What God WantsBy Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
So, what is it that God ultimately wants? Not much, really. Just remember Who He is – that should inspire someone with sufficient awe to do His will. If a person had an inkling of Who God is, he’d follow Him whole-heartedly, with love. God doesn’t “need” the Jews – He has the entire universe at His disposal! But He loved the Forefathers and, because of that, He keeps an eye on their descendants. So stop impeding that special relationship with Him by being jerks! (Remember that this is Moshe addressing the people. “Stop being jerks” is my paraphrase. The original is more along the lines of “circumcise your hearts and cease stiffening your necks.”)
God is the One and Only Power. He doesn’t play favorites and He can’t be bribed. He is especially protective of widows, orphans and converts. Stick close to Him because He’s really the only thing you have going for you! He took the Jews from a family of 70 to a great nation, so trust Him and do what He says.
The generation about to enter the land has extra responsibility, Moshe said, because they experienced God’s miracles first-hand. Many of them were in Egypt – they saw the plagues and the splitting of the Red Sea. They saw what happened to the members of Korach’s rebellion. They know what God is capable of doing, so how can they help but keep His will when they enter the land? They’ll be glad if they do.