Eikev – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ד' אלקיך על הארץ הטובה אשר נתן לך

You will eat and you will be satisfied, and bless Hashem, your G-d, for the good Land that He gave you. (8:10)

This is the commandment that enjoins us to recite Bircas Hamazon, Grace after meals, Bentch. Moshe Rabbeinu initiated the blessing of Hazan es hakol kulo b’tuvo, “Who nourishes the entire world, in His goodness,” following the descent of the manna to sustain the nation. Horav Moshe Tzvi Nariyah, zl, observes that in no other instance does a person become so absorbed with his ani, himself, with his existence and personal pleasure, as when he is engaged in eating. Food/eating can have a compelling and almost vulgar effect on a person, often catalyzing his base instincts. Therefore, claims Rav Nariyah, the…

Home -> 5773 -> Eikev

וזכרת את ד' אלקיך כי הוא הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5773

Then you shall remember Hashem, your G-d: that it was He who gave you strength the make wealth. (8:18)

How easy it is to believe in ourselves – to think that our power is the result of our own strength; our battle skills, the result of our being formidable warriors. Hashem wants us to dispel this notion, by remembering that whatever success we enjoy is only because He gives us the means. In his Ben Ish Chai, Horav Yosef Chaim, zl, m’Bagdad, observes that whenever it is demanded of a person to remember, it is because it is concerning a subject that he is prone to forget. Indeed, there are six places in which the Torah enjoins us to…

Home -> 5773 -> Eikev

ואתפוש בשני הלוחות מעל שתי ידי ואשברם לעיניכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5773

I took hold of both of the Tablets, and I cast them from my hands, and I broke them before your eyes. (9:17)

A powerful lesson can be derived from this pasuk, which describes Moshe Rabbeinu’s act of shattering of the Luchos not simply as a negative act or an act of weakness, but rather, as a forceful, compelling, even positive act. Horav Yaakov Kamenetzky, zl, comments that, were it not for the Torah’s unembellished description, one might harbor the thought that Moshe was so overcome with shock in seeing the Golden Calf that he dropped the Luchos. Perhaps another scenario would be that they were too heavy. Moshe’s strength came from the People. Their merit infused him. Once they fell off their…

Home -> 5773 -> Eikev

ועתה ישראל מה ד' אלקיך שואל מעמך כי אם ליראה את ד' אלקיך ללכת בכל דרכיו ולאהבה אותו ולעבוד את ד' אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5773

Now, O’ Yisrael, what does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, your G-d, to go in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and all your soul. (10:12)

In the Talmud Menachos 43b, Chazal derive from this pasuk that a Jew is obligated to recite one hundred brachos, blessings, daily. This is derived from the word, Mah, before the words, Hashem Elokecha sh’oel meimach, “What – does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you?” The “mah” is interpreted to mean meah, which means one hundred. Midrash Tanchuma, Korach 12, adds that David Hamelech initiated the decree to recite one hundred blessings daily as a merit to save the nation from continuing to lose one hundred men each day. Apparently, as explained by the Tur Orach Chaim 46, one hundred…

Home -> 5772 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5772

“That as a man will chasten his son, so does Hashem, your G-d, chasten you.” (8:5)

Some people experience yisurim, suffering, in greater measure than others. The Torah is defining for us the essence of suffering: It is a loving Father’s necessary and beneficial act toward His child. Although many of us acknowledge this notion from an intellectual perspective, when it hurts, it truly hurts. When we experience pain and suffering, our intellect does not necessarily influence our emotions. Great and righteous people throughout history have accepted Hashem’s decree with great faith and love. Indeed, countless stories detail the devotion of the great, as well as the simple, believing Jew. We have selected two narratives…

Home -> 5772 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5772

“You will eat and you will be satisfied, and bless Hashem, your G-d.” (8:10)

The following story, related by Horav Yitzchak Zilberstein, Shlita, does not actually address the parsha. Its lesson and message, however, is compelling. It is especially significant in that it conveys to us the far-reaching effect of our behavior. We hope that our actions will all have similar positive consequences as evidenced in this episode. A young kollel fellow in Yerushalayim went to a Judaica library in search of a certain volume not accessible in the local shuls. Knowing that the library was not located in an area that had a kosher restaurant, he brought along a sandwich for lunch. After…

Home -> 5772 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5772

“Lest you eat and be satisfied, and you build good houses and settle… and your heart will become haughty and you will forget Hashem, your G-d.” (8:12,14)

The text of these pesukim is ambiguous. The Torah seems to imply that satisfaction and success in Eretz Yisrael are doubtful, while haughtiness and forgetting Hashem, the Source of success, seems to be a certainty. Horav Yosef Konvitz, z.l., explains that if we scan Jewish history, we will note that during those times when we were blessed with material success, we were, regrettably, not able to withstand the allure of sin that inevitably accompanies it. The yetzer hara, evil inclination, works very hard to ensnare his prey. When he utilizes material benefits and comforts, he has added ammunition for success….

Home -> 5772 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5772

“Then you shall remember Hashem, your G-d; that it was He Who gave you strength to make wealth.” (8:18)

How easily we forget what Hashem does for us. When we are in need, we know to Whom to turn in prayer and supplication. When we are answered, however, our attitude takes a sudden change of course. We no longer attribute our success to the Source of all success. We quickly say that it was our endeavor, our strength, our ability that catalyzed the success that we enjoy. What happened? How did we suddenly become myopic, failing to recognize that it was Hashem Who was clearly the one Who brought about every achievement that we attribute to our own prowess?…

Home -> 5772 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5772

“And Hashem gave me the two tablets of stone.” (9:10)

The word “luchos,” tablets, is usually written with a “vav” to designate the plural. Rashi explains that the word luchos is written here without a “vav,” in the singular. Yet, it is vocalized in the plural, by design. This indicates that while there were two luchos, they had equal significance as if they had been one. Horav David Feinstein, Shlita, adds that the word “shnei,” two, also indicates that the two luchos were really one, reflected by the apparent redundancy of the word. Obviously, the word luchos, which is the plural form, implies two luchos, since, as Chazal teach us,…

Home -> 5771 -> Eikev

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Eikev, 5771

This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances. (7:12)

Rashi notes that the homiletic interpretation of eikev, which means heel, alludes to the sort of mitzvos which people do not take seriously, that they regard as unimportant. Thus, they figuratively “tread upon them with their heels.” The Torah assures us that if we are careful to observe even these so-called “neglected” mitzvos, Hashem will certainly reward our efforts. The message is basic. We have no way to determine the value and weight of mitzvos. They are all decrees from Hashem which we are commanded to carry out – “no ands, ifs, or buts.” We find another form of neglected…

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Back to Home -> Eikev ->

ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ד' אלקיך על הארץ הטובה אשר נתן לך

You will eat and you will be satisfied, and bless Hashem, your G-d, for the good Land that He gave you. (8:10)

וזכרת את ד' אלקיך כי הוא הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל

Then you shall remember Hashem, your G-d: that it was He who gave you strength the make wealth. (8:18)

ואתפוש בשני הלוחות מעל שתי ידי ואשברם לעיניכם

I took hold of both of the Tablets, and I cast them from my hands, and I broke them before your eyes. (9:17)

ועתה ישראל מה ד' אלקיך שואל מעמך כי אם ליראה את ד' אלקיך ללכת בכל דרכיו ולאהבה אותו ולעבוד את ד' אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך

Now, O’ Yisrael, what does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, your G-d, to go in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and all your soul. (10:12)

“That as a man will chasten his son, so does Hashem, your G-d, chasten you.” (8:5)

“You will eat and you will be satisfied, and bless Hashem, your G-d.” (8:10)

“Lest you eat and be satisfied, and you build good houses and settle… and your heart will become haughty and you will forget Hashem, your G-d.” (8:12,14)

“Then you shall remember Hashem, your G-d; that it was He Who gave you strength to make wealth.” (8:18)

“And Hashem gave me the two tablets of stone.” (9:10)

This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances. (7:12)

YEARS

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

You have Successfully Subscribed!