Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25
Parshat Eikev
Eikev promises blessing if the people keep the mitzvot, recalls the manna and the lessons of the desert, and warns against the pride of prosperity, “my strength and the might of my hand.” Moses recounts the golden calf and the second tablets. The portion contains the mitzvah of grace after meals and the second paragraph of the Shema.
Essays
E-Lights Ekev – The Illness of Exile and the Joy of Redemption When G-d promises to “remove from you all illness,” He is promising far more than physical healing: the removal of the very essence of exile. Parsha Ekev – The Cure for Infertility As a reward for our commitment to the commandments G-d promises us many things, among them we read the following in this week’s… Parsha Ekev – A Bar Mitzvah Speech Which came first the chicken or the egg? Another way of asking the question is which comes first the Bar Mitzvah or the party and… Parsha Ekev – A Tale of Two Scenarios Divine energy flows in two directions: From the source to us and from us to the source. Redemption is when the two flows meet in the middle. Parsha Ekev – Forgetting Forgetfulness Forgetfulness is caused by negative energy associated with exile. In the Messianic Age we will no longer need teachers and other memory devices to retain our knowledge. Teachers will then serve a higher purpose. Parsha Ekev – Fear G-d? Why Not Just Love? Even simple emotions contain elements of profundity. Fear of G-d and self-abnegation are two sides of the same coin. Parsha Ekev – Good Diseases? Our task is to do everything to remove suffering. We cannot understand the “why” of misery, but we can learn lessons from it. The only thing that compounds our suffering is our failure to find a silver lining by learning lessons from it. Parsha Ekev – Heels: The Lowest and the Highest Conventional wisdom teaches us that despite being on the ground you can still climb high. Chassidic wisdom believes that because you are so low you can climb high! Parsha Ekev – Getting Rid of the Monster We Created Some forms of fear can be paralyzing. However, some forms of fear can be positive. They can actually neutralize the negative forms of fear. Parsha Ekev – High Heels Reaching the 100 mark from 99 can be more dramatic than reaching from 1 to 99! Parsha Ekev – Jewish Pride . The immature always underestimate their potential. Maturity is appreciating your regal nature. A Bar Mitzvah begins wearing Tefillin, the symbol of Maturity and royalty. Parsha Ekev – Longevity Israel exists on two planes: Geographic and Spiritual. The Mezuzah affixed to our homes creates virtual Israel Parsha Ekev – Modernity You can follow all the most recent fads and be old-fashioned. And you can follow the ancient teachings of Torah and be truly modern. Parsha Ekev – No Fast Food Food is a metaphor for spiritual nourishment. However, food itself contains a spiritual dimension. It is just as important to insure that that which comes into our mouth is as pure as that which comes out of our mouth. Reciting the Grace after Meal insures that we capture the spirt of the food and t Parsha Ekev – No Sterile Blessings Life is defined by its ability to reproduce. Our future life as a people hinges on our ability to retain our identities in a sea of other cultures. Parsha Ekev – Now! Wow! Most people live in the past and the future. Torah wants us to live in the present. Teshuvah and Redemption are so powerful because they revolve around the word “now!” Parsha Ekev – Seeing Is Enjoying Light is the physical world’s most ethereal phenomenon. Yet light enhances our physical lives even as it is the ultimate metaphor for spirituality. Parsha Ekev – The Cure for Sterility A sterile mind is cannot produce proper emotions. It is a sign of exile. Parsha Ekev – The Kosher Compromise Compromise is not necessarily a good word because it takes away from truth. However, there are compromises that enable and empower us to reach that truth. The placement of the Mezuzah embodies that compromise. Parsha Ekev – The “Olive Jew” and the “Egg Jew” There is food for the body and foo for the soul. Chassidus teaches us that food for the body can also be food for the soul. Parsha Ekev – The Non-Blessing Blessing The word Jew derives from the word gratitude. Gratitude is not just saying thank-you. It’s about conceding the other’s importance. It is also acknowledging the other’s role in your good fortune. Gratitude is liberating and characterizes Moshiach and the Messianic Age. Parsha Ekev – The Soul of the Heel Relationships that are quid-pro-quo are fine. Relationships that are unconditional are Divine. Parsha Ekev – Torah Study: The Jewish Synthesizer One of the greatest challenges is confronting ecil. Another great challenge is finding the right balance between two good things. Torah is the ideal power of synthesis and balance. Parsha Ekev – What’s the Question? Jews are known to ask a lot of questions. Jews are also known to answer questions with other questions. Why are we so obsessed with questions? Because questions touch raw nerves and produce better results than mere statements! Parsha Ekev – With All Your Might Giving your life for a cause is not necessarily the highest level of devotion. It might actually be an expression of one’s ego.