Ekev

Parshah Ekev
Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 Isaiah 49:14-51:3

Last week, Rabbi Tamar drew our attention to Devarim 6:18 "And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord." She reminded us that most sages teach us the Torah uses both terms "right" and "good" to force us to ask the questions "What is right and not good",
"What is good and not right", "how do we achieve the 'AND' of 'right and good.' In this respect we discussed the concept of 'going beyond the letter of the law'

Among the many interesting themes of parsha Ekev, is a verse that also has a dichotomy which requires great thought. I refer to the line "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse." (11:26)

It is quite poignant that our Torah reading is focused on the entry into the promise land at the same time we are commemorating the destruction of both temples (9th of Av). Each of our lives has promise and tragedy. All of history reflects the rise and fall of cultures. The suffering and survival of the Israelites is miraculous. The accomplishments of the people are extraordinary. All would be meaningless without their faith in one G*d.

The idea of blessing is ever present in the Torah, in our liturgy, and ideally in our daily lives.
Blessings are said over and over, by each of us and this is one of the greatest pleasures of life.
To bless is to acknowledge that G*d is the source of what is good. Doing so is being conscious of that source. The curse which follows is that we can take this for granted. Not just saying the words without feeling them but that what we have is ours at all.

When we forget that G*d is the source of our sustenance and meaning we are exalting ourselves. When we forget all is truly not ours but G*d's we fall into the fate of disunity. We separate ourselves from others based on what we 'own' what we have 'done'. The destruction of the temples was both because of this separation and because of 'forgetting'.

See Verses 8:12-17.

The haftorah has a line "Can a mother forget her babe?" (I49:5).

The curse is irrevocable. If we don't see things as emanating from G*d they can become false G*ds. This happens with natural phenomenon but also with our other pleasures. C.S. Lewis has his character wormwood, a devil opine "why use adultery when golf will do" to seduce a soul.

In the parsha we are commanded to remember and to revere G*d. We are given the second part of the Shma. Its flavor is more public and this helps prevent us from taking it for granted. There is also a reference to "circumcising the heart" (10:16). I don't think this is just poetic. After all, we can't
make ourselves feel love. I think it also means remembering the covenant of Abraham.

Moreover we are enjoined to the Birkat Hamzon, the grace after meals. This ties to the theme of the land. The land being the source of food, G*d being the giver of the land and the creator of the earth itself. Baruk H-Shem.