Looks & books – Re’eh
The opening challenge of the sidra is, Re’eh – “Look well and note well what choices you have before you!”
Every moment of every day we are all confronted with decision-making. The biggest decisions are whether to choose the path of life or the path of death.
The earthly human decisions are whom to marry and why and when. Financial decisions are part of the list – decisions about income, decisions about expenditure.
We have to make decisions about what career to follow and what to do with ourselves when we decide to retire.
The Torah understandably expects us – in every instance – to look wisely and choose well.
There are people to whom we can go for advice, but the Jewish preference is to look at the right books and find hints and hallmarks. The best book is the Torah itself.