- Cut away the barrier of your heart
Chapter 10 – 46 Eikev / on heels of / footprint – Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
Cast off from upon yourselves all your transgressions through which you have transgressed and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31
The Commandments
In this parsha Eikev [Deu 7:12-11:25] commandments are given that Jews specifically have to do as well as some that are applicable only in Israel, therefore, I will not list these
“What Moses is telling us throughout Devarim is that God does not seek blind obedience. The fact that there is no word for obedience in biblical Hebrew, in a religion of 613 commands, is stunning in itself (modern Hebrew had to borrow a verb, letzayet, from Aramaic). He wants us to listen, not just with our ears but with the deepest resources of our minds. If God had simply sought obedience, he would have created robots, not human beings with a will of their own. (*1)
- Deu 7:16:- You shall not worship other gods but י-הוה other gods will be a snare for you. (note this is again repeated in Deu 11:16) Do not let your heart be seduced by other gods and go astray and prostrate yourselves before them. G-d will then withhold the blessing of rain for your land.
- Deu 8:10:- When you have eaten and be satisfied, thank and bless G-d.
- Deu 8:11,18; 9:4:- You shall remember י-הוה G-d: that it was he who gives you strength to make your wealth, Take care lest you forget י-הוה your G-d.., lest you eat and be satisfied and build good homes and settle… and everything that you have will increase – and your heart will become haughty and you will forget י-הוה your G-d… Do not say in your heart… Because of my righteousness did י-הוה bring me to possess this land?
- Deu 10:12, 16:- What does י-הוה your G-d asks of you? You shall cut away the barrier of your heart and no longer stiffen your neck. Fear G-d, go in all His ways, love him, serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deu 8:5 notes you will be chastised, you will perish if you do not go according to G-d’s ways and fear him. Be grateful, for he is bringing you to a beautiful bountiful land.
- Deu 10:18:- Consider the widow and the orphan because G-d cares about them.
- Deu 10:19:- You shall love the proselyte (convert) for you were stranger in the land of Egypt.
- Deu 11:1-8 – Do not forget the miracles that G-d did since taking you out of Egypt with a strong hand, as well as His chastisements when you sinned. Once you are in the land, don’t make the excuse that you did not experience all that, and lie and forget.
- Deu 11:8,9, 22 Observe ALL of G-d’s commandments in the Promised Land. That, will make you strong and your days will be prolonged to enjoy the land flowing with milk and honey; and then the land will be blessed with rain: the early rains and the late rains, to provide food for you and your animals
- Deu 11:18 Place the words of G-d upon you heart and upon your soul.
- Deu 11:20 Attach a Mezuzah with these words Deu 6:4-9 & 11:13-21, written on the parchment inserted in the Mezuzah, on your doorpost of your house and gates.
- Deu 11:19 You shall teach this Torah to your children, to discuss them, while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise
A few comments regarding the above commandments
[1] Deu 7:16- This commandment is the second commandment of the Ten Commandments [see Ex 20:3]- mentioned straight after the first that states: I am י-הוה your G-d, and mentioned again and again in the Torah. We know from history that the pagans that lived in the Promised Land and those that surrounded Israel, had many gods as also had Greece and Rome that ruled Israel for periods. Even today there are many cultures and nations that worship many gods. Now, before you think, ‘well that doesn’t apply to me, ‘do you worship a famous star [film or singer]? Do you worship status, wealth, prestige, sport of a kind? What do you idolize? What or who takes up all your money, energy, time and mind? “..the idealistic attraction to idolatry ..is not that one feels he is being drawn into another religion, but it is the desire to associate with another culture which just happens to have another god. It is the need to merge into the cultural expressions of another friendly group.” (*2)
[2] Deu 8:10 – There is a well-known painting by the famous American artist Norman Rockwell that shows a grandmother sitting at table in a café with her grandson, with bowed heads, thanking G-d for the food in front of them, Two young boys to their left that share their table, look on quizzically. Rabbi David Aaron wrote concerning this parashat Eikev: “Imagine a man who observes Sabbath but it has no meaning to him – no taste, The only thing that keeps him doing it is guilt, or respect for the tradition, or simply habit. Without his understanding the meaning behind his observance, it will eventually stop sooner or later, in this generation or the next…getting excited about the commandments driven life requires having a reason. We’re missing the real reason behind it all. And without meaning, tradition becomes stale, and commandments become heavy burdens.” (*3)
Blessing the food we eat and thanking G-d is probably the easiest Mitzvah/Commandment that we do most regularly. It is therefore one of the many ‘connections and acknowledgements’ of G-ds existence and presence in our lives, that we can make on a daily basis.
Think about it, G-d is the creator of everything. It is because of Him giving the blessing of rain and man’s foresight and ability instilled in us by the creator, that we have food on our table. Apart from thanking G-d for the miracles of food, our blessing for what we drink and eat, lift it to a higher and spiritual level. It obviates us being gluttons eating rapaciously (*4)
“Man doesn’t not live by bread alone.” [Deu 8:3] a famous line but what does it mean? The verse comes from this week’s Torah reading [see also Matt.4:4] and is a reference to the miraculous manna, which fell from heaven daily in the wilderness. The conclusion of the verse is that man lives by the word of G-d. `Thus, it is reminding us about the true source of human sustenance. Contrary to popular belief, it is neither our earthly toil nor sweat of our brow nor all those conferences, meetings, and sales seminars that ensure our success. The reality is that it is G-d who sustains us and looks after us.” [33.201] (NT reference added by me)
[3] Deu 8:11, 18; 9:4 – This commandment so aptly describes the well-heeled and prosperous people in the US, Canada, South Africa and Australia et al that have fallen victim to the good life. (*5) Too easily when we eat and are satisfied, have good houses, and a holiday home and two cars in the garage, we forget G-d. We become proud, haughty, and arrogant and would even refer to the Bible as those ’ancient tales of no use to me’. Deu 7:25 says:’… you shall not covet and take for yourself the silver and gold that is on them(carved images of gods) lest you be ensnared by it’ And when things go bad, we suddenly run to G-d and fellow men would tease us, saying we are grabbing at a crutch.
Faith is a daily walk and relationship with the Almighty father, such an intimate relationship only comes from knowing Him, through his word and communicating with G-d with Thanksgiving and praise on your lips, in your heart and soul on a daily basis.
[4] Deu 10:12,16 – The fourth commandment listed here above is the antidote to the third. In the wink of an eye one can lose everything: your life, health, wealth or status. That is when one realizes only one’s soul, one can hold onto and keep pure and holy as Jews realized in the Concentration Camps. Rabbi Jonathan sacks wrote: ‘the moral voice itself comes to seem like an un warranted intrusion into personal freedom… other civilizations failed because they forgot these difficult truths, so easily lost in affluent times, Jews have never forgotten. They made memory a religious obligation… Today a view prevails that all ways of life, all lifestyles, are equally valid. Judgment itself is held to be morally wrong because it assaults the principle that each of us should be free to live as we choose…each of us is unique, and there are many different ways of living well…Some ways of life lead on to happiness, others to frustration, loneliness, disappointment and quiet despair. The truth is that we discover what doesn’t work when It is already too late.’ [1.178] [my bold emphasis]
[5] Deu 10:18 – European countries have as of late discovered that their welfare state policies do not work and are headed for total collapse because of the hundreds and thousands of so called refugees from the Middle East and Africa that are flooding their countries. (A Spanish parliamentary actually stated this during Aug. 2018). The Torah teaches us to care for our fellow man in ever growing wider concentric circles. First in the home, the family that forms the basis of society, the extended family and then the immediate community, and so in ever larger groups. What a difference this would make if only we lived like this! More and more governments are experiencing problems to keep up with the costs of social demands their welfare policies create for them.
‘The directive to be holy was given to the entire assembly of the children of Israel…G-d commanded Moshe to gather all of the Jewish people… This teaches us the [parshas Kedoshim] was said before the entire assembly because the majority of the Torah’s fundamental principles are contingent upon it….holiness can be attained only when one is part of a community and not in isolation…and treating all people with respect and genuine fraternity” [36.51] And this has very much been the Jewish tradition through the ages. (my underlining)
[6] Deu 10:19 – A society or community often find it difficult to practice this commandment when new converts are from a different culture or are a different race or skin colour. The commandment to ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ should go hand in hand with this commandment.
[7] Deu 11:1-8 – Believers today also experience daily miracles – big and small. Often you think it was just ‘per chance’ or a fluke – yet usually it is a miracle from G-d. Remember what G-d did for you; remember those small daily miracles. It’s a good habit to diarize these: e.g. ‘today I un-expectantly bumped into X and happen to mention to Y which led to the right information to solve my problem.’ And when we look back over our lives, we can clearly identify the big or small miracles that lead us on in our path of life.
[8] Deu 11:8,9,22 – We read the following comment in the Chumash regarding these verses: “G-d is aware of and concerned with human activity” [11.995] And on the same page we read the beautiful… Verse: ‘the eyes of Hashem [G-d], your G-d are always upon it [the land of Israel] from the beginning of the year , to the years end.’ [Deu 11:12]
[10] Deu 11:20 refers to the Mezuza is the container affixed on the right side of the gate or door of one’s house, that contains a hand-written parchment on which is written the Shema. It is a “reminder of God’s eternal Presence, in this case in the Jewish home…Upon entering and leaving the home, or any room therein, the Jew is reminded of the potential for sanctity in all aspects of life, and of the relationship one must have with God to achieve a saintly life. In that way the love of God and the positive consequences of our relationship with God will be our central interest and goal in life.” [21.232] (See also Chapter 17)
Commandments 9, 10,&11 mentioned here above are repetitions of what was mentioned in the previous discussion, Parshat 45 Va’etchanan. These commandments are part of the Shema (*6). The first paragraph of the Shema is found in Va’etchanan…And the second in Eikev…They are clearly related. They have many ideas in common, but they also diverge at a number of points. “If one examines the text closely, a significant distinction between the two chapters becomes immediately discernable. The first chapter is in the singular; and the second is in the plural. Teach Torah to your son in the first and to your children in the second… one important answer is that G-d speaks to the individual but G-d also speaks to the community” [33.204]
“The first parasha of the Shema is an expression of “Torah for its own sake,” that being the love of God without instrumental significance, and it’s aim its contained within itself. Therefore no reason is given and there are no sanctions. Had one been able to able to give a reason for it, it would have lost its significances a categorical command, as something a person accepts because he sees its value in itself. But not every person is capable of that. We know the saying of Maimonides that the Torah permitted man to serve God and to observe the mitzvoth with the hope of being awarded, and to refrain from sin because of his fear of punishments. It is to these people that the second paragraph of the Shema is addressed. But the purpose of faith isn’t not the results which stem from the fact that there is faith, but the faith itself… The love of God, the fear of God, and the worship of God are all intermingled, and cannot be separated..” [32.170]
Now again consider the above. Is there a commandment or principle that you as a believer or Christian need not do?
What we learn from the narrative
In Deu 7:12-15 and 8:1-10 Moses tells Israel of all the blessings they will receive if they hearken to, observe & perform the ordinances. Then again in Deu 11:13 he again says: ‘if you indeed heed…’ which means “ if you listen – and I mean really listen” Jonathan Sacks furthermore writes: ‘Listening to another human being, let alone G-d, is an act of opening ourselves up to a mind radically other than our own. This takes courage… My deepest certainties may be shaken by entering into the mind of one who thinks quite differently about the world…. It is the antidote to narcissism: the belief that we are the center of the universe. It is also the antidote to the fundamentalist mindset characterized by the late Professor Bernard Lewis as ,’I’m right; your wrong; go to hell.” (*1)
It is said that the world that you live in is a product of your perception of reality. If Israel kept the commandments, G-d said he would safeguard the covenant and loving kindness (Chessed) He swore to their forefathers. They will be blessed and loved by G-d; they will have many children, the land will be blessed to be fruitful. Verse 14 states ‘you will be most blessed of all peoples’ Any believer and follower of the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that keeps his commandments will also experience bountiful blessings. But it can depend on your perception of your circumstances. Rabbi David Aaron gives a striking example;’ Imagine three people sitting right next to each other in a doctors waiting room…Let’s say the first person walked in and complained, ’Oh, how small this room is.’ The second person enters and exclaims, ‘Look, how bright this room is’. The third person comes in and thinks ‘Ugh, what a messy room.’ Now they are sitting inches apart, but they are not in the same room. The first person is sitting in a small room feeling really cramped. The second person is sitting in a light room, feeling cheerful. The third person is sitting in a messy room feeling disgusted…Your consciousness of G-d determines how much of the light and truth [and blessings] will be allowed into your world. To the extent that you acknowledge G-d, to that extent G-d will be in your life. This is a very crucial idea. Although G-d is, G-d is not revealed in your perceptual world unless you actively acknowledge and invite G-d in,’ (*7)
Deu 7:18-21 Moses said to Israel, who was about to enter the Promised Land knew it had giants that made them feel like grasshoppers, ‘Do not fear!…for י-הוה, your God is among you, a great and awesome God’ Later we read G-d saying to Joshua as they were about to enter the land: Jos 1:5…’as I was with Moses so will I be with you; I will not release you nor will I foresake you. Be strong and courageous.’ (this last phrase is repeated in verse 7&9) We too often have to remind ourselves of G-ds nearness, not to fear, but to hold on to him for ‘The name of י-הוה is a strong tower; The righteous run into it and are safe’ [Proverbs 18:10]
Is it not amazing that the Israelites ‘ garments and sandals did not wear out all of the forty years, and their feet did not swell. Read Deu 8:4 Such was G-d’s safeguarding!
From Deu 8:2 we learned that G-d tested them. ‘י-הוה your God led you these forty years in the Wilderness so as to afflict you, to test you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would observe his commandments or not’ The message to us is to be faithful, trust G-d and perservere. Do not give up!
Deu 9:4 ‘…Because of the wickedness of these nations did Hashem (G-d) drive them away from before you.’ Often the fact that israel had to destroy all the pagan nations, men women and children included, is questioned and seen as being cruel and without mercy. We are not given details of their sinful life style; rather not to fill our memory banks with the awful misdeeds and disgusting behaviors of the heathens. We can be sure that it was because of their unacceptable behavior and wickedness according to G-d. that they have to be destroyed. We never need to doubt the long suffering and mercifulness of י-הוה our God ‘for very great are His mercies’ [1Ch 21:13] [see also Ex34:6, Deu4:31] In verse 5 Moses reiterates that the Israelites should not think their righteousness is sufficient, but that G-d is a faithful and G-d honors his convenant with their forefathers.
Deu 9:17 Moses broke the two tablets on which G-d wrote the Ten commandments because they were the Ketuba (marriage contract) so to say and had Israel read them, they would have been guilty of unfaithfullness; he therefore interceded for them. (Read Jeremiah 31:31).
Deu 9:19 and :25-29 We read here how Moses pleads to G-d and reasons with him just as Abraham did – see Genesis 18:22-33. יהוה is a G-d that one can talk to; He is a loving Father. Even though we read ‘For י-הוה your God – he is the G-d of the powers and the Lord of Lords, the great, mighty and awesome G-d, who does not show favor and who does not accept a bribe’. [Deu 10:17]
“At the heart of Judaism is a convenant of love. Judaism has often been seen – notoriously by Christianity – as a religion of law and justice rather then love and compassion. To be sure, Judaism is a religion of law and justice between human beings, because only where there is law can there be a just society, and Judaism is nothing if not a religion of society. But between God and man there is a bond of love….
“ ‘In that day, declares the Lord, You will call Me “my husband” (ishi); You will no longer call Me, “my master” (Baali) [Hosea 2:18]
“For Hosea, at the core of Baal worship is the primitive idea that God rules the world by force, as husbands rule families in societies where power determines the structure of relationships….The God to whom we speak in prayer is not the ultimate power but the ultimate person, the Other in whom I find myself.” [1.86]
We can even say that Moses cared for the reputation of G-d. In fact there is an expression where we say Kiddush Ha-shem, when something is said or done that is to the glory of G-d. The converse is Hillul HaShem, which refers to an utterence or action that profanes the name of G-d, or even any actions that brings disgrace to Israel or Jews.
What we learn from the Hebrew
Not only the actual Hebrew language teaches us so much more, but also the stylistic structure of the Torah. The fact that the narrative is not always in a chronological order has meaning, and often chiastic structures appears. Repetition of words in a section is also noteworthy. Note for instance how often the word ‘remember’ appears, and how many times the word ‘love’ is used in this Parshas Eikev.
“The true meaning of the word ‘ love’, ahav, in Hebrew: “The first biblical usage of this verb is in Genesis 22:2, where it refers to the relationship between Avraham and Yitzchak. To ahav means to consciously choose as a favourite, to pursue time with and communion/fellowship and constant interaction with, and to thereby bond with, someone, prefering that person’s company, ways, opinions, and values over any other.”(*8)
“ The word our English Bibles translate as “bless” is Barach, means to release from restrictions and limitations. To barach someone or something means to infuse the object of blessing with unlimited potential and empowerment.
“The Holy One will do that with us. He will release us from restrictions, He will release us from limitations. He will infuse us with unlimited potential and empowerment.
“ The word our English Bibles translate as “rain” in this passage is Matar,… Strong’s Hebrew #4306 , pronounced maw-tawr’. Matar does not, However, mean only ‘rain’ in the sense of precipitation. Rather, it refers Hebraically to anything that that falls or is dispatched from heaven to earth. (*8)
“ In Eretz Yisroel, we are dependant upon the former and the latter rains. If the former rain [ yoreh] does not fall in October through December [beginning immediately after sukkot, and continuing intermittently through Chanuka], our land will be too dry in the Spring. If the latter rain [mal’kosh] does not fall in March and April [ between Purim and Pesach & Feast of Matzah], our crops will wither on the vine and stalk, and yield no harvest.
“We must have the rains. We must trust the Holy One for the rains.
“And the Holy One will discipline us, by depriving us of the rains we need, if we lo sh’ma [not listen, hear, heed, and walk in] His instructions for living. (*8)
FOOTNOTES
*1 Sacks, Jonathan. Listen, Really Listen. Eikev. Covernant and Conversation. 2018/5778
*2 Va-etchanan, 2009. www.yourlivingwatrers.com Ardelle brody.
*3 You get Back What You Put In. The Joys of a Commandment- Driven Life. Rabbi David Aaron, Isralight, 2018
*4 The Torah way of honoring the food that we eat as being a gift from G-d, and treating animals humanely, is in stark contrast to the horrifying news and video showing black Africans cutting meat from a horse they kept tied up alive and a mob in Africa hacking at a live elephant lying squirming in agony while they hack away at him. No wonder the Torah forbids us to tear a limb off a live animal [ see Leviticus 17] see also Dallen [12.97-121] In Psalm 50:10 we read: For mine is every beast of the forest; the Behemoth upon a thousand hills.
*5 “I think we sometimes forget the real Galut mentality is not necessarily living in a ghetto, but considering the non-Jewish world to be so great. The real exile within, the exile inside our own heads and hearts,” [32.203]
*6 The Shema is the closest Judaism gets to a ‘confession of faith’. It does not have a confession of faith as other religions have. The first pharagraph of the Shema is in Deu 6:4-9 and the second paragraph is in Deu 11:13-21 and therefore appear in this parshat that I discussed. Miamonides, also known as the Rambam, listed 13 priciples of faith that are also regarded as the basic faith principles that a Jew adheres to., “the fundamental truths of our religion and its very foundations.”:–
- Belief in the existence of the creator, who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists.
- The belief in G-ds absolute and unparalleled unity.
- The belief in G-ds’s non-corporeality, nor that he will be affected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, or rest, or dwelling.
- The belief in G-ds eternity
- The imperative to worship G-d exclusively and no foreign false gods.
- The belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy.
- The belief in the primacy of the prophecy of Moses our teacher
- The belief of the divine origin of the Torah.
- The belief of the immutability of the Torah.
- The Belief in G-d’s omniscience and providence.
- The belief in divine reward and retribution
- The belief in the arrival of the Messia and the Messianic era
- The belief of the ressurection of the dead.
It is the custom of many congregations to recite the Thirteen Articles, In a slighly more poetic form, beginning with the words Ani Maamin—“I believe”—everyday after the morning prayers in the synagogue. [See Chabad.org or page 179 of the Artscroll Siddur.]
—The word Shema/ shamoa tishme’u, appears 92 times In Deutronomy.
*7 Rabbi David Aaron. What you see is what you get. Sparks, Isralight, Dec 2010
*8 Bill Bullock. Ekev. Rabbisson@cableone.net