Reeh - See & Beware of False Prophets
By Rabbi Moshe Bernestein
In this week's Torah portion, we found a significant amount of room for the saga of the false prophet. The Torah warns that false prophets will eventually arise, and will even present miracles and other tricks to lure people into believing them, and even employ false proof for a new religion. Establishing a new religion is not permitted after the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
The Torah tells us: "You shall not heed the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of a dream; for the L‑rd, your G‑d, is testing you, to know whether you really love the L‑rd, your G‑d, with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 13:3). It’s all a test. It is a warning against following false prophets who perform signs or wonders and then try to lead people away from G-d. G-d allows false prophets and inciters to test people’s faith and loyalty to Him
Lack of knowledge and information is why human beings test each other. But G‑d doesn’t lack any knowledge! G‑d knows everything. He surely knows how one would react in a certain situation. The test is not for G‑d. It’s for you only. When the verse states, “For G‑d is testing you to know,” it’s not for G‑d to know anything. It’s for you to know G‑d.
Many people go through challenging life, and people ask why? G‑d sends a test for one reason,— to overcome it and discover the inner spark inside. From time to time, G‑d wants to give us a supernatural abundance, the only thing that can generate it for us is a test. It presents itself in this world as a challenge. But, deep inside that test, something powerful within the soul unveils itself.
The entire point of a test is for you to overcome it and expose the inner force of G‑dliness within you, the test therefore is for you to know. G‑d already knows. Now, it is the time for you to discover yourself. Your real self, the Divine spark.
Nowadays, very close to true redemption, there are many tests out there. But by clinging to the truth of the Torah and observing the seven Noahide laws we can surely overcome them. After all, if we pass those tests, a huge elevation to our soul is due to come.
Rabbi Moshe Bernstein is a writer and a Community Rabbi in Netanya, Israel. He believes in making connections between the Jewish People and the Noahides worldwide in order to share and enhance the knowledge of the Torah's Universal Code for Humanity and fulfill Isaiah's Prophecy 11:9 " And the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the oceans". Rabbi Moshe Bernstein is the author of the book Light Onto the Nations: A Guide to the Seven Noahide Laws.
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