Parasha: Ekev
Circumcise Your Hearts
Tags: circumcision, heart, rebirth, uncircumcision, will
Ekev - עקב : "Because"
Torah : Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
Haftarah : Isaiah 49:14-51:3
Gospels : John 13:31-15:27
Thought for the Week:
Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Commentary:
So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. (Deuteronomy 10:16)
Moses told the children of Israel to circumcise their hearts. That's a strange image. Circumcision refers to removal of the foreskin. What does it mean to "circumcise your heart"?
In Deuteronomy 10:16, Moses compared an uncircumcised heart with a stiff neck. A stiff neck is a biblical idiom that refers to pride and stubbornness. A person with a stiff neck is not flexible. He does not make his will suppliant to God's instruction.
In Jeremiah 4:3-4, an uncircumcised heart...
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Also from this week's portion
- Cling to God
- Circumcise Your Hearts
- Forty Years of Preparation
- Blessing God at Meals
- Self-Righteousness
- Bread Alone
- Only What We Ought To Have Done
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