See & hear – Re’eh
Recently when writing about the Shema I said that when we hear (“Hear, O Israel”), the verb is not always to be taken literally. We hear with our ears but also metaphorically, with our mind.
“To hear” is thus to perceive with our mental capacity for understanding. “I read you” means “I comprehend what you are telling me”.
Likewise this week (Deut. 11:26) when God says “See”, we do not limit ourselves to the literal meaning of the verb, but using our mind’s eye we grasp the situation.
When we are told to walk in the path of the Almighty, the verb has two nuances, literal and metaphorical. The second nuance is where we get the idea of halachah, the Jewish way.
Everything in Jewish life emphasises this principle; we think as Jews, we act as Jews, we do the Jewish thing. We are Jewish Jews.
