Overview of
the Weekly Reading: Ekev To
be read on 18 Av 5766 (August 9) Torah:
Deuteronomy 7:12-11"25
Haftorah: Isaiah 49:14-51-3 (2nd of
7 "Haftorahs of Consolation"")
Pirkei Avot: Chapter 5 in Israel
(Chapter 4 outside of Israel)
Va'etchanan is the 3rd Reading out of 11 in Deut.
and 46th overall, and 14th out of 54 in overall length.
Ekev
opens listing the rewards the Jews receive for keeping G-d’s mitzvahs. G-d guarantees
to overthrow the kingdoms living in Israel to allow the Jews to live and prosper
there. The Jews are warned not be so distracted by physical comforts as to forget
G-d, or they will be punished. Then they are reminded of all the good and miracles
G-d performed for them and His forgiving of their numerous provocations, including
the sin of the golden calf. Moshe tells how he carved the second tablets and learned
Torah with G-d for 40 days and nights. Moshe goes on to praise G-d, encourage
the Jews to follow His ways, and to recognize His great deeds done on their behalf.
He explains that the Land of Israel requires rain (unlike Egypt which was irrigated
by the Nile) and therefore needs G-d’s attention. Therefore (verses 11:13-21 are
the second paragraph of Shma), G-d will cause good rains to fall (as well as other
rewards) if the Jews keep His commandments.
FROM
THE MASTERS OF KABBALA (K:4666/Ekev)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:4666/Ekev)
In the Zohar translation that follows, the soul of Moses teaches Rebbe
Shimon the how to set up the right environment at a meal For
the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on our KabbalaOnline
site. * * * * * From
the holy Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:4466/Vaet'chanan)
the Invitation to Recite Grace drives
away the "other side" For
the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on our KabbalaOnline
site. * * * * * From
Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(S:4466/Vaet'chanan)
People may experience G-d's Presence
if they are poor or suffer other afflictions; these people make a point of putting
their trust in G-d. They are far more likely to do so than a rich man who believes
that he does not need G-d's help. For
the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM
THE CHASSIDIC REBBES (V:4666/Ekev) “Now
Israel, what does the L-rd your G-d ask of you except to fear G-d.” (10:12)
People are strange. They beg and plead that G-d should give them 'fear
of heaven,' when this is something that is entirely in the individual's control.
Yet when it comes to livelihood, they imagine that they are in charge. (Rabbi
Chanoch of Alexander)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE from
the Chabad Master series, produced by
Rabbi Yosef Marcus for www.ascentofsafed.com
and www.kabbalaonline.org
MOSHIACH
THIS WEEK (M:4566/Vaet'chanan)
""Nachamu, Nachamu Ami" - "Comfort, I will comfort My people"
(Haftorah) On the Shabbat after Tisha B'Av, the day on which we commemorated
the destruction of the First and Second Holy Temples, G-d promises us that the
rebuilding of the Third and eternal Holy Temple will also serve as a complete
and perfect comfort for all of the destruction that took place throughout Jewish
history. (from L'Chaim #781)
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here) (W:4666/Ekev)
The name of the parasha, Ekev, has two
meanings: "since" - as in the first verse, "Since you have fulfilled
the commandments", G-d will take care of you; or "heel" - implying
the end of something, like the heel of a person's foot. The Lubavitcher Rebbe
explains that these two meanings are connected. Since observing the commandments
is the reason that G-d keeps His promises to the Jews, we must actualize the cause,
i.e. keep the mitzvot, in order to bring about the effect - G-d's providing for
our needs. Another way of understanding this cause/effect relationship
is that when a Jew is involved in learning Torah or performing mitzvot, he or
she is attaining the ultimate effect possible: to connect and unite with the Giver
of the Torah. Yet only when we are really enthusiastic and excited about our divine
service, can we be sure to achieve the desired result - complete connection to
G-d.
Rebbe Yechiel Michel of Zlotchuv writes that the opening verse,
"In the end ['Ekev'] you will listen..." means that in the end, you
will listen and do the commandments. So since anyway we all will eventually do
the commandments, let's get going now. Why be lazy and procrastinate? The reward
is right there in front of us. The Baal Shem Tov taught that the
word "ekev" is a commentary on the word "listen". How should
one listen? Like this is the "ekev", the "end", the last mitzvah
he will ever merit to perform. If that is how you do every mitzvah, you will certainly
do it and fulfill its every nuance with pure and true love and fear for the sake
of Heaven. The fifth reading within the parasha opens with "And now,
you Israel, what does G-d ask from you? Only to fear the Lord your G-d."
(Deut. 10:12) The Midrash ( Bereishit Rabba 21:6) says that the Hebrew word for
"now", "atta", always is always connected to doing the concept
of reconnecting with G-d. The Chozeh of Lublin explains the connection
between "now" and returning to G-d, teshuva: The foundation of doing
teshuva is to always realize in our hearts that until this point we have not even
begun to understand what it means to serve the Almighty. And now, from this moment
onward, we want to begin to improve our behavior and to go in the proper way to
fulfill the divine will. This, by the way, is the true meaning of the old saying
"To live in the here and now". The sixth reading concludes with
the verses that comprise the second paragraph of the Shema. These include "...to
love G-d your L-rd and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul."
(Deut. 11:13) This differs from the first paragraph of the Shema, which says "and
you shall love G-d, your L-rd, with all your heart, and all your soul, and all
your possessions" (Deut. 5:5). In the second paragraph, dedicating one's
heart and soul to G-d are mentioned, but not possessions. The Maggid of Mezritch
relates its absence to the verse's continuation, "and I will give you dew
in its time..." When a Jew loves G-d with his soul and heart, G-d grants
physical rewards, such as dew and rain. However, "possessions" is dedicating
to G-d a Jew's "muchness" his most precious things. When a Jew is dedicated
to G-d in such a way, he displays how physicality for its own sake does not interest
him. Thus, the fitting reward for dedicating one's physical possessions to the
spiritual realms must be non-physical. Therefore, it was omitted from the verses
guaranteeing physical rewards. In the last verses, we are instructed to
go in G-d's ways. Rashi explains that since G-d is merciful, we should also be
merciful. Since G-d acts kindly we should also act kindly. We find instances in
the Torah where G-d is jealous of His honor. Why doesn't Rashi also say that G-d
is jealous, we should also be jealous. Rebbe Itzele from Valozhin answers with
a quote from the Jerusalem Talmud: "G-d says, I control my jealousy and my
jealousy does not control me!" G-d can control his jealousy, but people can't
control theirs. No one should rationalize his jealousy. Jealousy is one divine
attribute whose blessings are out of our reach. Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
P.S. Please also read my weekly Shabbat Law, below.
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here)
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