Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
Parashat Va’etchanan is the second parashah of Sefer Devarim, a book framed as the final testament of Mosheh to the generation born in the wilderness—those who will soon cross the Yarden into the Land of Promise. The portion begins with Mosheh’s earnest supplication to Mar-Yah for permission to enter the land, and proceeds to a solemn recapitulation of Israel’s sacred obligations under the covenant.
Of singular importance in this parashah is the reiteration of the Ten Words (ܥܸܣܪܵܐ ܦܘܼܩܕܵܢܹ̈ܐ) and the pronouncement of the Shema Yisrael, the most foundational confession of faith in the unity and exclusivity of Elohim. This declaration—“Hear, O Israel: Mar-Yah is our Alaha, Mar-Yah is one”—is the cornerstone of both Jewish monotheism and the earliest Nazarene proclamation, for the Apostolic Writings affirm that the same One Alaha is now revealed through the person of Yeshua Mshikha, in whom the fullness of the Godhead (Alahuta) dwells bodily (see Colossians 2:9).
This parashah holds both theological and liturgical prominence. It articulates the ethical and spiritual demands of the covenant, calls forth remembrance of deliverance from bondage, and prescribes a life of obedience rooted in love. The call to teach these commandments diligently to our children (Deut. 6:7) affirms the intergenerational transmission of the faith, a task central to both Jewish tradition and the early Assembly of Jerusalem.
Parashat Va’etchanan thus weaves together vision and commandment, remembrance and expectation, history and eschatology. It is at once a farewell and a summons, a reminder of the past and a foretaste of the future Kingdom wherein the Aurayta shall go forth from Zion and the Word of Mar-Yah from Jerusalem. Let those who seek the Narrow Path incline their ears, for herein lies wisdom, and the path of life everlasting.
The Plea of Moshe (Deuteronomy 3:23–29)
This portion opens with a deeply emotive intercession. Mosheh entreats Mar-Yah to permit him to cross the Yarden and witness the good land—the holy inheritance promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His yearning demonstrates the prophetic soul’s desire to behold the consummation of Mar-Yah’s promises.
The response from Mar-Yah is stark: “Let it suffice for you; speak no more unto Me of this matter” (Deuteronomy 3:26). This divine rebuke was a loving restraint. In our faith, such moments reflect the divine pedagogy of restraint—wherein the soul must rest in the will of Alaha, even when the heart aches for fulfilment. Mosheh’s gaze from Mount Pisgah becomes a type of eschatological vision—he sees the Promised Land, but must await his rest beyond death. Notably, in the Septuagint, the tone carries a sense of finality: “Let it suffice for you; speak not at all to me any more of this matter”. This teaches that even the greatest among the prophets is bound by obedience and humility. For us, it is a call to trust the Lord’s plan and not demand our own path.
The Command to Heed (Deuteronomy 4:1–40)
Mosheh shifts from personal narrative to covenantal exhortation. He charges Israel: “Now therefore listen, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments…” (4:1). The verb to hear or listen—is more than physical listening; it is the internalisation of divine instruction, leading to obedience.
Moshe warns against adding to or subtracting from the commandments (4:2), a prohibition showing us the sanctity and sufficiency of Mar-Yah’s Law.
Verse 6 says, “Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations…” Here, the observance of Aurayta is missional; it reveals Mar-Yah’s glory to the nations.
Moshe then warns them of idolatry, especially the danger of fashioning graven images (vv. 15–19). This injunction reflects the absolute holiness and otherness of Mar-Yah, who “spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire” (v. 12), yet appeared in no form. The Shekhinah dwells invisibly, yet powerfully.
The passage culminates with a majestic affirmation: “Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that Mar-Yah He is Alaha in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else” (v. 39). This absolute monotheism undergirds both Jewish and early Nazarene belief and remains foundational to all true theology.
Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 4:41–43)
The narrative briefly recounts Moshe’s designation of three cities of refuge on the eastern side of the Yarden. These cities (Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan) represent mercy embedded within justice. Even before entering the land, provision is made for the repentant. This anticipates the Gospel itself, wherein Yeshua becomes the eternal refuge for those fleeing the avenger of blood.
The Recapitulation of the Ten Words (Deuteronomy 5:1–33)
Parashat Va’etchanan re-articulates the Ten Commandments. This is a covenantal renewal for a new generation. The version in Deuteronomy differs subtly from that in Exodus 20. For example, the Sabbath commandment is rooted here not in Creation (as in Exodus) but in the deliverance from Egypt: “And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt…” (5:15). This change is significant. The Sabbath is both cosmological and redemptive. It is a sign of creation and of liberation—a dual motif fulfilled in Yeshua, who both upholds creation (John 1:3) and brings ultimate redemption.
Verse 24 captures Israel’s astonishment: “Behold, Mar-Yah our Alaha has shown us His glory and His greatness…” Their awe before the divine theophany at Sinai is paradigmatic of all true worship—trembling before the Holy.
The Shema and the Greatest Commandment (Deuteronomy 6:1–25)
Here we reach one of the most sacred portions in all of Aurayta. The Shema Yisrael is declared: “Hear, O Israel: Mar-Yah our Alaha is one Mar-Yah: And you shall love Mar-Yah your Alaha with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (6:4–5).
The Hebrew “Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh Echad” emphasises the indivisible unity of the Divine. This is not mere arithmetical oneness, but ontological integrity. Since the early Assemblythe Shema has been confessed alongside the Lordship of Yeshua (see 1 Corinthians 8:6), who is the visible manifestation of the invisible Alaha.
Verses 6–9 exhort Israel to bind the words of Aurayta upon their hearts, hands, and gates—a call to total immersion in divine truth. The tefillin and mezuzot derive from this passage, yet their deeper meaning is not external display but inward transformation.
Verse 20–25 provides a didactic dialogue. A child asks, “What mean the testimonies…?” This catechetical model formed the basis of early Jewish-Christian pedagogy. Faith must be transmitted generationally, embedded in the home.
Covenant Loyalty and the Call to Remember (Deuteronomy 7:1–11)
The final section of the parashah returns to the theme of covenant loyalty. The nations of Canaan are to be removed—not due to ethnic superiority, but because of their moral corruption and idolatry. Israel is forbidden from entering alliances or marriages that would lead to syncretism (7:3–4).
Verses 6–8 are pivotal. “For you are a holy people unto Mar-Yah your Alaha… not because you were more in number…but because Mar-Yah loved you.” Here we discern the doctrine of chesed—covenantal love, grace, mercy. Election is grounded not in merit, but in divine mercy.
Verse 9 instructs us, “Know therefore that Mar-Yah your Alaha, He is Alaha, the faithful El, which keeps covenant and mercy with all those that love Him and keep His commandments…” This echoes John 14:15 where we read, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” True love for Mar-Yah is never sentimental—it is covenantal, rooted in fidelity and obedience.
Conclusion
Parashat Va’etchanan calls us to a life of covenant fidelity, reverence, and love for Mar-Yah our Alaha. It reminds us of the holy vocation of Israel and of all who are grafted into the olive tree of faith (Romans 11). The Aurayta is not antiquated law, but the living Word—fulfilled, not abolished, in Yeshua Mshikha. (Matthew 5:17-20)
For those who walk the ancient path with Yeshua and hold to the traditions of the family and authorised stewards of the Netzari tradition—this portion teaches us about obedience. It demands not merely outward compliance, but inward transformation. Let us therefore cleave to Mar-Yah with all our being, teaching His commandments diligently to our children, and preparing our hearts for the day when the Kingdom shall be revealed in fullness.
“For He is your praise, and He is your Alaha, that has done for you these great and awesome things, which your eyes have seen” (10:21).