Shalom Friends;
This week, our Parshat HaShevua, Eikev is being co-sponsored by Mordechai and Gila Bernstein of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated for Yosef and Yaeli’s Twins: Chana and Avraham, and co-sponsored by Raphael and Vivianne Willig dedicated “in honor of our dear friend Moshe Burt.” Both families also dedicate this vort for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all remaining hostages and that they’re brought home without periencing any further harm, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Bernstein and Willig families, many thanks for your co-sponsorships and your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShevua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShevua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
skype: mark.burt3
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The Sapirstein Edition, “The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary renders translation of the opening posuk of Parsha Eikev:
“And it will be because of your listening to these ordinances, and your observing and performing them: then Hashem Ke’ilokecha will safeguard for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.” (Sefer Devarim Perek 7, posuk 12)
The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash renders this translation of the beginning of our opening posuk:
“This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances…” (Sefer Devarim Perek 7, posuk 12)
The Artscroll Stone Chumash (Parshat Eikev pages 980-981) cites Rashi in explaining the word “Eikev”:
“You will hearken [listen]“ = eikev — the reward: in midrashic terms also means the “heel”, alludes to the sort of commandments that people may regard as relatively unimportant, so they tend figuratively to “tread on them with their heels.” Thus, the Torah assures Israel that if they are careful to observe even these neglected commandments, they can be certain that Hashem will reward them with His Covenant and Kindness.
Stated another way, this means being attentive to the little Mitzvot; the details, the Mitzvot that one tends to overlook, to ignore, to tread one’s heels on in life’s mad dash, but without which the Jewish people would lack the merit which sets us apart from common man. The little mitzvot are the small details, the ones epitomized by V’Ahavtah L’re’echa Komocha — caring for, and attentiveness to your fellow Jew as for yourself.
This author sees, in a way, a connection between the Artscroll Stone Chumash’s definition of “eikev” — the ignored or overlooked, seemingly minor Mitzvot that people may regard as relatively unimportant; the details one overlooks in the mad dash of living so they tend figuratively to “tread on them with their heels” and the military intelligence errors, the details, as well as military high command’s overlooking the warnings of their subordinates, and threats and intimidation of these subordinates which led to the mass terror attacks of the beginning of the War of Simchat Torah.
This author now provides excerpts from Rabbi Shmuel Goldin’s Parsha Summary in his sefer “Unlocking The Torah Text,” Sefer Devarim (page 83) :
Moshe continues his second farewell address by warning the nation that their ultimate success upon entering the Land will be dependent upon their continuing obedience to Hashem’s Law.
Moshe explains to the Am Yisrael that they are acquiring the Land [with its wondrous natural wealth], not because of their own worthiness, but because the inhabitants on the Land merit destruction due to their own evil actions. “And you should know, he declares, that not because of your righteousness does Hashem give you this good Land to acquire, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Rabbi Goldin rendering to English Sefer Devarim, Perek 9, posukim 4-6)
Rabbi Goldin continues by summarizing Moshe’s warning to Am Yisrael with commentary — Sefer Devarim, Perek 8, posukim 11 – 17 (pages 85, 87 – 88) :
Take care lest you forget the Lord your G’d by not observing His Commandments, His Laws, His Statutes which I command you today… and your hearts will become haughty [adjective: disdainfully proud; scornfully arrogant; snobbish], and you will forget the Lord your G’d, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery [Rabbi Goldin reflecting on Sefer Devarim, Perek 8, posuk 14]… And you will say in your heart: “My strength and the might of my hand has made me all this wealth.” [In quotes: Rabbi Goldin rendering to English Sefer Devarim, Perek 8, posuk 17]
Sated and satisfied by the wondrous natural wealth of the Land, and filled with pride over your own accomplishments, Moshe warns, you could easily forget your dependence upon Hashem for the countless gifts that you have received.
In the words of the Meshech Chochma, “When one is satisfied, one is likely to rebel, Hashem, therefore, commands the nation to recall His Name and to bless Him, specifically at the point of satiation [noun: the state or feeling of having a need, especially hunger, fully satisfied], and to remember that He is the One who gives man the power to succeed.” [Rabbi Goldin citing Meshech Chochma on Sefer Devarim, Perek 8, posuk 10] Precisely because of the context… [regarding remembering Hashem and blessing Him], the Rabbis interpret the phrase “and you shall bless the Lord your G’d” as a commandment. [Rabbi Goldin citing Sefer Devarim, Perek 8, posuk 10]
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin renders to English Sefer Devarim, Perek 8, posuk 14 and provides a short commentary: (page 404) :
“[Lest] Your heart be exalted and you forget the Almighty, your G’d, who took you out of the land of Egypt from the house of slavery.”
Ibn Ezra explains: Lest you forget you were slaves who were in a very lowly state of mind, and you might forget the suffering, hunger and thirst that you experienced in the wilderness and then the Almighty took care of your needs.
This author’s understanding of Moshe’s warning to Am Yisrael regarding disdain for, or non-observance of Torah Law, goes beyond arrogant expressions of self-pride and self-satisfaction for satiation of hunger, or self-righteousness due to what one may perceive as success due to his own efforts. It seems to this author that this warning against haughtiness (noun: air of supremacy), i.e. arrogance extends to the expressions of contemptuousness for, or total negation, of Hashem and religion as extends to national levels with Israel’s governance and military high command repeatedly jeopardizing our national sovereignty and security, as we are witnessing again and again since the disastrous collapse of military intelligence at the outset of the ongoing War of Simchat Torah — 7 October.
Rabbi Goldin concludes in his sefer “Unlocking The Torah Text,” Sefer Devarim (page 110):
Why does this small country, described by one observer as a tiny beauty mark on an expansive globe command so much of the world’s attention? Why has this Land, across the flow of history, consistently been at the center of so much religious, political and emotional conflict? Why does the Jew constantly find himself praying for true peace within its borders and for the safety and security of its citizens? Perhaps because, from the beginning of time, the Land of Israel was always meant to be a Land that does not lie, a Land in which our dependence upon Hashem confronts us front and center, each and every day of our lives.
May it be that our Chayalim, regardless of the machinations of their high command, emerge totally victorious — eradicating from the face of the earth Hamas, their terrorist buddies and the so-called “innocent civilians” of Gaza who joined with Hamas in their murderous deeds, that the Chayalim return home whole — physically, mentally and spiritually and that the Chayalim Liberate and bring home all remaining hostages. And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fourth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, as should the remains of the two chayalim from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we see, in 5784, the REAL Jews from the Ukraine and Russia as well as the US and Canada, the real Jews via matrilineal descent, make Aliyah enmass — via thorough review by Misrad HaPanim. And may we soon and finally see the total end to the Communist Chinese Wuhan Lab corona virus pandemic and all like viruses and variants. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
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