To be united does not mean that we agree on everything but that we are in agreement on our national goals. We can debate with one another on issues but we must never lose site of the fact that we are one people.

We are all for social justice, but it has to be in harmony with the commandments. If someone tells us that we do not have to obey the commandments then they are a false prophet.

The Torah gives the option of determining our fate. While we can't control everything in life, we can follow the commandments and change the world.

The Torah never mentions our rights. It talks about our obligations to God and society. When we concentrate on our obligations, we can be happy with little. But when we concentrate on our entitlements we will never be satisfied.

We are told that we will receive blessings and curses depending on our behavior. The Torah is pointing out that God will treat us as adults. It admonishes us to treat others as adults.

We are asked if God is on our side. The important question, to paraphrase President Lincoln, are we on God's side.

We know that society has obligations to us but we frequently forget that we have obligations to society. We can't just do whatever we feel like. We have to fit into societal norms.

The Torah has commandments of our actions between man and God as well as between man and man. Both are important since one without the other will lead to both being forgotten.

We are taught that we are in a partnership with God. We follow His way and He will make sure that our work is not in vain. If we don't then we will lose everything.

In this week's Torah reading we see that God is making a deal with the Jews. If you want a good and successful life, then you have to follow the commandments. If you want to be a normal people you will get what a normal people get.