Walking after God – Re’eh
At the beginning of Parashat No’ach we are told that No’ach walked with God (Gen. 6:9).
Rashi and others point out that where No’ach walked with God, Abraham walked before Him (Gen. 24:40).
The sages compare these two early leaders to children who at first need to walk with their parents, holding the parents’ hands for security. Only later can they walk on their own in front of their parents because they know there may be obstacles in the road.
This week’s Torah reading introduces us to a third category of walking – walking after God. The verse says, “After the Lord your God shall you walk” (Deut. 13:5).
Walking in God’s footsteps, as it were, is surely impossible for a human being: He is so great and we are so small.
Perhaps we are being told to recognise the traces of God in the world and to immerse our minds, hearts and souls in the thought of them, making them our inspiration and paradigm.