In this week’s Torah portion Moses is bidding farewell to the Children of Israel. He is not sad at his impending death, but rather he encourages the people to move forward with Joshua, their new leader. It is not a surprise that Moses places an emphasis on the word of God and instructs the Kohanim to read the entire Torah before the people in Jerusalem every seven years, during the Sh’mittah year (the year that the fields are left fallow), when all of Israel comes up to the Holy City for the feast of Tabernacles.

“And Moses commanded them saying, at the end of seven years during the appointed time of the Sh’mittah year at the festival of Tabernacles, when all of Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read the Torah before all of Israel in their ears.” Deuteronomy 30:10-11

From these verses one learns a few important truths that will assist a person in maturing spiritually. First, Moses reveals a proper timing for this command. So often in the Scripture the Lord is willing to move and bless His people, but not just at any time, rather at a specific time. In the Hebrew text the word מועד (an appointed time) appears in verse 10. It is precisely during the year when no agricultural labor can be done that the Lord commands that the entire Torah is to be read to the people. Second, Moses reveals a specific place for this reading to occur, namely Jerusalem, the place which the Lord chose. The text states concerning Jerusalem that it is there that the people would appear before God. The point that is being emphasized is that there is an inferred intimacy with the Lord. Finally, the text is even more detailed when it states not just any time during the year of Sh’mittah, but during the feast of Tabernacles. Why then? The answer is that the primary teaching of this festival is dependence upon the Lord. Hence, those who truly recognize their dependence upon the Lord will embrace the word of God in order to find intimacy with Him and His timing for their life.

All too often we want God to move according to our timing, meet us at the place we are and to respond to our words. Such attitudes are very common among believers today and are frequently taught, but the truth of the matter is that unless we respond to God according to His parameters, the Lord will be very silent and distant from us in the New Year.