Following the Word of G-d

There are two contradictory verses in the Torah, regarding poverty. There is one verse that says that poverty will cease in Israel. Yet, there is a second verse that says that there will never stop being poor people in the land.

The Hebrew for no poverty is, לא יהיה בך אביון, “There shall not be poor among you.” And for continued poverty, it is written, כי לא יחדל אביון, “The poor will not cease.”

The Keli Yakar answers this apparent contradiction by saying, that in one case it is speaking of when the will of G-d is followed. The second case is where the will of G-d is followed.

The Book of Devarim is basically Moshe Rabbeinu’s final address to the Jewish people. He beseeches of them in the strongest language, how good life can be if we only carefully follow the word of Hashem.

He speaks of the incredible abundance that we will receive. There will be peace, joy, and prosperity, if we would only make it our priority to fulfill everything written in the Torah.

The world is at a point when it should realize that it’s time to return to G-d. It should be clear by now that all of the substitutes for simple faith in G-d, have failed.

Various philosophies are crumbling before our eyes. Doing whatever “feels good” or “makes you happy,” is without substance and doesn’t last. This obsession with tolerance and not tolerating anything deemed to be racist, has gotten out of control. The breakdown of the sanctity of marriage, and allowing same sex marriages, is trying to turn what was once called “deviant behavior,” into something right and proper, can never be right and proper.

All of the new laws permitting euthanasia, legalizing drugs and abortion, create more new laws that justify the lusts of society, rather than its discipline.

There is a Divine plan. Perhaps everything had to first be tested, so that the world will make this realization. If we would only fulfill the will of Hashem, there will never be poverty, and we will experience the real “good” that awaits us.