This week’s reading for Chol HaMo’ed Sukkot (חול-המועד סוכות) is taken from the end of Parashat Ki Tisa (Shemot / Exodus 33:12-34:26). Moshe has asked the Lord God to forgive the sins of the Children of Yisrael (וְעַתָּה אִם-תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם). Moshe asks the Lord to reveal Himself and His glory (וַיֹּאמַר הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת-כְּבֹדֶךָ). The Lord commands Moshe to make two stone tablets like the previous ones (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה פְּסָל-לְךָ שְׁנֵי-לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וְכָתַבְתִּי עַל-הַלֻּחֹת אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עַל-הַלֻּחֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר שִׁבַּרְתָּ) and He will write on them the words that were on the previous set of Tablets. Moshe demonstrates for us this week the importance of knowing God according to His ways in his statement וְעַתָּה אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ הוֹדִעֵנִי נָא אֶת-דְּרָכֶךָ וְאֵדָעֲךָ לְמַעַן אֶמְצָא-חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה כִּי עַמְּךָ הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה meaning ‘Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.’ (NASB) Moshe asks the Lord God stating that “If I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You and find favor in Your sight.” (אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ הוֹדִעֵנִי נָא אֶת-דְּרָכֶךָ וְאֵדָעֲךָ) In this Hebrew Sentence, we find a chiastic literary structure where there appears to be an inversion in the phrase or clause on the order of words with respect to the first clause or phrase. “Now if I have found favor in your eyes –> let me know your ways –> so that I might find favor in your eyes.” Having found favor in God’s eyes, Moshe desires to know God in a more intimate way. This text shows us the order of obedience; we have found favor in God’s eyes because He loves us, now we obey the Lord so that we can walk in His favor, His love, and His blessing. This week is a time of great blessing for it is the harvest festival. According to the Scriptures, we are to remember Sukkot for this is the time God’s Holy Word came down and tabernacled among us in Yeshua the Messiah. Read More here.
