianity claims Jesus fulfills the law but adds “new commandments” (John 13:34), redefining righteousness through faith in him. This disqualifies Jesus by innovating beyond the Torah, doing what’s “right” in Christian eyes but straying from the forefathers’ known path.
Serve God only in the place He chooses (Mount Moriah/Temple): Re’eh mandates centralized worship at God’s selected site, foreshadowed in the Akedah where Abraham obeys at Moriah. Christianity shifts this to Jesus as the “new temple” (John 2:19–21), allowing decentralized faith in him anywhere, bypassing the Torah’s chosen place. This disqualifies Jesus by introducing an “unknown” intermediary, straying from the forefathers’ site-specific covenant.
God’s Name should be on that place: In the Akedah, Abraham names the site “Hashem yireh,” affirming God’s singular presence. Re’eh echoes this for the Temple. Christianity attributes divine names/titles to Jesus (e.g., “Emmanuel,” “Son of God”), placing God’s “name” on a human figure unknown to Abraham. This disqualifies Jesus as idolatry, equating a man with God’s essence in a way the Torah rejects.
Serve Him by offering sacrifices (burnt offerings/olos): The Akedah features an olah, but God substitutes the ram, rejecting human offering. Re’eh specifies animal burnt offerings at the Temple. Christianity portrays Jesus as the ultimate human burnt offering (Hebrews 10:10), dying once for all sins. This disqualifies him, as Re’eh deems human sacrifice abominable—God hates it, never intending it even in the test.
It’s okay to eat animals like a ram (ayil) or deer (tzvi): Re’eh permits eating such clean animals post-slaughter, with the ram in the Akedah symbolizing acceptable substitution. Christianity’s Eucharist symbolically “eats” Jesus’ body/blood (John 6:53–56), turning a human into consumable sacrifice. This disqualifies Jesus by mimicking pagan rites, inverting the Torah’s ram-as-substitute into forbidden human symbolism.
Spilling of blood (as in kosher slaughter): Re’eh requires blood spilled on the ground, not consumed, echoing the Akedah’s averted human bloodshed. Christianity centers on Jesus’ blood spilled for forgiveness (Matthew 26:28), elevating human blood as redemptive. This disqualifies him, as the Torah prohibits blood manipulation in worship and abhors human spilling for atonement—personal repentance suffices.
Not doing abominable things like sacrificing children: Re’eh explicitly hates child sacrifice, clarifying the Akedah as a non-literal test. Christianity depicts God sacrificing His “only begotten Son” (John 3:16) for humanity’s sins, a divine child offering. This directly disqualifies Jesus, portraying God as endorsing what He abhors—an “unknown” immoral act, unproven in Abraham’s relationship.
