Mark Call

The regular Torah portion now includes the very last few in the Book of Deuteronomy, the life of Moses himself, and thus some of his final admonitions, including the second, and final, “Song of Moses,” in parsha “Ha’azinu,” chapter 32 of Debarim.

This week is also the Sabbath that falls between the sounding of the shofar, Yom Teruah, that begins the Fall Feasts of Yah, the the tenth day of the seventh month, and “holiest day of the year,” Yom Kippur, of the Day of Atonement…sometimes called “Shabbat Shuva,” or the Sabbath of Return.

It’s also a time of GREAT ‘Misunderstanding’ for most of ‘xtianity,’ that has been taught one of the Biggest Lies in all human history – that the Creator of the Universe and Author of Scripture ‘did away with’ His own Written “law” (actually, ‘Instruction,’ – His Word) and didn’t mean it when He said – repeatedly – to keep MY feasts (moedim, and Appointed Times) “forever” – wherever your end up.

The Erev Shabbat reading and overview is about that Song of Moses itself, chapter 32:

The “Shabbat Shuba” teaching addresses that misunderstanding, and the whole point of the Sabbath of RETURN directly.

And this year, even more than others before it, given the Evil now rampant in the world, is a particularly poignant reminder of why He has told us to remember His “Appointed Times.”

There is, however, one question that always seems to come up regarding the commandment to observe the “Day of Atonement,’ Yom Kippur, by “afflicting our souls.” Most of us have been told that might mean to fast for the entire day. But why not just say that?

Could there be more? And – just MAYBE – does an understanding there start to tie literally everything together?

“Ha-azinu: Yom Kippur, Shabbat Shuva, – and ‘afflicting our souls’ “