By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
EL CAJON, California — Parashat Re’eh greets us just before Rosh Chodesh Elul, ushering in four sacred weeks of cheshbon hanefesh, that courageous “accounting of the soul” before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This is not simply spiritual bookkeeping; it’s deep, honest self-reflection, the kind that challenges us to ask: Where am I truly headed? What am I choosing, day after day?
In this moment, Moshe offers more than laws, he gives us a blueprint for living with unity, purpose, and integrity. He speaks of one central place chosen by Hashem for offerings, which is a focal point to bind us as a people. Yet, he also affirms that the holiness of our lives is not confined to the sanctuary. It belongs at our tables, in our workplaces, and in every human interaction. Elul invites us to look in two often-neglected directions: within and above.
Moshe warns us about seductive influences, those ideas or voices that pull us away from Hashem’s path. This is not about shutting out the world but about protecting the spiritual compass that keeps us whole. It’s no accident the parsha begins, “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” Blessings if we walk in Hashem’s ways, curses if we stray.
This is an invitation to mindful awareness. The Torah is saying: “Look. Pay attention.” Rashi reminds us that these blessings and curses are not just future events, they are alive in the present. Rambam adds that they often flow naturally from our own choices. Our Sages teach, “Know what is above you, a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds recorded.” What we choose to notice, hear, and act upon is shaping us right now.
Many commentators understand the opening verses of Re’eh as a powerful statement about bechirah chofshit, human free will. Free will is not unlimited choice, it is the sacred responsibility to choose wisely within the realities of life. In the midst of hardship, we can choose gratitude over bitterness, hope over despair. Elul is our invitation to step out of mindless routine, review our decisions, confront our mistakes, and do teshuvah, returning not only from sin but toward our best, Hashem-given selves.
Each person is given the capacity to choose, and with that comes responsibility for the consequences of those choices. At the same time, free will exists alongside the principle of hashgachah pratit, Divine providence. Hashem’s care is personal and focused on everyone. While we truly exercise choice, Hashem, in His omniscience, already knows the path we will take.
Moshe calls us to engage all our senses in choosing the path of mitzvot. The Malbim observes that those who live in harmony with Hashem’s will radiate well-being. The Sfat Emet urges us to listen for truth beyond the noise. When we focus only on our own struggles, we risk losing sight of the bigger truths that give our lives meaning.
Re’eh challenges us to lift our eyes to see ourselves as part of a larger story. Our well-being is bound to the well-being of the community. When we see beyond our own hardships, we make space to enable gratitude, compassion, and blessing to grow.
Parasha Re’eh might best be described as the “joyful parsha,” since the root word שמח, simcha, or joy, shows up seven times within it. That’s more than in any other parsha. To put it in perspective, the word appears only 16 times throughout the entire Chumash, which means nearly half of its occurrences are concentrated right here.
Simcha in the biblical sense almost always implies something shared, a celebration that draws people together. Whether in the sanctuary or in the quiet space of your own heart, every sincere step toward Hashem matters. Unity is not uniformity. It is weaving our different journeys into one shared movement toward self-improvement, compassion, and closeness to the Divine.
Hashem does not want robotic obedience. He calls us to choose His ways with joy. “Let us exult and rejoice in this day Hashem has made.” As we enter Elul, the High Holiday message is clear: honestly ask yourself, how have you own ways worked out, and how might your life change if you followed His ways with an open, willing heart? Re’eh urges us to notice where our eyes, ears, and hearts are focused. Every choice shapes us. Blessing isn’t only in the outcome; it’s in the growth that comes from choosing well.
The Torah’s prohibition of lo titgodedu, “do not cut yourselves,” is, in our Sages’ view, a warning against cutting the community apart. Reish Lakish teaches this means we must avoid splintering into hostile factions. In Pirkei Avot, Hillel says, “Do not separate yourself from the community.” This is more than Jewish law; it’s a human principle. Across the world, hatred thrives when we see others as “less than.” The Torah reminds us: every human being is b’tzelem Elohim, in Hashem’s image.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun.