The Israelites are still sitting by the Jordan river waiting to get into the Land of Israel. The build up is killing me! In a way these chapters leading up to the entry are helping me really feel the waiting and suspense they must have felt.
Last week I spoke about seeing into your heart. The Israelites were told not to forget anything they had seen that was in their heart.
This week I want to stay with the idea of the heart. I think the fact that these chapters have such meaningful messages about the Israelites paying attention to their hearts is important. They have done the physical labor of getting to this point. But before they can become a nation that is not only about the physical they have to learn how to be in touch with their emotional and spiritual side, a less seen side. This is a skill that many people walk around life not knowing how to access.
The Israelites are given a strange sounding command in this parsha. They are told that before entering the land they have to "circumcise the forskin of their hearts". This is a famous line from the parsha. What does it mean? Clearly we are not talking about actually cutting something off our hearts!
10:16. You shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, therefore, and be no more stiff-necked.
טז. וּמַלְתֶּם אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם וְעָרְפְּכֶם לֹא תַקְשׁוּ עוֹד:
A circumcision is the sign of a covenant between man and G-d. G-d creates us and then we have to take a physical step to answer G-d and say "yes! I do want to be partners with you and follow your commandments in return for your love and care". We have to make that decision for our children. This typical circumcision is done on a baby boy.
So how can we connect this circumcision to the metaphorical one in our chapter?
I think that G-d is telling us that we have to make the conscious decision to be a part of his covenant. The people were brought out of slavery, taken care of in the desert and now are being prepared to be more independent. Before taking on the responsibility of entering into the land and really owning something they need to remind themselves that all that they love and care for and all that they will enjoy is because of this partnership with G-d. They are having a circumcision ceremony of the heart because they need to understand that even when something is not a clear physical sign, like the circumcision of a penis, it is real and it counts. The Israelites are shifting now from being a people that see's G-ds clear miracles daily, to a people that has to be more independent. This is their first step to recognizing the concreteness of dedication and love without a clear physical reminder.
Many relate this circumcision of the heart to mean that they are being told to uncover their heart and be more open. This is reinforced by what follows when it says that they should not be stiff-necked anymore.
Imagine.. You are sitting among the Israelites. Hearing the rushing of the Jordan river and seeing in the distance the land you and your people will soon live in. Your mind is probably rushing and screaming at you to just run in and get there already! That is the exact reason why I think we are focusing so much on the heart. We need to listen to our hearts, be open to the less obvious, trust in that feeling of love and dedication. Sometimes we spend too much time in life trying to think of the smartest most logical way. I think we turn that channel on and turn off our heart too much.
We have to believe that what we can't see can be felt in our hearts and it is our part of the deal to tune into that.
Maybe we need to stop by the side of the Jordan every once in awhile and not rush into the next exciting thing in our life before rededicated ourselves to faith and love.
Shabbat Shalom
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