Sunday, July 29, 2007

The quote-hunter strikes (it rich) again, Vaetchanan edition

See here for a previous edition and links to other editions in this "accidental series."
I’m sitting there in shul/synagogue listening to the haftarah ("prophetic reading") when the words suddenly start sounding particularly familiar. So after Shabbat/Sabbath, I crank up the old Victrola, put on Gershon Veroba’s "Reach Out," and, sure enough, the lyrics to track 11, “Harimi,” sung by Reva L’Sheva and some students of Yeshivat Mevaseret Zion (Jerusalem) are from Isaiah/Yishaya 40, verse 9, which is in this haftarah. Here’s a sample of this song. Enjoy! (Nu? Go buy the album, already!)
Yesterday's Torah (Bible) reading, Parshat Vaetchanan (D'varim/Deuteronomy chapter 3, 23-chapter 7, verse 11) is loaded with good stuff. Here's one that we use as part of the introduction to a public Torah reading from a sefer Torah/scroll: chapter 4, verse 4. ד וְאַתֶּם, הַדְּבֵקִים, בַּי---, אֱלֹהֵי-ם --חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם, הַיּוֹם. 4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.

And here's another goody, used in the introduction to the Torah reading on Simchat Torah: chapter 4, verse 35. לה אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת, כִּי יְ--- הוּא הָאֱלֹ-ים: אֵין עוֹד, מִלְּבַדּוֹ. 35 Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the LORD, He is God; there is none else beside Him.

Naturally, it's hard to miss the second mention of the Aseret HaDibrot/Ten Commandment, chapter 5, verses 6-19.

And of courses, there's the central "prayer" of the Jewish faith, which isn't a prayer at all, but, rather, a quote, known as the Sh'ma, the first paragraph of which can be found in this parsha in chapter 6, verses 4-9: ד שְׁמַע, יִשְׂרָאֵל: יְ--- אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְ--- אֶחָד. 4 Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. (That paragraph continues--see the link.]

If memory serves me correctly, at least part of chapter 6, verses 20-25 are quoted in the Haggadah of Pesach/Passover.


כ כִּי-יִשְׁאָלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר, לֵאמֹר: מָה הָעֵדֹת, וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְ--- אֱלֹ-ינוּ, אֶתְכֶם. 20 When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: 'What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?
כא וְאָמַרְתָּ לְבִנְךָ, עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם; וַיֹּצִיאֵנוּ יְ--- מִמִּצְרַיִם, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה. 21 then thou shalt say unto thy son: 'We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
Ah, I knew there was one that I'd missed, from Aleinu--the quote is in this parsha, chapter 4, verse 39:

לט וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם, וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל-לְבָבֶךָ, כִּי יְ---- הוּא הָאֱלֹ-ים, בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל-הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת: אֵין, עוֹד. 39 know this day, and lay it to thy heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else.
If I think of any others, I'll let you know. If you think of any others, please let me know! Thanks!

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not bad! My dad used to quiz me every year to see how many verses from the liturgy I could find in v'eschanan. Last year the boys and I found an even ten. I posted the question here with the answers here.

And this year I found one more! Hope to post about later today.

Mon Jul 30, 09:38:00 AM 2007  
Blogger Shira Salamone said...

Holy Moses, I missed "V'zot haTorah"?! Major oops. Thanks!

Mon Jul 30, 03:20:00 PM 2007  

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