The Benefits—And Dangers—Of Spiritual Experiences Parashat Re'eh 5778

Re'eh, spirituality, experiences, idolatry, innovation

(כט) כִּֽי־יַכְרִית֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ אֶת־הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֛מָּה לָרֶ֥שֶׁת אוֹתָ֖ם מִפָּנֶ֑יךָ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֹתָ֔ם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ֖ בְּאַרְצָֽם׃ (ל) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֗ פֶּן־תִּנָּקֵשׁ֙ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם אַחֲרֵ֖י הִשָּׁמְדָ֣ם מִפָּנֶ֑יךָ וּפֶן־תִּדְרֹ֨שׁ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֜ם לֵאמֹ֨ר אֵיכָ֨ה יַעַבְד֜וּ הַגּוֹיִ֤ם הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ אֶת־אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה־כֵּ֖ן גַּם־אָֽנִי׃ (לא) לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂ֣ה כֵ֔ן לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּי֩ כָּל־תּוֹעֲבַ֨ת יְהוָ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׂנֵ֗א עָשׂוּ֙ לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם כִּ֣י גַ֤ם אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם יִשְׂרְפ֥וּ בָאֵ֖שׁ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ (א) אֵ֣ת כָּל־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֹת֥וֹ תִשְׁמְר֖וּ לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לֹא־תֹסֵ֣ף עָלָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א תִגְרַ֖ע מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ (פ)

Deuteronomy 12:29-13:1

(29) When the LORD your God has cut down before you the nations that you are about to enter and dispossess, and you have dispossessed them and settled in their land, (30) beware of being lured into their ways after they have been wiped out before you! Do not inquire about their gods, saying, “How did those nations worship their gods? I too will follow those practices.” (31) You shall not act thus toward the LORD your God, for they perform for their gods every abhorrent act that the LORD detests; they even offer up their sons and daughters in fire to their gods. (1) Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add to it nor take away from it.

אבן עזרא על דברים י״ב:ל׳:ב׳

(ב) ואעשה כן גם אני. לעבודת השם ותחשוב כי תעשה טוב לא תעשה כן כי כל מעשיהם יתעב השם והעד כי גם את בניהם. את הדבר אשר צויתי אתכם אותו תשמורו:

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 12:30:2

(2) in that same manner will I act in worshiping God , thinking that you thereby do well. However, you must not act thus, because all of their actions are abhorrent to God (as evidenced by the subsequent explanation, they even set fire to their sons… ). Rather, you must observe that which I have commanded you.

Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (אַבְרָהָם אִבְּן עֶזְרָא or ראב"ע‬‎) 1089–c.1167 Spain, was one of the most distinguished Jewish Biblical commentators and philosophers of the Middle Ages.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_ibn_Ezra

ספורנו על דברים י״ג:א׳:א׳

(א) לא תוסף עליו כי אולי תוסיף דבר נמאס אצלו ית' כמו שיהיה אם תרצה להוסיף מיני עבודות לאל ית' שלפעמים תהיה העבודה הנוספת דבר נמאס אצלו ית' כמו שריפת הבנים:

Sforno on Deuteronomy 13:1:1

(1) לא תוסף עליו, for you might add something which is despicable in the eyes of the Lord. If, perchance, you would add new ways of the serving the Lord, you have no assurance that such innovation is acceptable to G’d, for instance the burning of one’s children in G’d’s honour.

Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno (Obadja Sforno, עובדיה ספורנו) c.1475-1550 Italy, was an Italian rabbi, Biblical commentator, philosopher and physician.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obadiah_ben_Jacob_Sforno

דברים י״ג:י״ג-ט״ז

(יג) כִּֽי־תִשְׁמַ֞ע בְּאַחַ֣ת עָרֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֛ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת שָׁ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יד) יָצְא֞וּ אֲנָשִׁ֤ים בְּנֵֽי־בְלִיַּ֙עַל֙ מִקִּרְבֶּ֔ךָ וַיַּדִּ֛יחוּ אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י עִירָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵלְכָ֗ה וְנַעַבְדָ֛ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ (טו) וְדָרַשְׁתָּ֧ וְחָקַרְתָּ֧ וְשָׁאַלְתָּ֖ הֵיטֵ֑ב וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֱמֶת֙ נָכ֣וֹן הַדָּבָ֔ר נֶעֶשְׂתָ֛ה הַתּוֹעֵבָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃ (טז) הַכֵּ֣ה תַכֶּ֗ה אֶת־יֹֽשְׁבֵ֛י הָעִ֥יר ההוא [הַהִ֖יא] לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב הַחֲרֵ֨ם אֹתָ֧הּ וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֛הּ וְאֶת־בְּהֶמְתָּ֖הּ לְפִי־חָֽרֶב׃

Deuteronomy 13:13-16

(13) If you hear it said, of one of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you to dwell in, (14) that some scoundrels from among you have gone and subverted the inhabitants of their town, saying, “Come let us worship other gods”—whom you have not experienced— (15) you shall investigate and inquire and interrogate thoroughly. If it is true, the fact is established—that abhorrent thing was perpetrated in your midst— (16) put the inhabitants of that town to the sword and put its cattle to the sword. Doom it and all that is in it to destruction:

The Israelites had experienced God in dramatic ways: the deliverance from Egypt with signs and wonders, at Sinai with thunder and lightning and as the pillar of cloud and fire that led them on their journeys. They had also experienced God in less dramatic, everyday ways: the manna they ate daily, the supplying of water for humans and animals and their clothes and shoes that didn't wear out during their 40 years of wandering.

Spiritual experiences can be positive or negative

How can spiritual experienced benefit us? How can they harm us?

Can we innovate to create meaningful spiritual experiences without violating this passage?

If we can, how do we keep our innovation true to Torah/Judaism?

Karla Worrell