כ) וְגַם אֶת הַצִּרְעָה יְשַׁלַּח יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּם עַד אֲבֹד הַנִּשְׁאָרִים וְהַנִּסְתָּרִים מִפָּנֶיךָ:
(כא) לֹא תַעֲרֹץ מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּקִרְבֶּךָ אֵל גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא:
(כב) וְנָשַׁל יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵל מִפָּנֶיךָ מְעַט מְעָט לֹא תוּכַל כַּלֹּתָם מַהֵר פֶּן תִּרְבֶּה עָלֶיךָ חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה:
(כג) וּנְתָנָם יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהָמָם מְהוּמָה גְדֹלָה עַד הִשָּׁמְדָם:
(כד) וְנָתַן מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּיָדֶךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתָּ אֶת שְׁמָם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם לֹא יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ בְּפָנֶיךָ עַד הִשְׁמִדְךָ אֹתָם:
(כה) פְּסִילֵי אֱלֹהֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵשׁ לֹא תַחְמֹד כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב עֲלֵיהֶם וְלָקַחְתָּ לָךְ פֶּן תִּוָּקֵשׁ בּוֹ כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא:
When, in time to come, your children ask you, "What mean the decrees, laws, and rules that the Lord our God has enjoined upon you?" you shall say to your children, "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and the Lord freed up from Egypt with a might hand. The Lord wrought before our eyes marvelous and destructive signs and portents in Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household; and us God freed from there, that God might take us and give us the land that God had promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these laws, to revere the Lord our God, for our lasting good and for our survival, as is now the case. It will be therefore to our merit before the Lord our God to observe faithfully this whole Instruction, as God has commanded us. [JPS translation. Edited for gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. According to this text, why do Jews practice Judaism? Do you agree with this reasoning?
2. Why do you think many people practice religion? Is that reasoning different from the reasons provided here?
3. Should these reasons ever change? How do they help build a cohesive community?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)