Parshat Eikev

  

Chumash Devarim The Book of Deuteronomy Parshat Eikev

5772/2012 THE TORAH - CHUMASH DEVARIM

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PublishedPublished in in the the United United States States of of America America GENESIS Bereishit Noach Lech Lecha Vayeira Chayei Sarah Toldot Vayeitzei Vayishlach Vayeishev Mikeitz Vayigash Vayechi EXODUS Shemot Va’eira Bo Beshalach Yitro Mishpatim Terumah Tetzaveh Tisa Vayakheil Pekudei LEVITICUS Vayikra Tzav Shemini Tazria Metzora Acharei Mot Kedoshim Emor Behar Bechukotai NUMBERS Bemidbar Naso Beha’alotecha Shelach Korach Chukat Balak Pinchas Matot Masei DEUTERONOMY Devarim Va’etchanan עקב Eikev 46 Re’eh Shoftim Teitzei Tavo Nitzavim Vayeilech Ha’azinu Vezot Habrachah עֵקֶ ב 46Eikev Overview

s was explained in the previous parashah,1 although God did not fully grant Mo- ses’ request that our Divine perception be characterized by the certainty associated with the sense of sight, He nevertheless did implant this level of Divine Aperception in our latent, subconscious minds. This subliminal perception endows us with the conviction necessary to fulfill our God-given mission: to promulgate and disseminate Divine consciousness throughout the world. At its initial, literal level, this mission focuses on the national duty to conquer the Land of Israel from the nations who personify the dei- fication of worldly forces and antagonism to Divine awareness. On its derivative, allegorical level, this mission translates into our challenge to liberate all aspects of life from their materialistic orientation, allowing them to express their true, Divine essence. The Divine “sight” implanted in our subliminal consciousness is, as Moses asked that it be, a Divine gift, unearned and unconditional. It is our job to actualize it, to bring it from subliminal to sentient consciousness. This is the subject of parashat Eikev. Parashat Eikev begins, “If you will listen….” As was explained, listening (or hearing) is a lower level of perception than seeing. Indeed, the name of this parashah, Eikev, literally means “heel,” the lowest extremity of the body and perhaps its most insensitive part.2 On the other hand, hearing involves our interpretive efforts more than does seeing, since seeing is a more direct experience than hearing. True, it is possible to see without seeing attentively, i.e., without “looking,” just as it is possible to hear without hearing attentively, i.e., without “listening.” But on the whole, we are quicker to know what it is we have seen than what it is we have only heard or heard about, and we are more staunchly convinced of the truth of what we have seen than the truth of what we have merely heard. Attaining knowledge through hearing requires more effort. The same holds true for Divine perception in the manner of “seeing” versus Divine perception in the manner of “hearing.” The advantage of attaining Divine awareness via “hearing” is that it requires us to reach deeper into our personalities, forcing us to forge a more profound relationship with God than that which is accomplished through “seeing.” “Seeing” Divinity the way Moses did is more direct, more immediate, and more over- whelming, but it is at the same time more ephemeral, more elusive. In contrast, “hearing”

1. In the Overview and on 4:35 & 39. 2. Avot d’Rabbi Natan 31:3.

50 Overview of EIKEV

Divinity requires us to dig deeper, to examine and work through our entire system of belief, until we reach the very bedrock of our Divine soul, our Divine essence, which then serves as the basis of our commitment to our Divine mission in life. This, perhaps, is why the verb “to listen,” both in Hebrew and in English, means not only “to hear with the ears” but also “to obey.” When we “hear” a truth consummately—in the very fiber of our being—we become committed to that truth. Paradoxically, then, it is hearing, rather than the more riveting experience of seeing, that enables us to commit ourselves wholeheartedly and totally to our Divine calling. This is one reason3 why the word for “if” in the opening phrase of this parashah (“If you will listen…) literally means “heel”: the heel, as we noted, is the least sensitive limb of the body, and is thus a metaphor for raw commitment, the least emotionally engaging form of fulfilling our Divine mission. Raw commitment and self-discipline, essential though they may be as the immutable basis of our relationship with God, are not intended, of course, to be either the entirety or quintessence of that relationship. We are bidden to progress from “hearing” to “seeing,” to manifest our subliminal surety of God’s existence that He granted us at Moses’ behest. Living life on this level of Divine awareness is a much loftier experience since, as we said, the experience of seeing overtakes our entire consciousness; all our faculties of intellect, emotion, and expression are imbued with this heightened energy. The culmination of this process is alluded to in the following parashah, Re’eh, which opens with the words: “See, I have placed before you this day….”4 The implied promise is that if we fully and truly “hear,” as detailed in parashat Eikev, then even in the overall exilic context of “hearing,” we will be granted the ability to consciously experience the subconscious Divine sight (to “see” God’s “I”) that was implanted within us in parashat Va’etchanan. Nonetheless, it is the work we do while only “hearing” that enables our sub- sequent “seeing” to remain a permanent feature of our psyches, rather than the fleeting glimpse of higher reality that it is by itself. Thus, in this parashah, Moses continues his review of Jewish history with the immediate aftermath of the Giving of the Torah (which he recounted in parashat Va’etchanan): the incident of the Golden Calf and the mechanism of return to God and reconciliation with Him—teshuvah. As we have noted,5 teshuvah is the underlying theme of the entire Book of Deuteronomy, but it receives particular emphasis in parashat Eikev, since it is the struggle to “hear” God, rather than the ecstasy of “seeing” Him, that characterizes the process of teshuvah. The opening phrase of parashat Eikev is thus interpreted in the Midrash to refer allegori- cally to the messianic era.6 This is because “hearing,” aside from leading to “seeing,” also prepares us for the future messianic Redemption. As noted, “hearing” enables us to reach our own essence, and the result and reward of manifesting our Divine essence is the revelation of God’s essence that will occur after the final Redemption.7

3. For additional reasons, see on 7:12, below. 4. Deuteronomy 11:26. 5. In the Overview to parashat Devarim. 6. See on 7:12, below. 7. Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, pp. 76-77, pp. 81-83; Sichot Kodesh 5733, pp. 344-345.

51 First Reading עקב 7:12 וְהָ יָ ֣ה |עֵ֣קֶב ּתִׁשְמְע֗ ּוןאֵ ֤ת הַּמִׁשְּפָטִ ים֙הָאֵ֔ ּלֶה  ONKELOS  7:12 וִיהֵ י חֲלַף דִּ י תְ קַבְּ לוּן יָת ּוׁשְמַרְ ּתֶ ֥םוַֽעֲׂשִיתֶ֖ םאֹתָ ֑םוְׁשָמַ ר֩ יְהוָֹ ֨האֱֹלהֶ֜ יָך לְָך֗ אֶֽ ת־ דִּ ּינַיָא הָאִ ּלֵין וְתִטְּ רוּן וְתַעְבְּ דוּן יַתְ הוֹ ן וְ יִטַּ ר יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך ְלָך יָת קְ יָמָ א הַּבְרִ ית֙ דוְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶ אֲׁשֶ ֥רנִׁשְּבַ֖ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶֽ יָך: 13 וַֽאֲהֵ ֣בְָך֔ וְ יָת חִסְדָּ א דִּ י קַ ּיִים לַאֲבָהָתָ ְך: 13 וְ יִרְ חֲמִ ְנָּך וִיבָרְ כִ ְנָּך וְ יַסְ ּג ְִנָּך וִיבָרֵ ְך ּובֵֽרַכְָך֖ וְהִרְ ּבֶ ָ֑ך ֣ ּובֵרַ ְך ּפְרִֽ י־בִטְ נְָך֣ ּופְרִֽ י־אַ֠דְ מָתֶ֠ ָך ּדְ גָ֨נְָך֜ וַלְדָּ א דִ מְ עָ ְך וְאִ בָּ א דְ אַרְ עָ ְך עִבּ וּרָ ְך וְתִירֽ ֹׁשְ ָך֣ וְיִצְהָרֶ֗ ָך ׁשְ גַר־אֲלָפֶ֨ יָך֙וְעַׁשְּתְר֣ ֹת צֹאנֶָ֔ך עַ֚ ל וְחַמְרָ ְך וּמִשׁ ְ חָ ְך בַּקְרֵ י תוֹרָ ְיך וְעֶדְרֵ י עָ ְנָך עַ ל אַרְ עָ א דִּ י קַ ּיִים לַאֲבָהָתָ ְך הָֽאֲדָ מָ֔ האֲׁשֶר־נִׁשְּבַ ֥ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֖יָך לָ ֥תֶת לְָֽך: לְמִתַּ ן ְלָך:  RASHI  12 וְהָ יָה עֵקֶ ב תִּשׁ ְמְ עוּן. אִ ם הַמִּ צְוֹ ת הַקַּ ּלוֹ ת שׁ ֶאָדָ ם בָשׁ ָ ן"1 — מִבְחַ ר הַ ּצֹאן, כְּמוֹ 2: "עַשׁ ְתְּ רֹת קַרְ נַיִם", דָּשׁ בַּעֲקֵבָ יו תִּשׁ ְמְ עוּן: וְשׁ ָמַ ר ה' וְגוֹ '. יִשׁ ְ מֹר לְ ָך לְשׁ וֹ ן חֹזֶק. וְאֻנְקְלוֹ ס תִּרְ ּגֵם: "וְעֶדְרֵ י עָ ְנָך". וְרַ בּוֹתֵ ינוּ הַבְטָחָתוֹ : 13 שׁ ְ גַר אֲ לָפֶ ָיך. וַלְדֵ י בְקָרְ ָך שׁ ֶהַ נְּקֵבָ ה אָמְ רוּ 3: לָמָּ ה נִקְרָ א שׁ ְמָ ם "עַשׁ ְתָּ רֹת", שׁ ֶמַּעֲשׁ ִ ירוֹ ת אֶ ת מְשׁ ַ ּגֶרֶ ת מִמֵּעֶיהָ : וְעַשׁ ְתְּ רֹת ָצֹאנֶך. מְ נַחֵ ם פּ ֵרַשׁ : "אַבִּירֵ י בַּעֲ לֵיהֶ ן:

1. תהלים כב, יג. 2. בראשית יד, ה. 3. חולין פד, ב.

 CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  we are about performing the “heavier” ones. Our contingent upon our performance of the command- devotion to God will prompt us to seek to serve ments? Him completely—fulfilling all His commands with- The answer is that if God would fulfill the terms of out distinction. this covenant literally, bestowing His beneficence In this context, our awareness of which command- on us even when we do not deserve it, it could ments are more vital and which are less so serves embarrass us, causing us to feel like little children only to help us ensure that we are no less scrupu- whose parents overlook their infantile behavior be- lous and enthusiastic in observing the latter than cause adult behavior cannot be expected of them. we are in observing the former. Thus, it is specifi- Or worse, repeatedly receiving undeserved benefi- cally this uniform approach to fulfilling God’s will cence could undermine our belief in Divine justice. that focuses on the essential bond with God that We would thus live our lives in either existential performing the commandments effects. shame or confusion. Certainly, then, this would be In this light, the first three interpretations of this the very opposite of being kind and merciful. verse listed above can be seen as complementary aspects of the same idea. By being equally consci- Therefore, even though the gifts promised here are entious about the “light” and “heavy” command- beyond our power to elicit through our own efforts, ments, we affirm that we are performing all of God nonetheless determined that their bestowal them out of pure devotion to God. In reward, God would be dependent upon our efforts. Furthermore, provides us with the material means with which to in order that this arrangement not appear arbitrary, perform them more easily now, and will ultimately He determined that the bestowal of His infinite enable us to fulfill them completely by ushering in beneficence be contingent upon human effort that the messianic era.10 specifically mirrors the infinite, unlimited nature of this beneficence. Then God, your God, will keep for you the covenant: As has been explained previously,11 a cov- By taking care to fulfill the seemingly less-impor- enant is a pact made by two parties indicating that tant commandments with the same devotion with they are from now on two halves of one whole, and which we naturally fulfill the seemingly more- that, based on this inner bond, they agree to always important ones, we demonstrate our absolute de- behave lovingly toward each other, even if one or votion to God. We show that what matters to us is the other’s future behavior fails to justify such love. that God said that He wants us to do these things, So, if God made such a covenant with us, swear- not our own evaluation of which things are more ing to our forefathers that He would always treat us weighty than others.12 with loving-kindness, why is this now being made

10. Sefer HaSichot 5749, vol 2, pp. 641-648. 11. On Genesis 15:9. 12. Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, pp. 71-75.

52 104 Deuteronomy 7:12-13 eikev Humility 7:12 Having exhorted the people to keep God’s commandments first out of legal obligation and then additionally out of love, Moses continued: “I must now warn you about falling into the delusion of self-aggrandizement when God rewards you for observing His commandments. If you will indeed heed these ordinances with such devotion that you are scrupulous about even the seemingly inconsequential ones, and safeguard them by studying the Torah’s instructions regarding how to perform them, and then perform them accordingly, God, your God, will keep the covenant for you, as well as the promise of kindness that He swore to your forefathers that He would keep. 13 He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless your children, the fruit of your womb; your produce, the fruit of your soil: your grain, your wine, your oil; the offspring of your cattle and the choice of your flocks—all this in the land that He swore to your forefathers to give you.

 CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  12 If you will heed: The word used here for “if” measurable, indescribable delight experienced by (eikev) literally means “heel.” This unusual phrase- the soul in the afterlife is not enough to compensate ology invites a number of interpretations: for just one hour of performing God’s will in this 5 • Heeding God’s instructions will be closely fol- world. lowed by (“come at the heels of”) the reward By fulfilling God’s commandments, we connect detailed in the verses that follow.1 According to with God in the most intimate way possible.6 It is this interpretation, the verse would read: “On this very intimacy that is the true reward for per- the ‘heels’ of your heeding….” forming the commandments, as alluded to in the • The reward for heeding detailed in the verse that sages’ statement, “The reward for [doing] a com- follow will be bestowed specifically for fulfilling mandment is a commandment.”7 This refers to the those commandments that people typically ne- bond forged with God by the commandment itself, glect (“trample under their heels”).2 According the even greater bond forged by the further com- to this interpretation, the verse would read: “If mandments it leads to, and the deeper bond result- you heed even the ‘heel’-commandments….” ing from the increased quality with which the individual performs it the next time. • The reward for heeding detailed in the verse that follow will be bestowed in the messianic future Hence, the material bounty promised here and (the end or “heel” of history).3 According to this elsewhere in the Torah for observing God’s laws interpretation, the verse would read: “There will is not an end in itself but rather simply the means be reward in the ‘heel’-era for your heeding.” by which God facilitates our further performance 8 • In the era immediately preceding the advent of of His commandments. “The reward for [doing] a the Messiah (when we hear the “footsteps” of commandment is [that God will make it easier to the Messiah), the Jewish people will return ful- do] another commandment.” ly to God. According to this interpretation, the Similarly, the material bounty awaiting us in the verse would read: “In the ‘footstep’-era, you will messianic era is not an end in itself but rather the heed….”4 circumstance that will enable us to fulfill God’s will What exactly is the reward for performing the com- and perform the commandments in the most ideal 9 mandments? Although the text appears to imply way possible. that the reward consists only of material blessing There are, of course, many possible motivations for and plenty, this cannot be the case, since such a observing God’s commandments, many of them reward would not be commensurate with the tre- quite legitimate. But only if we observe the com- mendous, far-reaching effects of fulfilling the commandments out of simple devotion to God will we mandments. The sages point out that even the im- be as careful about performing the “lighter” ones as

1. Onkelos, Rashi ad loc. 2. Tanchuma, Rashi ad loc. 3. Devarim Rabbah 3:1, 3; Midrash Tehilim 92; Ibn Ezra, Ramban ad loc., Or HaTo- rah, Devarim, p. 103, pp. 106 ff. 4. Or HaTorah ad loc., quoting Or HaMeir. 5. Avot 4:17. 6. Likutei Torah 2:45c, inter alia. 7. Avot 4:2. 8. Mishneh Torah, Teshuvah 9:1. 9. Mishneh Torah, Melachim 12.

52 105 First Reading עקב 14 ּבָר֥ ּוְךּתִֽהְ יֶ֖ה מִ ּכָל־הָֽעַּמִ ים֑ ֹלא־יִֽהְ יֶ֥ה בְָך֛ עָקָ ֥ ר וַֽעֲקָרָ֖ ה  ONKELOS  14 בְּרִ ְיך תְּ הֵ י מִ כָּ ל עַמְמַ ּיָא לָא יְהֵ י ּובִבְ הֶמְּתֶֽ ָך: 15 וְהֵסִ ֧יריְהוָֹ ֛המִּמְ ָך֖ ּכָל־חֹ֑לִ י וְכָל־מַדְ וֵי֩ בָ ְך עֲקַ ר וְעַקְרָ א וּבִבְעִירָ ְך: 15 וְ יַעְדֵּ י ְ מִצְרַ֨ יִם הָֽרָ עִ֜ ים אֲׁשֶ ֣ר יָדַ֗עְּתָ ֹל֤ איְׂשִ ימָ ם֙ ּבָ֔ ְךּונְתָ נָ֖ם ּבְכָ ל־ יְיָ מִ נָּך כָּ ל מַרְ עִ ין וְכָ ל מַכְתָּשׁ ֵ י מִ צְרַ יִם בִּישׁ ַ ּיָא דִּ י יְדַ עְתָּ לָא יְשׁ ַ וִּ נּוּן ׂשֽ ֹנְאֶֽ יָך: 16 וְאָֽכַלְּתָ ֣ אֶת־ּכָל־הָֽעַּמִ֗ ים ראֲׁשֶ֨ יְהוָֹ ֤ה אֱֹלהֶ֨ יָך֙ בָּ ְך וְ יִתְּ נִנּוּן בְּכָ ל סָנְאָ ְיך: 16 וּתְ גַמַּ ר יָת כָּ ל עַמְמַ ּיָא דִּ י יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך יָהֵ ב נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֔ ְך ֹלֽא־תָח֥ ֹוס עֵֽינְָך֖ עֲלֵיהֶ ֑ם אוְֹל֤ תַֽ עֲבֹד֙אֶ ת־אֱֹל֣הֵיהֶ֔ ם ְלָך לָא תְ חוּס עֵ ְינָך עֲ לֵיהוֹ ן וְ לָא ּכִֽי־מֹוקֵ ׁ֥ש הּ֖וא לְָֽך: ס תִ פְ לַח יָת טַעֲוַתְ הוֹ ן אֲרֵ י לְתַקְ לָא יְהוֹ ן ְלָך: 17 דִּ לְמָ א תֵימַ ר בְּלִבָּ ְך 17 ּכִ֤י ר֙תֹאמַ ּבִלְבָ ֣בְָך֔ רַּבִ ֛יםהַּגֹויִ ֥ם הָאֵּ֖לֶהמִּמֶ ּ֑נִי אֵיכָ ֥ה סַ ּגִיאִ ין עַמְמַ ּיָא הָאִ ּלֵין מִ נִּ י אֵיכְדֵ ין אּוכַ֖ל לְהֹֽורִ יׁשָֽ ם: 18 ֹל֥ א א תִירָ֖ מֵהֶ ֑ם ר זָכֹ֣ ּתִ זְּכֹ֗ ר אֵ ֤ת אִ כּ וּל לְתָרָ כוּתְ הוֹ ן: 18 לָא תִדְ חַ ל מִ נְּהוֹ ן מִדְ כַּ ר תִּדְ כַּ ר יָת דִּ י עֲבַ ד אֲׁשֶר־עָׂשָ ה֙ יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך לְפַרְ עֹ֖ה ּולְכָל־מִצְרָֽ יִם: יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך לְפַרְ עֹה וּלְכָ ל מִ צְרָ יִם: ְ 19 הַּמַּסֹ֨ת תהַּגְדֹֹל֜ אֲׁשֶר־רָ א֣ ּועֵינֶ֗יָך וְהָֽאֹתֹ֤ ת וְהַּמֽ ֹפְתִ ים֙ 19 נִסִּ ין רַ בְרְ בִ ין דִּ י חֲזָאָ ה עֵ ינָיך וְאָתַ ּיָא וּמוֹפְתַ ּיָא וִידָ א תַקִּיפְתָּ א וְהַּיָ֤ד הַֽחֲזָקָ ה֙וְהַ ּזְר֣ ֹעַ הַּנְטּויָ֔האֲׁשֶ ֥ר הֹוצִֽאֲָך֖ יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ ֑יָך וּדְרָ עָ א מְרָ מְמָ א דִּ י אַפְּקָ ְך יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך ְ ּכֵֽן־יַֽעֲׂשֶ֞ היְהוָֹ ֤האֱֹלהֶ֨ יָך֙לְכָל־הָ ֣עַּמִ֔ ים אֲׁשֶר־אַּתָ ֥ה יָרֵ֖ א כֵּ ן יַעְבֵּ ד יְיָ אֱלָהָ ך לְכָ ל עַמְמַ ּיָא דִּ י אַתְּ דָּ חֵ ל מִ קֳּ דָ מֵיהוֹ ן: 20 וְאַ ף מִּפְ נֵיהֶֽ ם: 20 וְגַם֙ אֶת־הַּצִרְ העָ֔ יְׁשַּלַ ֛ח יְהוָֹ ֥האֱֹלהֶ֖יָך ּבָ ֑ם יָת עֲרָ עִיתָ א יְגָרֵ י יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך בְּהוֹ ן עַ ד דְּ יֵיבְ דוּן דְּאִשׁ ְתְּאָ רוּ וּדְאִטַּמָּ רוּ עַד־אֲבֹ֗ ד הַּנִׁשְאָרִ ֛ ים יםוְהַּנִסְּתָרִ֖ מִּפָנֶֽיָך: 21 ֹל֥ א תַֽ עֲר֖ ֹץ מִ קֳּ דָ מָ ְך: 21 לָא תִתְּ בַ ר מִ קֳּ דָ מֵיהוֹ ן מִּפְנֵיהֶ֑ם ּכִֽ י־יְהוָֹ ֤ה אֱֹלהֶ֨ יָך֙ ּבְקִרְ ּבֶ֔ ָך אֵ ֥ל ּגָד֖ ֹול וְנֹורָֽ א: אֲרֵ י יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך שׁ ְ כִ ינְתֵּהּ בֵּ ְינָך אֱלָהָ א רַ בָּ א וּדְ חִ ילָא: 22 וִיתָרֵ ְך יְיָ 22 וְנָׁשַל֩ יְהוָֹ ֨ה אֱֹלהֶ֜ יָך אֶת־הַּגֹויִ ֥ם הָאֵ ֛ל מִּפָנֶ֖יָך מְעַ ֣ט מְעָ ֑ט אֱלָהָ ְך יָת עַמְמַ ּיָא הָאִ ּלֵין מִ קֳּ דָ מָ ְך ֹל֤אתּוכַל֙ ּכַֹּלתָ ֣ם ר מַהֵ֔ ּפֶן־ּתִרְ ּבֶ ֥ה עָלֶ֖יָךחַ ּיַ ֥ת הַּׂשָדֶֽ ה: זְעֵ ר זְעֵ ר לָא תִ כּ וּל לְשׁ ֵ צָ יוּתְ הוֹ ן בִּפְרִ יעַ דִּ לְמָ א תִ סְ ּגֵי ְעֲלָך חֵיוַ ת 23 ּונְתָ נָ ֛םיְהוָֹ ֥ה אֱֹלהֶ֖יָך לְפָנֶ ֑יָך וְהָמָ ם֙מְהּומָ ֣ה גְדֹלָ֔ ה עַ֖ד בָּרָ א: 23 וְ יִמְסְרִ נּוּן יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך ֳקדָ מָ ְך הִּׁשָֽמְדָֽ ם: וִישׁ ַ ּגֵשׁ ִ נּוּן שׁ ִ ּגוּשׁ רַ ב עַד דְּ יִשׁ ְתֵּ צוּן:  RASHI  14 עָקָ ר. שׁ ֶאֵינוֹ מוֹלִ יד: 17 כִּ י תֹאמַ ר בִּלְבָבְ ָך. עַ ל הָעוֹ ף, שׁ ֶהָ יְתָ ה זוֹרֶ קֶ ת בָּהֶ ם מָרָ ה וּמְ סָרַ סְתָּ ן וּמְ סַמְּאָ ה כָּרְ חָ ְך לְשׁ וֹ ן "דִּ לְמָ א" הוּא, שׁ ֶמָּ א תּ ֹאמַ ר בִּ לְבָבְ ָך אֶ ת עֵ ינֵיהֶ ם, בְּ כָ ל מָקוֹ ם שׁ ֶהָ יוּ נִסְתָּרִ ים שׁ ָ ם: 22 פֶּ ן "מִפְּ נֵי שׁ ֶהֵ ם רַ בִּ ים לֹא אוּכַ ל לְהוֹרִישׁ ָ ם", אַ ל תּ ֹאמַ ר תִּרְ בֶּ ה עָ ָלֶיך חַ יַּת הַשּ ָׂדֶ ה. וַהֲ לֹא אִ ם עוֹ שִׂ ין רְ צוֹנוֹ שׁ ֶ ל כֵּ ן, "לֹא תִירָ א מֵהֶ ם". וְ לֹא יִתָּ כֵ ן לְפָרְשׁ וֹ בְּאֶחָ ד מָקוֹ ם אֵ ין מִתְ יָרְ אִ ין מִ ן הַחַ ּיָה, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר6: "וְחַ ּיַת הַשּ ָׂדֶ ה מִשּׁ ְאָ ר לְשׁ וֹנוֹ ת שׁ ֶ ל "כִּ י" שׁ ֶ ּיִפּ ֹל עָ לָיו שׁ וּב "לֹא תִירָ א הָשׁ ְ לְמָ ה ּל ְָך"? אֶ ּלָא ּגָלוּי הָ יָה לְפָ נָיו שׁ ֶעֲתִידִ ין לַחֲטֹא: מֵהֶ ם": 19 הַמַּסּ ֹת. נִסְיוֹנוֹ ת: וְהָ אֹתֹת. כְּגוֹ ן: "וַיְהִ י 23 וְהָמָ ם. נָקוּד קָמַ ץ כּ ֻּלוֹ , לְפִ י שׁ ֶאֵ ין מֵ "ם אַ חֲרוֹ נָה לְ נָחָשׁ "4, "וְהָ יוּ לְדָ ם בַּ ּיַבָּשׁ ֶ ת"5: וְהַמּ ֹפְתִ ים. הַמַּכּוֹ ת מִ ן הַ יְסוֹ ד, וַהֲרֵ י הוּא כְּמוֹ "וְהָ ם אוֹתָ ם". אֲבָ ל "וְהָמַ ם הַמּ ֻפְ לָאוֹ ת: וְהַ יָּד הַ חֲזָקָ ה. זֶה הַדֶּ בֶ ר: וְהַ ְ ּזרֹעַ הַ נְּ טוּיָה. ּגִלְ ּגַל עֶגְלָתוֹ "7, כּ ֻּלוֹ יְסוֹ ד, לְפִיכָ ְך חֶצְיוֹ קָמַ ץ וְחֶצְיוֹ זוֹ הַחֶרֶ ב שׁ ֶ ל מַכַּ ת בְּכוֹרוֹ ת: 20 הַ ּצִרְ עָ ה. מִ ין שׁ ֶרֶ ץ פּ ַתָּח, כִּשׁ ְאָר פּ ֹעַל שׁ ֶל שׁ ָלֹשׁ אוֹתִ ּיוֹ ת:

4. שמות ד, ג. 5. שם, ט. 6. איוב ה, כג. 7. ישעיה כח, כח.  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  tual victory over them would lead them to acknowl- transformation of evil into good is clearly a greater edge the superiority of Judaism over idolatry. This victory over evil than is merely holding evil at bay.21

21. Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, p.83.

53 106 Deuteronomy 7:14-23 eikev

14 You will be blessed above all peoples. There will be no sterile male or barren female among you or your livestock. 15 God will remove from you all illness. He will not set upon you any of the evil diseases of Egypt that you knew,13 but will put them instead upon all your enemies. 16 You must destroy all the peoples whom God, your God, is handing over to you. You must not spare them, nor may you worship their deities, for that will be a snare for you. 17 Perhaps you will you say to yourself, ‘These nations are more numerous than me; how will I be able to drive them out?’ 18 You must not fear them. Rather, you should remember well what God, your God, did to Pharaoh and to all of Egypt: 19 the great trials that you saw with your own eyes, in which He dared the Egyp- tians to test Him;14 the signs by which He confirmed that He sent me to save you;15 the marvels, i.e., the plagues,16 especially the two in which He killed the Egyptians: the mighty hand that He figuratively used to kill their animals with an epidemic, and the outstretched arm that He figuratively used to slay their firstborn—all of with which God, your God, brought you out.17 So will God, your God, do to all the peoples whom you fear. 20 In addition, as He told you,18 God, your God, will incite hornets against them, which will inject venom into them that will castrate and blind them, until the sur- vivors and those who hide from you perish. 21 You must not be terrified of these nations, for God, your God, who is in your midst, is a great and awesome God. 22 And you need not worry that if all the inhabitants of the land suddenly die, the land will be overrun by dangerous wild animals, for as He told you,19 God, your God, will cast out these nations from before you gradually. You will thus not be able to destroy them too quickly, lest the beasts of the field outnumber you. True, wild animals do not harm righteous people,20 but I do not expect your entire population to sustain such a level of righteousness. 23 God, your God, will deliver these nations to you, and He will derange them with great pandemonium until they are utterly destroyed.  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  14 You will be blessed above all peoples: This would not have had to battle them or engage them phrase may also be read, “You will be blessed by in any way. all peoples.” Although such a scenario would have been sim- As mentioned previously, had the Jewish people pler, it would not have effected any change per se entered the Promised Land directly from Egypt in these nations. They would have remained struck and not taken the forty-year detour in the desert, with fear from without, but within they would have the Canaanite nations would have offered no resis- remained just as they always were. In contrast, the tance. They would have simply fled, and the Jews armed struggle against these nations and our even-

13. See Exodus 15:26. 14. Exodus 8:5. 15. Exodus 4:2. 16. Exodus 7:3, 11:9-10. 17. Above, 4:34. 18. Exodus 23:28. 19. Exodus 23:29- 30. 20. Cf. Genesis 6:2, 9:2; Rashi on 9:15; Job 5:23.

53 107 First Reading עקב 24 וְנָתַ ֤ן מַלְכֵיהֶםּ֙בְ יָדֶ֔ ָך וְהַֽאֲבַדְ ּ֣תָ םאֶת־ׁשְמָ֔ מִּתַ֖חַ ת  ONKELOS  24 וְ יִמְ סַ ר מַ לְכֵיהוֹ ן בִּידָ ְך וְתוֹבַ ד הַּׁשָמָ ֑יִם ֹלֽ א־יִתְ יַּצֵ ֥ב אִ יׁש֙ ּבְפָ נֶ֔יָך עַ ֥ד הִׁשְמִֽדְ ָך֖ אֹתָֽ ם: יָת שׁ ִמְ הוֹ ן מִתְּ חוֹ ת שׁ ְמַ ּיָא לָא יִתְ עַתַּ ד אֱ נַשׁ ֳקדָ מָ ְך עַ ד דִּתְשׁ ֵ יצֵי 25 ּפְסִילֵ ֥יאֱֹלֽהֵיהֶ֖ם ּתִׂשְרְ פ֣ ּון ּבָאֵ ׁ֑ש ֹלֽא־תַחְ מֹ ד֩ ּכֶ֨סֶ ף וְ זָהָ ֤ב יַתְ הוֹ ן: 25 צַלְמֵ י טַעֲוַתְ הוֹ ן תּ וֹקְ דוּן עֲלֵיהֶם֙ וְלָֽקַחְּתָ ֣לָ֔ ְך ּפֶ֚ ןּתִ ּוָקֵ ׁ֣ש ּב֔ ֹוּכִ ֧י תֽ ֹועֲבַ ֛ת יְהוָֹ ֥ה אֱֹלהֶ֖יָך בְּ נוּרָ א לָא תַחְמֵ ד כַּסְפָּ א וְדַ הֲבָ א דִ י עֲ לֵיהוֹ ן וְתִסַּ ב ְלָך דִּ לְמָ א תִּתָּקַ ל הֽ ּוא: 26 וְֹלֽא־תָבִ ֤יאתֽ ֹועֵבָ ה֙אֶל־ּבֵיתֶ֔ ָךוְהָיִ ֥יתָ חֵ֖רֶ םּכָמֹ֑ הּו בֵּהּ אֲרֵ י מְרָ חֲקָ א דַּ ייָ אֱלָהָ ְך הוּא: 26 וְ לָא תָ עֵ ל דִּ מְרָ חָ ק לְבֵיתָ ְך וּתְ הֵ י ׁשַּקֵ ֧ץ | ּתְׁשַּקְצֶ ּ֛נּו וְתַ עֵ ֥ב | ּתְֽתַֽ עֲבֶּ֖נּו ּכִי־חֵ ֥רֶם הֽ ּוא: פ חֶרְ מָ א כְּ וָתֵהּ שׁ ַקָּצָ א תְשׁ ַקְּצִ נֵּהּ וְרַ חָקָ א תְּרַ חֲקִ נֵּהּ אֲרֵ י חֶרְ מָ א הוּא: 8:1 ּכָל־הַּמִצְ וָ֗ה ר אֲׁשֶ֨ אָֽ נֹכִ ֧י מְצַּוְָך֛ הַ ּיֹ֖וםּתִׁשְמְר֣ ּון לַֽעֲׂש֑ ֹות 8:1 כָּ ל תַּפְקֶדְתָּ א דִּ י אֲ נָא מְ פַקְּדָ ְך לְמַ֨עַ ן ּתִֽחְ יּ֜ון ּורְ בִיתֶ֗ ם ּובָאתֶ ם֙וִֽירִ ׁשְּתֶ ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶ ץ יוֹמָ א דֵ ין תִּטְּ רוּן לְמֶעְבָּ ד בְּדִ יל דְּ תֵ יחוּן וְתִ סְ ּגוּן וְתֵ עֲ לוּן וְתֵירְ תוּן אֲׁשֶר־נִׁשְּבַ ֥ע יְהוָֹ֖ה לַֽאֲבֽ ֹתֵיכֶֽם: 2 וְזָֽכַרְ ּ֣תָ אֶת־ּכָל־הַּדֶ֗רֶ ְך יָת אַרְ עָ א דִּ י קַ ּיִים יְיָ לַאֲבָהַתְ כוֹ ן: 2 וְתִדְ כַּ ר יָת כָּ ל אָרְ חָ א דִּ י דַ בְּרָ ְך יְיָ אֲׁשֶ֨ר הֹולִֽיכְָך֜ יְהוָֹ ֧האֱֹלהֶ ֛יָך זֶ ֛ה אַרְ ּבָעִ ֥ים ׁשָנָ֖הּבַּמִדְ ּבָ ֑ר אֱלָהָ ְך דְּ נַן אַרְ בְּעִ ין שׁ ְ נִ ין בְּמַדְ בְּרָ א ְ ְ לְמַ֨עַ ן עַּנֹֽתְָך֜ לְ נַּסֽ ֹתְָך֗ לָדַ֜ ת עַ אֶ ת־אֲׁשֶ ֧ר ּבִֽלְבָֽבְָך֛ הֲתִׁשְמֹ֥ ר בְּדִ יל לְעַ נָּיוּתָ ך לְ נַסָּ יוּתָ ך לְמִ דַּ ע יָת דִּ י בְלִבָּ ְך הֲתִטַּ ר פִּקּוֹדוֹהִ י אִ ם מצותו }מִצְ וֹתָ֖ יו {אִם־ֹלֽ א: 3 וַֽיְעַּנְָך֮ וַּיַרְ עִבֶ֒ ָך֒ וַּיַֽאֲכִֽלְָך֤ אֶ ת־ לָא: 3 וְעַ נְּ ְיָך וְאַכְפְּ ְנָך וְאוֹכְ ְלָך יָת מַ נָּא דִּ י לָא יְדַ עְתָּ וְ לָא יְדָ עוּ הַּמָן֙ אֲׁשֶ ֣רֹלֽ א־יָדַ֔עְּתָ וְֹל֥ א יָֽדְ עּ֖ון אֲבֹתֶ ֑יָך לְמַ ֣עַ ן הֹודִֽ יעֲָך֗ ּכִ֠ י אֲבָהָתָ ְך בְּדִ יל לְאוֹדָ עוּתָ ְך אֲרֵ י לָא עַ ל לַחְמָ א בִלְחוֹדוֹהִ י מִתְ קַ ּיַם ֹל֣א עַל־הַּלֶ ם֤חֶ לְבַ ּדֹו֙ יִֽחְ יֶ֣ההָֽאָדָ֔ םּכִ ֛י עַל־ּכָל־מֹוצָ ֥א פִֽ י־ אֱ נָשׁ ָ א אֲרֵ י עַ ל כָּ ל אַפָּ קוּת מֵימְרָ א יְהוָֹ֖ה יִֽחְ יֶ֥ה הָֽאָדָֽ ם: 4 ׂשִמְ לָ֨תְָך֜ ֹל֤ אבָֽלְתָ ה֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔ יָך וְרַ גְלְָך֖ דַ ייָ יִתְ קַ ּיַם אֱ נָשׁ ָ א: 4 כְּ סוּתָ ְך לָא בְלִיאַ ת מִ ְנָּך וּמְ סָ ְנָיך לָא יְחֵ פוּ דְּ נַן ֹל֣אבָצֵ ֑קָ הזֶ֖ה אַרְ ּבָעִ ֥ים ׁשָנָֽה: אַרְ בְּעִין שׁ ְ נִ ין:

 RASHI  1 כָּ ל הַמִּ צְוָ ה. כִּפְשׁ וּטוֹ . וּמִדְרַשׁ אַ ּגָדָ ה8: אִ ם הִתְ חַלְתָּ 2 הֲתִשׁ ְ מֹר מִ צְוֹתָ ו. שׁ ֶ ּלֹא תְ נַסֵּ הוּ וְ לֹא תְ הַרְ הֵ ר אַ חֲרָ יו: בְּמִ צְוָ ה, ְ ּגמֹר אוֹתָהּ , שׁ ֶאֵ ינָהּ נִקְרֵ את אֶ ּלָא עַ ל שׁ ֵ ם 4 שִׂמְ לָתְ ָך לֹא בָלְתָ ה. עַ נְ נֵי כָבוֹ ד הָ יוּ שׁ ָפִ ים בִּכְ סוּתָ ם הַ ּגוֹמְרָ הּ , שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר9: "וְאֶ ת עַצְמוֹ ת יוֹסֵ ף אֲשׁ ֶ ר הֶעֱ לוּ וּמְ גַהֲצִ ים אוֹתָ ם כְּמִ ין כֵּלִ ים מְ גֹהָצִ ים, וְאַ ף קְטַ נֵּיהֶ ם בְ נֵי יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל מִמִּ צְרַ יִם קָבְ רוּ בִשׁ ְ כֶ ם", וַהֲ לֹא מֹשׁ ֶ ה כְּמוֹ שׁ ֶהָ יוּ ּגְדֵ לִ ים הָ יָה ּגָדֵ ל לְ בוּשׁ ָ ן עִמָּהֶ ם, כַּ ְּ לבוּשׁ לְבַדּוֹ נִתְ עַסֵּ ק בָּהֶ ם לְהַעֲלוֹתָ ם? אֶ ּלָא לְפִ י שׁ ֶ ּלֹא הַ ּזֶה שׁ ֶ ל חֹמֶ ט שׁ ֶ ּגָדֵ ל עִמּ וֹ : לֹא בָצֵקָ ה. לֹא נָפְחָ ה הִסְפִּ יק לְ גָמְרָ הּ וּגְמָ רוּהָ יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל, נִקְרֵ את עַ ל שׁ ְמָ ם: כַבָּצֵק, כְּדֶרֶ ְך הוֹלְכֵ י יָחֵף שׁ ֶרַ גְלֵיהֶם נְפוּחוֹ ת:

8. תנחומא. 9. יהושע כד, לב.  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  4 The Clouds of Glory pressed them: We may because feeling estranged from God can inspire us sometimes feel overwhelmed by the concealment of to seek Him with greater resolve that God some- God in this world, leaving us feeling distant from times hides from us, similarly to how parents will Him and spiritually lifeless. Rather than succumb- sometimes temporarily distance themselves from ing to despair, however, we should take this as a their children in order to make the children realize challenge to spur us on to exerting greater efforts to how much their parents mean to them. overcome the obstacles to Divine revelation. Such This dynamic is alluded to in Ezekiel’s prophetic renewed resolve will in turn lead us to a deepened vision of the Divine chariot, in which he saw “a awareness and love of God. Indeed, it is precisely great cloud followed by a flaming fire”;28 the cold

28. Ezekiel 1:4.

54 108 Deuteronomy 7:24-8:4 eikev

24 He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you will thus destroy their renown from everywhere under heaven. No man will be able to stand up before you, from the beginning of the battle until you have destroyed them. 25 You must burn the sculpted images of their deities with fire. You must not desire the silver or gold that is plated upon them and take it for yourself, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is disgusting to God, your God. 26 Nor should you bring an idol, which is an object of God’s disgust, into your house, lest—by demonstrating your lack of abhorrence for it—you thereby forfeit your life and become condemned to destruction like it. Rather, you must utterly loathe it22 and utterly detest it; for it is to be destroyed. 8:1 In the time remaining between now and your entry into the land, you must safeguard—of all the commandments that I am commanding you today—those that you are able to perform during this period,23 by studying the Torah’s instructions regarding how to perform them, in order to be able to perform them properly, in order that you may live, multiply, and come take possession of the land that God swore to your forefathers—for you will enter and take possession of the land in the merit of the commandments you perform. Of course, you are building on the accrued merits of the commandments that were performed by the generation that died out in the desert. But since the merits of the commandments that you perform will ultimately determine whether you will be able to conquer the land, it is as if all the merits that contributed toward this end belong to you. This principle will apply no matter why those who contributed toward the effort did not complete it—whether they were opposed to the goal (e.g., the spies and their sympathizers) or not (e.g., all the others over 20 years old, who were implicated in the spies’ plot passively)—and no matter at what point those who are completing it joined the effort (e.g., the sympathizers of the spies who were under 20 at the time and thus were not punished and lived on to the present day).24 It is thus clear that, wherever possible, you should take care to properly complete the performance of any commandment you begin to perform, for the merit of the commandment is ascribed to the one who completes it. 2 You must recall the entire journey on which God, your God, led you during these forty years in the desert, in order to afflict you and thereby to test you, i.e., to know what is in your heart, specifically: whether or not you would keep His commandments—i.e., the commandment not to put Him to the test25—or criticize Him. 3 He afflicted you, let you go hungry, and then fed you with manna, which neither you nor your forefathers had ever known, in order to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by whatever is given him through the command that issues from God’s mouth. 4 Your clothing did not wear out upon you, for the Clouds of Glory laundered and pressed them, and your children’s clothing grew with them,26 nor did your feet swell from walking barefoot during these forty years, for like your clothing, your shoes never wore out.27

22. Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, p. 96, note 15. 23. Likutei Sichot, vol. 19, pp. 94-97. 24. Likutei Sichot, vol. 19, pp. 98-99. 25. Above, 6:16. 26. Exodus 13:21; Likutei Sichot, vol. 18, p. 259. 27. Below, 29:4.

54 109 Second Reading עקב 5 וְיָֽדַ עְּתָ֖ עִם־לְבָבֶ ָ֑ך ּכִ֗ יּכַֽאֲׁשֶ֨ ר יְיַּסֵ ֥ראִ יׁש֙אֶת־ּבְ נֹ֔ו יְהוָֹ ֥ה  ONKELOS  5 וְתִ דַּ ע עִ ם לִבָּ ְך אֲרֵ י כְּמָ א דִ י אֱֹלהֶ֖יָך מְ יַּסְרֶּֽךָ : 6 וְׁשָ ֣מַרְ ּתָ֔ אֶת־מִצְ וֹ֖ת יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ ֑יָך מְאַ ּלֵף ּגַבְרָ א יָת בְּרֵ הּ יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך מְאַ ּלֶף ְלָך: 6 וְתִטַּ ר יָת פִּקּוֹדַ ּיָא לָלֶ ֥כֶ ת ּבִדְ רָ כָ֖יו ּולְ יִרְ ֥האָ אֹתֽ ֹו: 7 ּכִ֚ י יְהוָֹ ֣האֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך מְבִֽ יאֲָך֖ דַּ ייָ אֱלָהָ ְך לִמְ הַ ְך בְּאָרְ חָ ן דְּ תָקְ נָן ֳקדָ מוֹהִ י וּלְמִדְ חַ ל יָתֵהּ : 7 אֲרֵ י אֶל־אֶ ץ ֣רֶ טֹובָ ֑ה אֶ֚רֶ ץנַ ֣חֲלֵימָ֔ יִם עֲיָנֹתּ֙ותְ הֹמֹ֔ ת יֹֽצְאִ ֥ ים יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך מַ ְעֲלָך לְאַרְ עָ א טַבְתָ א אַרְ עָ א נָגְדָ א נַחֲלִ ין דְּ מַ ּיִין מַ בּ וּעֵ י ּבַּבִקְ עָ֖ה ּובָהָֽ ר: 8 אֶ֤רֶץ חִּטָ הּ֙וׂשְ עֹרָ֔ הוְגֶ ֥פֶ ן ּותְאֵ נָ֖ה וְרִ ּמ֑ ֹון עֵ ינָוָ ן וּתְ הוֹמִ ין נָפְקִ ין בְּבִקְ עָ ן וּבְ טוּרִ ין: 8 אֲרַ ע חִטִּ ין וְ שַׂ עֲרִ ין אֶֽרֶ ץ־זֵ ֥ית ׁשֶ֖מֶ ןּודְ בָֽׁש: 9 ץאֶ֗רֶ אֲׁשֶ֨ רֹל֤ אבְמִסְ ּכֵ נֻתּ֙תֽ ֹאכַ ל־ וְ גוּפְ נִ ין וּתְ אֵ נִ ין וְרִ מּ וֹ נִ ין אַרְ עָ א דְּ זֵיתָ הָ א עָבְדִ ין מִשׁ ְ חָ א וְהִ יא עָבְדָ א ּבָּ֣ה לֶ֔חֶ םֹלֽא־תֶחְסַ ֥ר ּכֹ֖ לּבָ ּ֑ה ץאֶ֚רֶ אֲׁשֶ ֣ר אֲבָנֶ ֣יהָ בַרְ זֶ֔ל דְ בָשׁ : 9 אַרְ עָ א דִּ י לָא בְמִסְכֵּ ינוּ תֵּ יכוּל בַּהּ לַחְמָ א לָא תֶחְסַ ר כָּ ל ּומֵֽהֲרָרֶ֖יהָ ּתַחְ צֹ֥ב נְחֹֽ ׁשֶ ת: 10 וְאָֽכַלְּתָ֖ וְׂשָבָ ֑עְּתָ ּובֵֽרַ כְּתָ ֙ מִ דַּ עַ ם בַּהּ אַרְ עָ א דִּ י אַבְ נָהָ א פַרְ זְלָא וּמִטּ וּרָ הָ א תִּ פְסוֹ ל נְחָשׁ ָ א: אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך עַל־הָאָ ֥רֶץ הַ ּטֹבָ֖ה ֥ראֲׁשֶ נָֽתַן־לְָֽך: 10 וְתֵ יכוּל וְתִ שְׂ בָּ ע וּתְ בָרֵ ְך יָת יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך עַ ל אַרְ עָ א טַבְתָ א דִּ יהַ ב  שני 11 הִּׁשָ֣מֶר לְָך֔ ּפֶן־ּתִׁשְּכַ֖חאֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ ֑יָך לְבִלְּתִ֨ י ְלָך: 11 אִסְתַּמַּ ר ְלָך דִּ לְמָ א תִתְ נְשׁ ֵ י יָת דַּ חַלְתָּ א דַ ייָ אֱלָהָ ְך בְּדִ יל דְּ לָא ׁשְמֹ֤רמִצְ וֹתָ יו֙ ּומִׁשְּפָטָ ֣יווְחֻּקֹתָ֔ יו אֲׁשֶ ֛ראָֽ נֹכִ ֥י מְצַּוְָך֖ הַ ּיֹֽום: לְמִטַּ ר פִּקּוֹדוֹהִ י וְדִ ינוֹהִ י וּקְ יָמוֹהִ י דִּ י אֲ נָא מְ פַקְּדָ ְך יוֹמָ א דֵ ין: 12 דִּ לְמָ א 12 ּפֶן־ּתֹאכַ֖ל וְׂשָבָ ֑עְּתָ ֥ ּובָּתִ ים טֹבִ ֛ים ּתִבְ נֶ֖ה וְ יָׁשָֽבְּתָ : תֵ יכוּל וְתִ שְׂ בָּ ע וּבָתִּ ין שׁ ַפִּירִ ין ְ ְ 13 תִּ בְ נֵי וְתֵיתֵ ב: 13 וְתוֹרָ ך וְעָ נָך יִסְ ּגוּן ּובְקָֽרְ ָך֤ וְצֽ ֹאנְָך֙ יִרְ ּבְ יֻ֔ןוְכֶ֥סֶ ףוְ זָהָ֖ב יִרְ ּבֶה־ּלָ ְ֑ך וְכֹ֥ ל אֲׁשֶ ר־ וְכַסְפָּ א וְדַ הֲבָ א יִסְ ּגֵא ְלָך וְכָ ל דִּ י ְ ְ 14 לָך יִסְ ּגֵא: 14 וְ יִירַ ם לִבָּ ך וְתִתְ נְשׁ ֵ י לְָך֖ יִרְ ּבֶֽה: וְרָ֖ם לְבָבֶ ָ֑ך וְׁשָֽכַחְּתָ ֙אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך יָת דַּ חַלְתָּ א דַ ייָ אֱלָהָ ְך דִּ י אַפְּקָ ְך הַּמֹוצִֽיאֲָך֛ מֵאֶ ץ֥רֶ מִצְרַ֖ יִם מִּבֵ ֥ית עֲבָדִֽ ים: 15 הַּמֹולִ֨יכְָך֜ מֵאַרְ עָ א דְ מִ צְרַ יִם מִ בֵּ ית עַבְדּ וּתָ א: 15 דְּדַ בְּרָ ְך בְּמַדְ בְּרָ א רַ בָּ א וּדְ חִ ילָא ּבַּמִדְ ּבָ ֣ר |הַ ּגָד֣ ֹל א וְהַּנֹורָ֗ נָחָ ׁ֤ש | ׂשָרָ ף֙ ב וְעַקְרָ֔ וְצִּמָא֖ ֹון אֲתַ ר חֵיוָ ן קָ לָן וְעַקְרַ בִּ ין וּבֵ ית צַחֲוָנָא אֲתַ ר דִּ י לֵית מַ ּיָא דְּ אַפּ ֵ ק ְלָך אֲׁשֶ֣ר אֵֽין־מָ ֑יִם הַּמֹוצִ ֤יא לְ ָך֙ מַ֔ יִםמִ ּצּ֖ור הַֽחַ ּלָמִֽ יׁש: מַ ּיָא מִטִּ נָּרָא תַּקִּ יפָ א:  RASHI  8 זֵית שׁ ֶמֶ ן. זֵיתִ ים הָעוֹ שִׂים שׁ ֶמֶ ן:  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  work we have to do (manifesting our inner, Divine Torah that will accompany the messianic redemp- nature) to the hardest (refining the outside world). tion. The supreme efforts required of us during the The repetition of the word “land”—emphasizing exile call forth much deeper and profounder di- the setting in which all this work takes place—al- mensions of our relationship with God and our de- ludes to an intensified variation of the paradigm of votion to Him, and therefore elicit commensurately work described by the first five plants. This is the deep revelations of the Torah. extra exertion we must invest in attaining our goal Obviously, the same dynamic applies to each of us during the exile, when the effort required of us is in our own individual journeys toward our personal far greater than that required in the Holy Land dur- “promised land”: the greater the efforts we expend ing times of open Divine revelation. in attaining, sustaining, and promulgating Divine This intensified process and its results are alluded consciousness, the deeper we must dig into the core to by the last two of the seven plants: Olives are bit- of our souls, and the more profound will be our re- 35 ter tasting and produce their oil only when pressed sultant relationship with God and the Torah. hard. Date trees take a very long time to grow, re- 15 That great and awesome desert: The Jewish peo- flecting the great amount of work required during ple’s desert trek was a forerunner and metaphor of the exile to produce spiritual fruits. However, both the existential state of exile, which is followed by the light-producing oil extracted from olives as well the redemption and entry into the Promised Land. as the sweet honey produced from dates allude to The Torah here describes the stages through which the great revelations of the inner dimension of the both the people as a whole can descend into their

55 110 Deuteronomy 8:5-15 eikev

5 You know in your heart that just as a man chastises his son, so does God, your God, chastise you. 6 You must keep the commandments of God, your God, to go in His ways, and to revere Him. 7 For God, your God, is bringing you to a good land: a land of brooks of water, fountains, and aquifers that emerge in valleys and mountains; 8 a land of wheat, barley, grapevines, figs, and pomegranates; a land of oil-producing olives and date- and fig-honey;29 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity—you will lack nothing in this land; a land whose stones yield iron, and out of whose mountains you will mine copper. 10 You will eat, be satiated, and bless God, your God, for the good land He has given you.  Second Reading 11 So, after God has rewarded you with material abundance and military victory, beware lest you forget God, your God, by not keeping His commandments, ordinances, and rules, which I am commanding you today. 12 Beware lest you eat and be sated and build sturdy houses and dwell in them, 13 and your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and gold increase, and all that you have increase, 14 and your heart subsequently grow haughty and you forget God, your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slaves; 15 who led you through that great and awesome desert, which was notorious for its snakes, vipers, scorpions, and thirst induced from lack of water; who brought forth water for you out of flint-stone;30  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  darkness of the cloud is often the precursor to the Jewish people are to transform the world into God’s great fire of desire in our relationship with God. home. The seven plants enumerated here as the dis- The spiritual garments of the soul are its modes of tinctive ones grown in the Land of Israel represent expression: thought, speech, and action. The gar- the diverse facets of this transformation process: ments we weave by pursuing mundane, ephemer- Wheat is used primarily for human food, barley pri- al, or selfish ends wear out all too quickly; the gar- marily for animal food. These two grains therefore ments we weave by studying the Torah, praying, represent our methods for working with the Divine or performing God’s other commandments never and animal sides of our personalities. Wine—the tatter. It follows that mixing our personal agendas consummate product of the grape—which releases with our Divine pursuits undermines the quality inhibitions and “gladdens man’s heart,”32 represents and permanence of the garments we weave. But if the joy with which we should infuse our work with we train ourselves to utilize our feelings of estrange- both our Divine and animal natures. Since Adam ment—our feeling of being “under the cloud”—to and Eve’s first clothes were made of fig leaves,33 figs refine our intentions in the fire of Divine passion, represent our efforts to refine the “garments” of our the garments then woven out of our study, prayer, souls, i.e., thought, speech, and action. The seed-lad- and performance of the commandments will be cor- en pomegranate symbolizes the multitude of Divine 31 respondingly pure and eternal. commandments34 through which we refine the world 7-8 A land of wheat…: The Land of Israel, as we around us. Thus, these five plants depict how we ful- have said, is the archetypal setting in which the fill our task in the world, progressing from the easier

29. Rashi on Exodus 34:26 and below, 26:2. 30. Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13. 31. Or Torah 159. 32. Psalms 104:15. 33. Genesis 3:7. 34. Berachot 57a, et al. 35. Sefer HaSichot 5752, vol. 1, pp. 324-328.

55 111 Second Reading עקב 16 הַּמַֽאֲכִ֨לְָך֥ מָ ן֙ ּבַּמִדְ רּבָ֔ אֲׁשֶ ֥רֹלא־יָֽדְ עּ֖ון אֲבֹתֶ ֑יָך לְמַ ֣עַ ן  ONKELOS  16 דְּ אוֹכְ ְלָך מַ נָּא בְּמַדְ בְּרָ א דִּ י לָא עַּנֹֽתְָך֗ ּולְמַ֨ עַ ן֙נַּסֹתֶ֔ ָך לְהֵיטִֽבְָך֖ ּבְאַֽ חֲרִ יתֶֽ ָך: 17 וְאָֽמַרְ ּתָ֖ יְדָ עוּ אֲבָהָתָ ְך בְּדִ יל לְעַ נָּיוּתָ ְך וּבְדִ יל ְ ְ ְ ּבִלְבָבֶ ָ֑ךּכֹחִ י֙ ם וְעֹ֣צֶ יָדִ י֔ עָ ׂ֥שָ ה י לִ֖ אֶת־הַחַ ֥יִל הַ ּזֶֽה: לְ נַסָּ יוּתָ ך לְאוֹטָבָ א לָך בְּסוֹפָ ך: 17 וְתֵימַ ר בְּלִבָּ ְך חֵילִ י וּתְ קוֹ ף יְדִ י 18 וְזָֽכַרְ ּ֙תָ אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָךּכִ ֣י ה֗ ּוא הַּנֹתֵ ֥ן לְָך֛ ּכֹ֖חַ לַֽעֲׂש֣ ֹות קְנוֹ לִ י יָת נִכְסַ ּיָא הָאִ ּלֵין: 18 וְתִדְ כַּ ר ְ ְ חָ֑יִל עַ לְמַ֨ ןהָקִ ים֧ אֶת־ּבְרִ ית֛ ֹואֲׁשֶר־נִׁשְּבַ ֥ע לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֖ יָך ּכַ ּיֹ֥ום יָת יְיָ אֱלָהָ ך אֲרֵ י הוּא יָהֵ ב לָך עֵצָ ה לְמִקְ נֵי נִכְסִ ין בְּדִ יל לְקַ ּיָמָ א הַ ּזֶֽה: פ יָת קְ יָמֵהּ דִּ י קַ ּיִים לַאֲבָהָתָ ְך כְּיוֹמָ א הָדֵ ין: 19 וִיהֵ י אִ ם אִתְ נְשׁ ָאָ ה תִתְ נְשׁ ֵ י 19 וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־ׁשָכֹ֤חַ ּתִׁשְ ּכַ ח֙ אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך וְהָֽלַכְּתָ֗ יָת דַּ חַלְתָּ א דַ ייָ אֱלָהָ ְך וּתְ הַ ְך בָּתַ ר אַֽ חֲרֵ י֙ אֱֹלהִ ֣ים ֔ אֲחֵרִ ים וַֽעֲבַדְ ם ּתָ֖ וְהִׁשְּתַֽ חֲוִ ֣יתָ לָהֶ ֑ם הַֽעִד֤ ֹתִ י טַעֲוַת עַמְמַ ּיָא וְתִ פְלְחִ נּוּן וְתִ סְ ּגוֹ ד לְהוֹ ן אַסְ הֵדִ ית בְּכוֹ ן יוֹמָ א דֵ ין אֲרֵ י בָכֶם֙ הַּיֹ֔וםּכִ ֥י ד אָבֹ֖ ּתֽ ֹאבֵדֽ ּון: 20 ּכַּגֹויִ֗םאֲׁשֶ ֤ר יְהוָֹה֙ מֵיבַ ד תֵּיבְ דוּן: 20 כְּעַמְמַ ּיָא דִּ י יְיָ מַֽאֲבִ ֣ידמִּפְ נֵיכֶ֔ ם ּכֵ֖ןּתֽ ֹאבֵד֑ ּוןעֵ֚קֶ בֹל֣ א תִׁשְמְע֔ ּון ּבְק֖ ֹול מוֹבִ יד מִ קֳּ דָ מֵיכוֹ ן כֵּ ן תֵּיבְ דוּן חֲלַף דְּ לָא קַבֶּלְתּ וּן בְּמֵימְרָ א דַּ ייָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן: יְהוָֹ ֥ה אֱֹלֽהֵיכֶֽם: פ 9:1 שׁ ְמַ ע יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל אַתְּ עָבַ ר יוֹמָ א 9:1 ׁשְמַ֣ע יִׂשְרָ לאֵ֗ אַּתָ֨ ה עֹבֵ ֤ר הַ ּיֹום֙ אֶת־הַ ּיַרְ ּדֵ֔ ן לָבֹא֙ דֵ ין יָת יַרְ דְּ נָא לְמֵעַ ל לְמֵירַ ת עַמְמִ ין רַ בְרְ בִ ין וְתַקִּיפִ ין מִ ְנָּך קִרְ וִ ין רַ בְרְ בָ ן לָרֶׁ֣שֶ ת ּגֹויִ֔ם ּגְדֹלִ ֥ים וַֽעֲצֻמִ֖ ים מִּמֶ ּ֑ךָ ֛ עָרִ ים תּגְדֹֹל֥ ּובְ צֻר֖ ֹת וּכְרִ יכָ ן עַ ד צֵית שׁ ְמַ ּיָא: 2 עַ ם רַ ב ּבַּׁשָמָֽיִם: 2 עַֽם־ּגָד֥ ֹולוָרָ֖ םּבְ נֵ ֣י עֲנָקִ ֑ יםאֲׁשֶ֨ ראַּתָ ֤ה יָדַ֨עְּתָ ֙ וְתַקִּ יף בְּ נֵי גִבָּרַ ּיָא דִּ י אַתְּ יְדַ עְתָּ וְאַתְּ שׁ ְמַעְתָּ מַ אן יִכּ וּל לְמֵקַ ם ֳקדָ ם בְּ נֵי 3 וְאַּתָ ֣ה ׁשָמַ֔עְּתָ מִ ֣י יִתְ ביַּצֵ֔ לִפְ נֵ֖י ּבְ נֵ ֥י עֲנָֽק: וְיָֽדַ עְּתָ ֣הַּיֹ֗ום גִבָּרַ ּיָא: 3 וְתִ דַּ ע יוֹמָ א דֵ ין אֲרֵ י יְיָ ּכִי֩ יְהוָֹ ֨האֱֹלהֶ֜ יָךהּוא־הָֽעֹבֵ ֤רלְפָ נֶ֨יָך֙ אֵ ׁ֣ש אֽ ֹכְ הלָ֔ ה֧ ּוא אֱלָהָ ְך הוּא דְ עָבַ ר ֳקדָ מָ ְך מֵימְרֵ הּ אֶשּׁ ָ א אָכְ לָא הוּא יְשׁ ֵצִ נּוּן וְ הוּא יַׁשְמִידֵ ֛ם וְה֥ ּוא יַכְ נִיעֵ֖ם לְפָנֶ ֑יָך ֤םוְהֹֽורַׁשְּתָ וְהַֽאֲבַדְ ּתָ ם֙ מַהֵ֔ ר יְתַ בְּרִ נּוּן ֳקדָ מָ ְך וּתְתָרֵ כִ נּוּן וְתוֹבְדִ נּוּן ּכַֽאֲׁשֶ ֛רּדִ ּבֶ ֥ר יְהוָֹ֖ה לְָֽך: בִּפְרִ יעַ כְּמָא דִ י מַ ּלֵיל יְיָ ְלָך:  RASHI  1 ּגְדֹלִ ים וַעֲ צֻמִּ ים מִמֶּךָּ. אַתָּ ה עָ צוּם, וְהֵ ם עֲ צֻמִּ ים מִמֶּךָּ :  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  up to our true destiny.41 cess is entirely his own doing! 17-18 My strength and the might of my hand have Rather, the Torah is here addressing a more subtle accumulated this wealth for me: It is clear to any error in perception. We observe that children often intelligent person, especially to believing Jews—as surpass their parents in many ways, even though were those who were about to enter the Land of they received all their talents and aptitudes from Israel—that God is the source of all worldly suc- them. The reason that children can manifest ca- cess. True, God asks us to do our part by setting pabilities their parents do not seem to possess up a natural channel through which He can bestow is because these talents and aptitudes remained His blessings. But there are also enough cases of dormant in the parents and only became active in unrewarded effort on the one hand and fortuitous their children. “coincidences” on the other to make it clear that it Similarly, God calls the Jewish people His “chil- is God’s hidden hand that ultimately determines dren,” and has indeed left it up to us to bring whether or not our efforts will be crowned with creation to its completion, granting us a measure success. Surely, then, the Torah is not seeking here of power that He—in the context of created real- to refute the preposterous claim that a person’s suc- ity—has relinquished. Thus, when we accomplish

41. Likutei Sichot, vol. 2, pp. 372-375.

56 112 Deuteronomy 8:16-9:3 eikev

16 who fed you in the desert with manna,36 which your forefathers did not know, in order to afflict you37 and in order to test you,38 for your ultimate benefit— 17 and you say to yourself, ‘It is my own strength and the might of my hand that have accumulated this wealth for me, and since I accrued it myself, I do not owe God anything for it.’ 18 Rather, you should remember God, your God, for it is He who gives you strength to become wealthy, in order to fulfill His covenant that He swore to your forefathers, namely, to give their descendants this land, as He is doing this day. 19 If, on the other hand, you forget God, your God, and you follow insentient deities, worship them, and prostrate yourself before them, I testify before you today that you will surely perish. The surest way to forget God is by failing to remember what you have learned of the Torah, and the surest way to forget what you have learned is by failing to review it.39 20 You will perish just as the nations that God destroys before you will perish, since you will not obey God, your God. 9:1 Hear, O Israel: You are indeed a great and strong nation, but today, you are crossing the Jordan River in order to come dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, great cities fortified up to heaven, 2 as well as great and tall people, the descendants of the supernatural giants,40 whom you know and of whom you have heard said by the spies, ‘Who can stand up against the descendants of a giant?!’ 3 Nonetheless, you must know and remember today that it is God, your God, who passes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you. You will either drive them out or destroy them quickly, as God spoke to you.  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  collective exile and we as individuals can descend with enthusiasm for worldly pursuits. This is sym- into our own personal exiles: bolized by the snake, whose venom is hot. Eventual- The first error lies in overestimating the power of ly, our enthusiasm for worldly things will consume the secular, mundane world and underestimating our religious fervor altogether; this is symbolized the power of holiness. True, the Divine soul, the ob- by the burning sting of the viper. servant Jewish community, and the Jewish people in But sooner or later, devotion to worldly pursuits general often seem to be at a disadvantage in every leaves us jaded and our enthusiasm for them spent. way, but the truth is that nothing can really oppose This leaves us cold and deadened to any kind of holiness. Deluding ourselves into thinking that any- stimulation, just as the venom of the scorpion is cold. thing is so great that it can oppose holiness is the first When God tries to arouse us from this state with a psychological descent into the mentality of exile. thirst for true life, we will not be able to recognize Exaggerating the power of the unrectified world what we are thirsting for. We will thirst but remain leads us to granting it dominion over the “reli- lacking water. gious” aspects of life as well. We become so afraid The way to avoid all of this, then, is not to begin of the world’s power—we consider the desert so this process altogether, by making the mistake of awesome—that we are scared to appear too reli- overestimating the weight of the world around us. gious, even in private. By fostering our awareness of the power of holiness This leads us to replace our natural religious fervor within us, we can avoid the pitfalls of exile and live

36. Exodus 16:2-36. 37. Above, v. 3. 38. Exodus 16:4. 39. Rashi on 11:13, below. 40. Numbers 13:33.

56 113 Third Reading עקב

   שלישי 4 אַ ל־ּתֹאמַ ֣רּבִלְבָֽבְָך֗ ּבַֽהֲד֣ ֹףיְהוָֹה֩ אֱֹלהֶ֨ יָך אֹתָ ֥ם | ONKELOS 4 לָא תֵימַ ר בְּלִבָּ ְך בִּדְ יִתְ בַּ ר יְיָ מִּלְפָ נֶ֘יָך֮ לֵאמֹ ר֒ ּבְצִדְ קָתִ י֙ הֱבִיאַ ֣נִי יְהוָֹ ֔ה לָרֶׁ֖שֶ ת אֶ ת־ אֱלָהָ ְך יַתְ הוֹ ן מִ קֳּ דָ מָ ְך לְמֵימַ ר בְּ זָכוּתִ י אַ עֲלַנִ י יְיָ לְמֵירַ ת יָת אַרְ עָ א הָאָ֣רֶץ הַּזֹ֑ את ּובְרִ ׁשְ עַת֙ הַּגֹויִ ֣ם הָאֵ֔ ּלֶה יְהוָֹ֖ה מֹֽורִ יׁשָ ֥ם הָדָ א וּבְחוֹבֵ י עַמְמַ ּיָא הָאִ ּלֵין יְיָ מִּפָנֶֽיָך: 5 ֹל֣א בְצִדְ קָֽתְָך֗ ּובְ יֹׁ֨שֶ ר֙לְבָ ֣בְָך֔ ֥האַּתָ בָ֖א לָרֶ ׁ֣שֶ ת מְתָרֵ ְך לְהוֹ ן מִ קֳּ דָ מָ ְך: 5 לָא בְ זָכוּתָ ְך וּבְקַשּׁ ִ יטוּת לִבָּ ְך אַתְּ עָ לֵל לְמֵירַ ת אֶת־אַרְ צָ ֑ם י ּכִ֞ ּבְרִ ׁשְעַ ֣ת | הַּגֹויִ ֣ם הָאֵ֗ ּלֶהיְהוָֹ ֤ה אֱֹלהֶ֨ יָך֙ יָת אַרְ עֲהוֹ ן אֲרֵ י בְּחוֹבֵ י עַמְמַ ּיָא מֹֽורִ יׁשָ ֣ם מִּפָ נֶ֔יָך ּולְמַ֜ ןעַ הָקִ ֣ יםאֶת־הַּדָ בָ֗ ר ראֲׁשֶ֨ נִׁשְּבַ ֤ע הָאִ ּלֵין יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך מְתָרֵ יכְהוֹ ן מִ קֳּ דָ מָ ְך וּבְדִ יל לַאֲקָמָ א יָת פִּתְ ּגָמָ א דִּ י קַ ּיִים יְהוָֹה֙ לַֽאֲבֹתֶ֔ יָך לְאַבְרָ ֥םהָ לְ יִצְחָ֖ ק ּוֽלְ יַֽעֲקֽ ֹ ב: 6 וְיָֽדַ עְּתָ֗ יּכִ֠ ֹל֤ א יְיָ לַאֲבָהָתָ ְך לְאַבְרָ הָ ם לְיִצְחָ ק ְ בְצִדְ קָֽתְ ָך֙ יְהוָֹ ֣האֱ֠ ֹלהֶ֠ יָך ןנֹתֵ֨ לְָך֜ אֶת־הָאָ ֧רֶ ץ ֛ההַּטֹובָ הַּזֹ֖ את וּלְ יַעֲ קֹב: 6 וְתִ דַּ ע אֲרֵ י לָא בְ זָכוּתָ ך יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך יָהֵ ב ְלָך יָת אַרְ עָ א טַבְתָ א לְרִ ׁשְּתָ ּ֑הּכִ ֥יעַם־קְ ףׁשֵה־עֹ֖רֶ אָּֽתָ ה: 7 זְכֹר֙אַל־ּתִׁשְ ּכַ֔ ח אֵ ֧ת הָדָ א לְמֵירְ תַהּ אֲרֵ י עַ ם קְשׁ ֵ י קְדַ ל אָתְּ : 7 הֱוֵי דְ כִ יר לָא תִתְ נְשׁ ֵ י יָת דִּ י אֲׁשֶר־הִקְצַ ֛פְּתָ אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֥ה אֱֹלהֶ֖יָך ּבַּמִדְ ּבָ ֑ר לְמִ ן־הַּיֹ֞ום אַרְ ּגֶזְתָּ ֳקדָ ם יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך בְּמַדְ בְּרָ א לְמִ ן אֲׁשֶ ר־יָצָ ֣אתָ | מֵאֶ ֣רֶ ץמִצְרַ֗ יִםעַד־ּבֽ ֹאֲכֶם֙עַד־הַּמָק֣ ֹום הַ ּזֶ֔ה יוֹמָ א דִּ י נְפַקְתָּ מֵאַרְ עָ א דְ מִ צְרַ יִם עַ ד מֵיתֵיכוֹ ן עַ ד אַתְרָ א הָדֵ ין ֥ מַמְרִ ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ ם עִ ם־יְהוָֹֽה: 8 ּובְ חֹרֵ ֥ב הִקְ צַפְּתֶ֖ ם אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֑ה מְ סָרְ בִ ין הֲוֵיתוּן ֳקדָ ם יְיָ: 8 וּבְ חֹרֵ ב וַּיִתְאַ ּנַ �֧ף יְהוָֹ ֛ה ּבָכֶ֖ם לְהַׁשְמִ ֥יד אֶתְ כֶֽם: 9 ּבַֽ עֲֹלתִ ֣ י הָהָ֗רָ ה אַרְ ּגֶזְתּ וּן ֳקדָ ם יְיָ וַהֲוָ ה רְ גַז מִ ן ֳקדָ ם יְיָ בְּכוֹ ן לְשׁ ֵ צָאָ ה יַתְ כוֹ ן: 9 בְּמִסְּקִ י לָקַ֜חַ תלּוחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲבָנִים֙לּוחֹ֣ת הַּבְרִ ֔ יתאֲׁשֶר־ּכָרַ ת ֥ יְהוָֹ֖ה לְ טוּרָ א לְמִסַּ ב לוּחֵ י אַבְ ּנַיָא לוּחֵ י עִּמָכֶ ֑ם וָֽאֵׁשֵ ֣ב רּבָהָ֗ אַרְ ּבָעִ ֥ים יֹום֙וְאַרְ ּבָעִ ֣ים לַ֔ יְלָה לֶ֚חֶ ם קְ יָמָ א דִּ י גְזַר יְיָ עִמְּ כוֹ ן וִיתֵבִ ית בְּ טוּרָ א אַרְ בְּעִ ין יְמָמִ ין וְאַרְ בְּעִ ין ֹל֣א אָ יכַ֔לְּתִ ּומַ֖יִם אֹל֥ ׁשָתִֽיתִ י: 10 וַּיִּתֵ֨ ן יְהוָֹ ֜ה אֵ לַ֗ י אֶ ת־ לֵילָוָ ן לַחְמָ א לָא אֲכָלִ ית וּמַ ּיָא לָא אִשׁ ְתֵּיתִ י: 10 וִיהַ ב יְיָ לִ י יָת תְּרֵ ין ׁשְנֵי֙ לּוחֹ֣ ת הָֽאֲבָנִ֔יםּכְ תֻבִ֖ יםּבְאֶצְּבַ ֣ע אֱֹלהִ ֑ ים וַֽעֲלֵיהֶ֗ ם לוּחֵ י אַבְ ּנַיָא כְּתִ יבִ ין בְּאֶצְבְּעָ א דַ ייָ ּכְֽכָל־הַּדְ ֡בָרִ ים ֣ראֲׁשֶ ּדִ ּבֶ ר֩ יְהוָֹ ֨העִּמָכֶ ֥םּבָהָ ֛ר מִּת֥ ֹוְך הָאֵ֖ ׁש וַעֲ לֵיהוֹ ן כְּכָ ל פִּתְ ּגָמַ ּיָא דִּ י מַ ּלֵיל יְיָ עִמְּ כוֹ ן בְּ טוּרָ א מִ ּגוֹ אֶשּׁ ָ א בְּיוֹמָ א ּבְ יֹ֥ום הַּקָהָֽ ל: 11 יוַיְהִ֗ מִּקֵ ץ֙אַרְ ּבָעִ ֣ים יֹ֔ום וְאַרְ ּבָעִ֖ ים לָ ֑יְלָה דִ קְ הָ לָא: 11 וַהֲוָ ה מִסּוֹ ף אַרְ בְּעִ ין נָתַ֨ ן יְהוָֹ ֜ה אֵ לַ֗ יאֶת־ׁשְ נֵ ֛י לֻחֹ֥תהָֽאֲבָנִ֖ים לֻח֥ ֹות הַּבְרִֽ ית: יְמָמִ ין וְאַרְ בְּעִ ין לֵילָוָ ן יְהַ ב יְיָ לִ י יָת תְּרֵ ין לוּחֵ י אַבְ ּנַיָא לוּחֵ י קְ יָמָ א: 12 וַּיֹ֨אמֶ ר יְהוָֹ ֜ה אֵ לַ֗ י ק֣ ּום רֵ ֤ד מַהֵר֙מִ ּזֶ֔ה ּכִ֚ יׁשִחֵ ֣ת עַּמְָך֔ 12 וַאֲמַ ר יְיָ לִ י קוּם חוּת בִּפְרִ יעַ ְ אֲׁשֶ֥ר הֹוצֵ֖אתָ מִּמִצְרָ ֑יִםסָ ֣רּו רמַהֵ֗ מִ ן־הַּדֶ֨רֶ ְך֙ ֣ראֲׁשֶ צִּוִיתִ֔ ם מִ כָּ א אֲרֵ י חַבִּ יל עַמָּ ך דִּ י אַפּ ֵקְתָּ מִמִּ צְרָ יִם סָ טוּ בִּפְרִ יעַ מִ ן אָרְ חָ א דִּ י עָׂשּ֥ו לָהֶ֖ם מַּסֵכָֽה: פַקֵּדְתִּ נּוּן עֲבָ דוּ לְהוֹן מַתְּ כָ א:

 RASHI  4 אַ ל תּ ֹאמַ ר בִּלְבָבְ ָך. צִדְ קָתִ י וְרִשׁ ְ עַ ת הַ ּגוֹ יִם ּגָרְ מוּ: בָּהָ ר. אֵ ין "יְשׁ ִ יבָ ה" אֶ ּלָא לְשׁ וֹ ן עַכָּבָ ה: 10 לֻחֹת. 5 לֹא בְצִדְ קָתְ ָך וְגוֹ ' אַתָּ ה בָ א לָרֶשׁ ֶ ת וְגוֹ ' כִּ י בְּרִשׁ ְ עַ ת "לֻחַת" כְּתִיב, שׁ ֶשּׁ ְתֵיהֶן שׁ ָווֹ ת: הַ ּגוֹ יִם. הֲרֵ י "כִּ י" מְשׁ ַמֵּשׁ בִּ לְשׁ וֹ ן "אֶ ּלָא": 9 וָאֵשׁ ֵ ב

57 114 Deuteronomy 9:4-12 eikev

 Third Reading 4 Do not say to yourself when God, your God, has repelled them from before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness, God has brought me to take possession of this land,’ and that because of the wickedness of these nations, God is driving them out from before you. 5 You are not coming to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or because of the integrity of your heart. Rather, it is because of the wickedness of these nations that God, your God, is driving them out from before you, as well as in order to fulfill the statement that God swore to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 You must know that God, your God, is not giving you this land to possess because of your righteousness, for on the contrary, you are a stiff-necked people. 7 Remember—do not forget—how you repeatedly angered God, your God, in the desert. You have been rebelling against God from the day you went out of Egypt until the day you came to this place. The Golden Calf Revisited 8 The most graphic example of your stubbornness was when you angered God at Mount Horeb by making the Golden Calf, and God was so incensed with you that He wanted to destroy you, as I will now review with you. 9 When I ascended the mountain the first time, to receive the stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant that God made with you, I remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water,42 10 and God gave me two stone tablets, inscribed by the finger of God, and on them were engraved all the exact words that God spoke with you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly, i.e., the day of the Giv- ing of the Torah. These tablets were written in an openly miraculous manner, since even though both tablets were the same size and there were many more words on the first tablet than there were on the second, nevertheless, the size of the letters, the spacing between the letters, the spacing between the lines, and the size of the margins were all identical on each.43 11 At the end of forty days and forty nights, God gave me the two stone tablets, the Tablets of the Covenant.44 12 But then God said to me, ‘Arise, descend quickly from here, for your people, whom you have brought out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from the path that I commanded them to follow; they have made for themselves a molten calf.’45  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  something real in this world, bringing it that much dren owe their superior powers to the parents from closer to its ultimate fulfillment, we may well as- whom they inherited them, so should we recall that cribe this accomplishment to our own prowess. we owe all our power to accomplish great things in Therefore, the Torah reminds us that just as chil- this world exclusively to God.46

42. Exodus 24:18. 43. Exodus 31:18. 44. Exodus 31:18. 45. Exodus 32:7-8. 46. Hitva’aduyot 5743, vol. 4, pp. 1857-1859.

57 115 Third Reading עקב 13 רוַּיֹ֥אמֶ יְהוָֹ֖ה אֵלַ ֣י לֵאמֹ֑ ררָאִ֨יתִ י֙ אֶת־הָעָ ֣ם הַ ּזֶ֔ה וְהִ ּנֵ ֥ה  ONKELOS  13 וַאֲמַ ר יְיָ לִ י לְמֵימָ ר ּגְלֵי ֳקדָמַ י עַם־קְ ףׁשֵה־עֹ֖רֶ הֽ ּוא: 14 הֶ ֤רֶ ף מִּמֶ֨ ּנִי֙וְאַׁשְמִידֵ֔ ם וְאֶמְחֶ ֣ה עַמָּ א הָדֵ ין וְהָ א עַ ם קְשׁ ֵ י קְדַ ל הוּא: 14 אַ נַּח בָּ עוּתָ ְך מִ קֳּ דָמַ י וַאֲשׁ ֵצִ נּוּן םאֶת־ׁשְמָ֔ מִּתַ֖חַ תהַּׁשָמָ ֑יִםוְאֶֽ עֱׂשֶ ה֙ אֹֽותְָך֔ לְגֹֽוי־עָצ֥ ּום וָרָ֖ ב וְאֶמְ חֵ י יָת שׁ ִמְ הוֹ ן מִתְּ חוֹ ת שׁ ְמַ ּיָא ְ מִּמֶֽ ּנּו: 15 ןוָאֵ֗פֶ ד֙וָֽאֵרֵ מִ ן־הָהָ֔ ר וְהָהָ֖רּבֹעֵ ֣ר ּבָאֵ ׁ֑ש ּוׁשְ נֵי֙ וְאַעְבֵּ ד יָתָ ך לְעַ ם תַּקִּ יף וְסַ ִ ּגי מִ נְּהוֹ ן: 15 וְאִתְפְּ נֵיתִ י וּנְחָתִ ית מִ ן טוּרָ א לּוחֹ֣תהַּבְרִ ית֔ עַ֖ל ׁשְּתֵ ֥י יָדָֽ י: 16 וָאֵ֗רֶ א וְהִ ּנֵ ֤ה חֲטָאתֶ ם֙ וְ טוּרָ א בָּעֵ ר בְּאֶשּׁ ָ א וּתְרֵ ין לוּחֵ י קְ יָמָ א עַ ל תַּרְ תֵּ ין יְדָ י: 16 וַחֲזֵיתִ י לַֽיהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלֽהֵיכֶ֔ ם עֲׂשִיתֶ ֣ם םלָכֶ֔ עֵ֖גֶל ֑המַּסֵכָ סַרְ ּתֶ ֣ם מַהֵ֔ ר וְהָ א חַבְתּ וּן ֳקדָ ם יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן עֲבַדְתּ וּן לְכוֹ ן עֵ גֶל מַתְּ כָ א סְטֵ יתוּן מִ ן־הַּדֶ֕רֶ ְךאֲׁשֶר־צִ ּוָ ֥ה יְהוָֹ֖ה אֶתְ כֶֽם: 17 וָֽאֶתְ ּפֹׂש֙ ּבִׁשְ נֵ ֣י בִּפְרִ יעַ מִ ן אָרְ חָ א דִּ י פַקֵּ יד יְיָ יַתְ כוֹ ן: הַ ּלֻחֹ֔ת םוָֽאַׁשְלִכֵ֔ מֵעַ֖ל ׁשְּתֵ ֣י יָדָ י ֑ וָֽאֲׁשַּבְרֵ֖ ם לְעֵֽינֵיכֶֽם: 17 וַאֲחָדִ ית בִּתְרֵ ין לוּחַ ּיָא וּרְ מִיתִ נּוּן מֵעַ ל תַּרְ תֵּ ין יְדָ י וְתַ בַּרְ תִּ נּוּן 18 וָֽאֶתְ נַּפַל֩ לִפְ נֵ֨י יְהוָֹ ֜ה ּכָרִֽ אׁשֹנָ֗האַרְ ּבָעִ ֥ים יֹום֙וְאַרְ ּבָעִ ֣ים לְעֵ ינֵיכוֹ ן: 18 וְאִשׁ ְתַּטָּחִ ית ֳקדָ ם יְיָ כְּקַדְ מֵיתָ א אַרְ בְּעִ ין יְמָמִ ין וְאַרְ בְּעִ ין לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶ ם אֹל֣ אָ יכַ֔לְּתִ ּומַ֖יִםֹל֣ א ׁשָתִ ֑יתִ יעַ ֤ל ּכָ ל־ לֵילָוָ ן לַחְמָ א לָא אֲכָלִ ית וּמַ ּיָא לָא אִשׁ ְתֵּיתִ י עַ ל כָּ ל חוֹבֵיכוֹ ן דִּ י חַבְתּ וּן חַּטַאתְ כֶם֙ אֲׁשֶ ֣רחֲטָאתֶ֔ םלַֽעֲׂש֥ ֹות הָרַ ֛ עּבְ עֵינֵ ֥י יְהוָֹ֖ה לְמֶעְבַּ ד דְּ בִישׁ ֳקדָ ם יְיָ לְאַרְ ּגָזָא לְהַכְעִיסֽ ֹו: 19 ּכִ ֣י יָגֹ֗רְּתִ ימִּפְ נֵ ֤י הָאַ ף֙וְהַ ה֣חֵמָ֔ אֲׁשֶ֨ ר קָצַ ֧ף ֳקדָ מוֹהִ י: 19 אֲרֵ י דְ חֵלִ ית מִ קֳּ דָ ם רֻ גְ זָא וְחֵימְתָ א דִּ י רְ גַז יְיָ עֲ לֵיכוֹ ן יְהוָֹ ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְהַׁשְמִ ֣ידאֶתְ כֶ ֑םוַּיִׁשְמַ ֤עיְהוָֹה֙ אֵ ילַ֔ ּגַ֖ם לְשׁ ֵ צָאָ ה יַתְ כוֹ ן וְקַבֵּ ל יְיָ צְלוֹתִ י אַ ף בְּ זִמְ נָא הַהִ יא: 20 וְעַ ל אַ הֲרֹן הֲוָ ה ּבַּפַ ֥עַ ם הַהִֽ וא: 20 ּוֽבְאַֽ הֲרֹ֗ן הִתְאַ ּנַ �֧ף יְהוָֹ ֛ה ד מְאֹ֖ לְהַׁשְמִיד֑ ֹו רְ גַז מִ ן ֳקדָ ם יְיָ לַחֲדָ א לְשׁ ֵ צָ יוּתֵהּ וָֽאֶתְ ּפַּלֵ ֛ל ֥דּגַם־ּבְעַ אַֽ ֹןהֲר֖ ּבָעֵ ֥ת הַהִֽ וא: 21 וְֽאֶת־חַּטַאתְ כֶ֞ ם וְצַ ּלֵיתִ י אַ ף עַ ל אַ הֲרֹן בְּעִדָּ נָא הַהִ יא: 21 וְ יָת חוֹבַתְ כוֹ ן דִּ י עֲבַדְתּ וּן אֲׁשֶ ר־עֲׂשִיתֶ ֣ם אֶת־הָעֵ֗ גֶללָקַ֘חְּתִ י֮ וָֽאֶׂשְר֣ ֹף אֹת֣ ֹו | ּבָאֵ ׁש֒ יָת עֶגְלָא נְסֵבִ ית וְאוֹקֵדִ ית יָתֵהּ בְּ נוּרָ א וְשׁ ָפִ ית יָתֵהּ בְּשׁ וּפִ ינָא יָאוּת וָֽאֶּכֹ֨ ת אֹת֤ ֹו טָ חֹון֙ הֵיטֵ֔ ב עַ ֥ד ק אֲׁשֶר־ּדַ֖ לְעָפָ ֑ר וָֽאַׁשְלִ ְך֙ אֶ ת־ עַ ד דִּ י הֲוָ ה דַ קִּ יק לְעַפְרָ א וּרְ מֵ ית יָת עַפְרֵ הּ לְ נַחֲלָא דְּ נָחֵ ת מִ ן טוּרָ א: 22 עֲפָר֔ ֹו לאֶל־הַּנַ֖חַ הַּיֹרֵ ֥ד מִ ן־הָהָֽ ר: ּובְתַבְ עֵרָ ה֙ ּובְמַּסָ֔ ה 22 וּבִדְ לֶקְתָּ א וּבְ נִסֵּתָ א וּבְקִבְרֵ י ּובְקִבְר֖ ֹת הַּֽתַֽ אֲוָ ֑ה מַקְצִפִ ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ ם אֶ ת־יְהוָֹֽה: 23 ּובִׁשְֹל֨חַ דִ מְשׁ ַ אֲ לֵי מַרְ ּגְזִ ין הֲוֵיתוּן ֳקדָ ם יְיָ: 23 וְכַ ד שׁ ְ לַח יְיָ יַתְ כוֹ ן מֵרְ קַ ם ּגֵיאָ ה יְהוָֹ֜ה אֶתְ כֶ֗ ם מִּקָדֵ ׁ֤שּבַרְ נֵ֨עַ֙ רלֵאמֹ֔ עֲלּו֙ ּורְ ׁש֣ ּו אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶ ץ לְמֵימַ ר סָ קוּ וְאַ חֲסִ ינוּ יָת אַרְ עָ א דִּ י יְהָבִ ית לְכוֹ ן וְסָרֶ בְתּ וּן עַ ל ְ ּגזֵרַ ת אֲׁשֶ֥ר נָתַּ֖תִ ילָכֶ ֑ם וַּתַמְר֗ ּו אֶת־ּפִ ֤י יְהוָֹה֙ םאֱֹל֣הֵיכֶ֔ וְֹל֤ א מֵימְרָ א דַ ייָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן וְ לָא הֵימַ נְתּ וּן הֶֽאֱמַ נְּתֶ ם֙ ל֔ ֹו וְֹל֥אׁשְמַעְּתֶ֖ם ּבְ קֹלֽ ֹו: לֵהּ וְ לָא קַבֶּלְתּ וּן לְמֵימְרֵ הּ :  RASHI  18 וָאֶתְ נַפַּ ל לִפְ נֵי ה' כָּרִאשׁ ֹנָה אַרְ בָּעִ ים יוֹ ם. שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר10: הוּא לְיִשְׂרָ אֵ ל בְּ שִׂמְ חָ ה, וְאָמַ ר לוֹ לְ מֹשׁ ֶ ה12: "סָ לַחְתִּ י "וְעַתָּ ה אֶעֱ לֶה אֶ ל ה' אוּלַי אֲכַפְּרָ ה". בְּאוֹתָהּ עֲלִ ּיָה כִּדְ בָרֶ ָך", לְכָ ְך הֻקְבַּ ע לִמְחִ ילָה וְלִסְ לִיחָ ה. וּמִ נַּיִן נִתְ עַכַּבְתִּ י אַרְ בָּעִ ים יוֹ ם, נִמְ צְ אוּ כָלִ ים בְּ כ"ט בְּאָ ב, שׁ ֶ נִּתְרַ ָּ צה בְּרָ צוֹ ן שׁ ָ לֵם? שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר בְּאַרְ בָּעִ ים שׁ ֶ ל לוּחוֹ ת שׁ ֶ הוּא עָ לָה בִּשׁ ְ מוֹ נָה עָ שָׂ ר בְּתַמּ וּז, בּוֹ בַ ּיוֹ ם נִתְרַ ָּ צה אַ חֲרוֹנוֹ ת13: "וְאָ נֹכִ י עָמַדְ תִּ י בָהָ ר כַּ ּיָמִ ים הָרִאשׁ ֹנִ ים" — הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּ ְרוּך הוּא לְיִשְׂרָ אֵ ל וְאָמַ ר לוֹ לְ מֹשׁ ֶ ה11: "פְּסָ ל מַ ה הָרִאשׁ וֹנִ ים בְּרָ צוֹ ן, אַ ף הָאַ חֲרוֹנִ ים בְּרָ צוֹ ן. אֱ מֹר לְ ָך שׁ ְ נֵי לֻחֹת". עָ שָׂ ה עוֹ ד אַרְ בָּעִ ים יוֹ ם, נִמְ צְ אוּ מֵעַתָּ ה, אֶמְ צָעִ ּיִים הָ יוּ בְכַעַ ס: 20 וּבְאַ הֲרֹן הִתְאַ נַּף כָלִ ים בְּיוֹ ם הַכִּפּ וּרִ ים, בּוֹ בַ ּיוֹ ם נִתְרַ ָּ צה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּ ְרוּך ה'. לְפִ י שׁ ֶשּׁ ָמַ ע לָכֶ ם: לְהַשׁ ְמִ ידוֹ . זֶה כִּ ּלוּי בָּנִ ים, וְכֵ ן

10. שמות לב, ל. 11. שמות לד, א. 12. במדבר יד, כ. 13. דברים י, י.

58 116 Deuteronomy 9:13-23 eikev

13 God spoke to me further, saying, ‘I have observed this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people—they do not accept rebuke easily, if at all. 14 Therefore, I have only one option: Leave Me alone, and I will destroy them and obliterate their name from everywhere beneath heaven, i.e., the whole world, and I will start over and make you and your descendants into a nation mightier and more numerous than they.’47 15 So I turned and came down from the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with fire,48 and the two Tablets of the Covenant were in my two hands. 16 I saw that you had sinned against God, your God: you had made yourselves a molten calf. You were indeed quick to turn away from the path that God had commanded you to follow. 17 So I grasped the two tablets and hurled them from my two hands, shattering them before your eyes at the foot of the mountain.49 18 I then ascended the mountain a second time50 and I threw myself down on my face, to plead your case before God, staying there as before—for forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, this time because I was so pre- occupied with seeking God’s forgiveness for all the sins that you committed by doing evil in the eyes of God to anger Him,51 19 for I was frightened by the wrath and the fury that God displayed when He was angry at you, threatening to destroy you. But thankfully, God hearkened to me also at that time and did not destroy you. 20 God was extremely furious with Aaron for acquiescing to your insistence on making the calf. He threatened to destroy him by killing his four sons, thereby leaving him without any descendants, so I prayed also for Aaron at that time. My prayer was effective only halfway, and therefore two of his sons—Nadav and Avi- hu—later died an unnatural death before having had any children of their own.52 21 Before I ascended Mount Sinai for the second time, I took the object of your sin—the calf that you had made—and I burned it with fire. I crushed it, grind- ing it well, until it was as fine as dust, and I cast its dust into the stream that descended from the mountain.53 22 Besides the incident of the Golden Calf, you also provoked God to anger at Taveirah,54 at Masah and Merivah,55 at Kivrot HaTa’avah,56 23 and when God sent you from Ritmah, opposite Kadesh Barnea, saying, ‘Go up and take possession of the land I have given you,’ you defied the word of God, your God. You did not believe Him when He promised to grant you victory, nor did you obey Him; instead, you asked to send spies.57

 RASHI  הוּא אוֹמֵ ר14: "וָאַשׁ ְמִ יד פִּרְ יוֹ מִמַּעַ ל": וָאֶתְפַּ ּלֵל ּגַם בְּעַ ד וְנִשׁ ְ אֲ רוּ הַשּׁ ְ נַיִם: 21 טָחוֹ ן. לְשׁ וֹ ן הֹוֶ ה, כְּמוֹ "הָלוֹ ְך אַ הֲרֹן. וְהוֹעִ ילָה תְ פִ ּלָתִ י לְכַפּ ֵ ר מֶ חֱצָ ה, וּמֵ תוּ שׁ ְ נַיִם וְכַ ּלוֹת", מולאנ"ט בְּ לַעַ ז15:

14. עמוס ב, ט. 15. ּבְטָחֳנֹו.

47. Exodus 32:9-10. 48. Exodus 19:18. 49. Exodus 32:19. 50. Exodus 32:30. 51. Exodus 33:4. 52. Exodus 32:34; Leviticus 10:1-7. 53. Exodus 32:20. 54. Numbers 11:1-3. 55. Exodus 17:1-7. 56. Numbers 11:4-34. 57. Numbers 13:1-2.

58 117 Fourth Reading עקב 24 מַמְרִ֥ יםהֱיִיתֶ֖ םעִ ם־יְהוָֹ ֑ה מִ ּיֹ֖ום ּדַ עְּתִ ֥ י אֶתְ כֶֽם:  ONKELOS  24 מְ סָרְ בִ ין הֲוֵיתוּן ֳקדָ ם יְיָ מִ ּיוֹמָ א 25 וָֽאֶתְ לנַּפַ֞ נֵ לִפְ ֣י יְהוָֹ ֗האֵ ֣ת אַרְ ּבָעִ ֥יםהַ ּיֹ֛ום וְאֶת־אַרְ ּבָעִ ֥ים דִּידָ עִ ית יַתְ כוֹ ן: 25 וְאִשׁ ְתַּטָּחִ ית ֳקדָ ם יְיָ יָת אַרְ בְּעִ ין יְמָמִ ין וְ יָת הַּלַ֖יְלָהאֲׁשֶ ֣ר הִתְ נַּפָ י֑לְּתִ ּכִֽי־אָמַ ֥ר יְהוָֹ֖ה לְהַׁשְמִ ֥יד אֶתְ כֶֽם: אַרְ בְּעִ ין לֵילָוָ ן דִּ י אִשׁ ְתַּטָּחִ ית אֲרֵ י 26 וָֽאֶתְ ּפַּלֵ ֣ל אֶ ל־יְהוָֹה֮ וָֽאֹמַ ר֒אֲדֹנָ ֣ייֱהוִֹ ֗ה אַל־ּתַׁשְחֵ ֤ת עַּמְ ָך֙ אֲמַ ר יְיָ לְשׁ ֵ צָאָ ה יַתְ כוֹ ן: 26 וְצַ ּלֵיתִ י ֳקדָ ם יְיָ וַאֲמָרִ ית יְיָ אֱלֹהִ ים לָא תְ חַבֵּ ל וְנַֽחֲלָ ֣תְָך֔ אֲׁשֶ ֥ר ּפָדִ֖יתָ ּבְ גָדְ לֶ ָ֑ך אֲׁשֶר־הֹוצֵ ֥אתָ מִּמִצְרַ֖ יִם ּבְ יָ ֥ד עַמָּ ְך וְאַ חֲסַ נְתָּ ְך דִּ י פְרַ קְתָּ בְּתֻקְפָּ ְך חֲזָקָֽ ה: 27 זְכֹר֙ לַֽעֲבָדֶ֔ יָך לְאַבְרָ ֥םהָ לְ יִצְחָ֖ ק ּוֽלְ יַֽעֲקֹ֑ ב אַ ל־ דִּ י אַפּ ֵקְתָּ מִמִּ צְרַ יִם בְּ יַד תַּקִּ יפָ א: 27 אִ דְּ כַ ר לְעַבְדָּ ְיך לְאַבְרָ הָ ם ּתֵ֗פֶן אֶל־קְׁשִ י֙הָעָ ֣םהַ ּזֶ֔ה וְאֶל־רִ ׁשְ עֹ֖ווְאֶל־חַּטָאתֽ ֹו: 28 ּפֶ ן־ לְיִצְחָ ק וּלְ יַעֲ קֹב לָא תִתְפְּ נֵי לְקַשׁ ְ יוּת עַמָּ א הָדֵ ין וּלְחוֹבֵיהוֹ ן וְלַחֲטָאֵיהוֹ ן: יֹֽאמְר֗ ּו הָאָ֘רֶ ץ֮ אֲׁשֶ ֣ר הֽ ֹוצֵאתָ ֣נּומִּׁשָ ם֒ מִּבְלִ י֙יְכֹ֣לֶת יְהוָֹ ֔ה 28 דִּ לְמָ א יֵימְ רוּן דַּ יְרֵ י אַרְ עָ א דִּ י לַֽהֲבִיאָ֕ ם אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶ ץ אֲׁשֶר־ּדִ ּבֶ ֣ר לָהֶ ֑םּומִּׂשִ נְאָת֣ ֹו אֹותָ֔ ם אַפּ ֶקְתָּ נָא מִתַּמָּ ן מִ דְּ לֵית יוּכְ לָא דַ ייָ לְאַ עָ לוּתְ הוֹ ן לְאַרְ עָ א דִּ י מַ ּלֵיל לְהוֹ ן הֹֽוצִיאָ֖ םלַֽהֲמִתָ ֥םּבַּמִדְ ּבָֽ ר: 29 וְהֵ ֥ם עַּמְ ָך֖ וְנַֽחֲלָתֶ ָ֑ך אֲׁשֶ ֤ר וּמִ דְּ סָ נֵי יַתְ הוֹ ן אַפּ ֵקִ נּוּן לְקַטָּ לוּתְ הוֹ ן בְּמַדְ בְּרָ א: 29 וְאִ נּוּן עַמָּ ְך וְאַ חֲסַ נְתָּ ְך הֹוצֵ֨אתָ֙ ּבְכֹֽחֲָך֣הַ ּגָדֹ֔לּובִֽ זְרֽ ֹעֲָך֖ הַּנְטּויָֽה: פ דִּ י אַפּ ֵקְתָּ ְבְּחֵילָך רַ בָּ א וּבִדְרָ עָ ְך  רביעי 10:1 ּבָעֵ֨ת הַהִ֜ ואאָמַ ֧ריְהוָֹ ֣ה אֵ לַ֗ י ּפְסָל־לְָך֞ ׁשְ נֵֽי־ מְרָ מְמָ א: 10:1 בְּעִדָּ נָא הַהִ יא אֲמַ ר יְיָ לִ י פְּסַ ל ְלָך תְּרֵ ין לוּחֵ י לּוחֹ֤ת אֲבָנִים֙ ֣ ּכָרִ אׁשֹנִ֔ים וַֽעֲלֵ ֥ה אֵלַ֖י הָהָ ה֑רָ וְעָׂשִ ֥יתָ ּלְָך֖ אַבְ ּנַיָא כְּקַדְ מָאֵ י וְסַ ק ֳלָקדָמַ י ְ אֲ ֥רֹון עֵֽץ: 2 וְאֶכְ ּתֹב֙ עַל־הַ ּלֻחֹ֔תאֶ֨ת־הַּדְ בָרִ ים֔ ֥ראֲׁשֶ הָ יּ֛ו לְ טוּרָ א וְתַעְבֵּ ד לָך אֲרוֹ נָא דְ אָ עָ א: 2 וְאֶכְתּ ֹב עַ ל לוּחַ ּיָא יָת פִּתְ ּגָמַ ּיָא עַל־הַ ּלֻחֹ֥תהָרִֽ אׁשֹנִ֖ים ֣ראֲׁשֶ ׁשִּבַ ֑רְ ּתָ ם וְׂשַמְּתָ֖ ּבָֽאָרֽ ֹון: דִּ י הֲווֹ עַ ל לוּחַ ּיָא קַדְ מָאֵ י דִּ י תְ בַרְ תָּ וּתְשׁ ַ וִּ נּוּן בַּאֲרוֹ נָא: 3 וַעֲבָדִ ית אֲרוֹ נָא 3 וָאַ֤עַ ׂש אֲרֹון֙עֲצֵ ֣יׁשִּטִ֔ ים וָֽאֶפְסֹ֛ל ׁשְ נֵֽי־לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִ֖ים דְּ אָ עֵ י שׁ ִטִּ ין וּפְסָלִ ית תְּרֵ ין לוּחֵ י ּכָרִֽ אׁשֹנִ ֑יםוָאַ ֣עַ להָהָ֔רָ הּוׁשְ נֵ ֥י הַ ּלֻחֹ֖ת ּבְ יָדִֽ י: 4 וַּיִכְּתֹ֨ ב עַ ל־ אַבְ ּנַיָא כְּקַדְ מָאֵ י וּסְ לֵקִ ית לְ טוּרָ א וּתְרֵ ין לוּחַ ּיָא בִּידִ י: 4 וּכְתַ ב עַ ל הַּלֻחֹ֜ת ּכַּמִכְּתָ ֣ב הָֽרִ אׁש֗ ֹוןאֵ֚ ת עֲׂשֶ ת֣רֶ הַּדְ ֔ בָרִ ים אֲׁשֶ ֣ר ּדִ ּבֶ ר֩ לוּחַ ּיָא כִּכְתָ בָ א קַדְ מָאָ ה יָת עַ שְׂרָ א פִתְ ּגָמַ ּיָא דִּ י מַ ּלֵיל יְיָ עִמְּ כוֹ ן בְּ טוּרָ א יְהוָֹ֨ה אֲלֵיכֶ ֥ם ּבָהָ ֛ר מִּת֥ ֹוְך הָאֵ֖ ׁש ּבְ יֹ֣ום הַּקָהָ ֑לוַּיִּתְ נֵ ֥ם יְהוָֹ֖ה מִ ּגוֹ אֶשּׁ ָ א בְּיוֹמָ א דִ קְ הָ לָא וִיהָבִ נּוּן אֵלָֽי: 5 ןוָאֵ֗פֶ ד֙וָֽאֵרֵ מִ ן־הָהָ֔ רוָֽאָׂשִ ם֙ אֶת־הַ ּלֻחֹ֔ת ּבָֽאָר֖ ֹון יְיָ לִ י: 5 וְאִתְפְּ נֵיתִ י וּנְחָתִ ית מִ ן טוּרָ א וְשׁ ַ וֵּיתִ י יָת לוּחַ ּיָא בַּאֲרוֹ נָא דִּ י אֲׁשֶ֣ר עָׂשִ ֑יתִ י וַּיִ ֣הְ יּוׁשָ֔ם ּכַֽאֲׁשֶ ֥רצִ ּוַ֖נִי יְהוָֹֽה: עֲבָדִ ית וַהֲווֹ תַמָּן כְּמָא דִ י פַקְּדַ נִי יְיָ:

 RASHI  25 וָאֶתְ נַפַּ ל וְגוֹ '. אֵ ּלוּ הֵ ן עַצְמָ ם הָאֲ מוּרִ ים לְמַעְ לָה, נִתְ עַסְּ קוּ בוֹ עַ ד לְאַחַ ר יוֹ ם הַכִּפּ וּרִ ים, כִּ י בְּרִדְ תּ וֹ מִ ן וּכְפָלָן כָּ אן לְפִ י שׁ ֶכָּ תוּב כָּ אן סֵדֶ ר תְּ פִ ּלָתוֹ , שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר16: הָהָ ר צִ וָּ ה לָהֶ ם עַ ל מְ לֶאכֶ ת הַמִּשׁ ְכָּ ן, וּבְ צַלְאֵ ל עָ שָׂ ה "ה' אֱלֹהִ ים אַ ל תַּשׁ ְ חֵ ת עַמְּ ָך" וְגוֹ ': 1 בָּעֵ ת הַהִ וא. מִשׁ ְכָּ ן תְּחִ ּלָה וְאַחַ ר כָּ ְך אָרוֹ ן וְכֵלִ ים, נִמְ צָ א זֶה אָרוֹ ן לְסוֹ ף אַרְ בָּעִ ים יוֹ ם נִתְרַ ָּ צה לִ י, וְאָמַ ר לִ י "פְּסָ ל לְ ָך" אַ חֵ ר הָ יָה, וְ זֶהוּ שׁ ֶהָ יָה יוֹ צֵ א עִמָּהֶ ם לְמִ לְחָמָ ה. וְאוֹתוֹ וְאַחַ ר כָּ ְך "וְעָ שִׂיתָ לְ ָך אֲרוֹ ן", וַאֲנִ י עָ שִׂיתִ י אָרוֹ ן שׁ ֶעָ שָׂ ה בְ צַלְאֵ ל לֹא יָצָ א לְמִ לְחָמָ ה אֶ ּלָא בִּימֵ י עֵלִ י, תְּחִ ּלָה, שׁ ֶכְּשׁ ֶאָבוֹ א וְהַ ּלוּחוֹ ת בְּ יָדִ י, הֵיכָ ן אֶתְּ נֵם? וְ לֹא וְ נֶעֶנְשׁ וּ עָ לָיו וְנִשׁ ְבָּ ה: זֶה הוּא הָאָרוֹ ן שׁ ֶעָ שָׂ ה בְ צַלְאֵ ל, שׁ ֶ הֲרֵ י מִשׁ ְכָּ ן לֹא

16. להלן פסוק כו.

59 118 Deuteronomy 9:24-10:5 eikev

24 So you see, besides the Golden Calf, you have been rebelling against God since the day I became acquainted with you. 25 As I said,58 when I ascended Mount Sinai the second time, I threw myself down to plead your case before God and remained prostrate during the entire forty days and the forty nights after I threw myself down, because God had said that He intended to destroy you. 26 I prayed to God and said, ‘God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance, whom You have redeemed in Your greatness and whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.59 27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.60 Pay no heed to the stubbornness of this people, or to their wickedness, or to their sin, 28 lest the people of the land from which you brought us out—Egypt—say, “Be- cause of God’s inability to bring them into the land about which He spoke to them, and because of His hatred toward them, He has brought them out to slay them in the desert.”61 29 But they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out with Your great strength and with Your outstretched arm.’  Fourth Reading 10:1 As I also said,62 God accepted my argument and did not wipe you out. At that time, after my second forty days on the mountain,63 God said to me, ‘Hew yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones that you shattered, and come up to Me onto the mountain for a third time. Also make yourself a wooden ark. 2 I will inscribe on the new tablets the same words that were upon the first tablets, which you shattered, and you must place the new tablets into the wooden ark.’ 3 Although God had told me first to hew the tablets and only then to make an ark to house them, I made an ark of acacia wood first, in order to have something to house the tablets, and only then I hewed two stone tablets like the first ones. I ascended the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.64 4 On the fortieth day of my third stay on the mountain,65 God inscribed on the tablets according to the original text, the Ten Commandments that God spoke to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. God then gave them to me. 5 I turned, came down from the mountain, and placed the tablets in the ark that I had made, and they remained there, as God had commanded me, until the golden Ark was built and we inaugurated the Tabernacle.66

58. Above, vv. 18-19. 59. Exodus 32:11. 60. Exodus 32:13. 61. Exodus 32:12; cf. Numbers 14:13-16. 62. Above, 9:19. 63. Exodus 34:1-2. 64. Exodus 34:4. 65. Exodus 34:28-29. 66. Exodus 40:20.

59 119 Fourth Reading עקב 6 ּובְנֵ ֣י יִׂשְרָ אֵ֗ לנָֽסְ עּ֛ומִּבְאֵר֥ ֹתּבְ ן נֵי־יַֽעֲקָ֖ מֽ ֑ הֹוסֵרָ ׁשָ ֣ם מֵ ֤ת  ONKELOS  6 וּבְ נֵי יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל נְטָ לוּ מִ בְּאֵ רֹת בְּ נֵי אַֽ הֲרֹן֙וַּיִּקָבֵ ֣ר ׁשָ֔ ם וַיְכַהֵ ֛ןאֶלְעָזָ ֥רּבְ נֹ֖וּתַחְּתָֽ יו: 7 ֥םמִּׁשָ נָֽסְ עּ֖ו יַעֲקָ ן לְמוֹסֵרָ ה תַּמָּ ן מִ ית אַ הֲרֹן וְאִתְקְ בַ ר תַּמָּ ן וְשׁ ַמֵּשׁ אֶ לְעָ זָר בְּרֵ הּ הַּגֻדְ הּגֹ֑דָ ּומִ ן־הַּגֻדְ ּגֹ֣דָ ה יָטְ בָ֔תָ ה אֶ֖רֶ ץ נַֽחֲלֵי־מָֽיִם: 8 ּבָעֵ ֣ת תְּ חוֹתוֹהִ י: 7 מִתַּמָּ ן נְטָ לוּ לְ גֻדְ ּגֹד וּמִ ן ּגֻדְ ּגֹד לְ יָטְ בָ ת אַרְ עָ א נָגְדָ א הַהִ֗ וא הִבְּדִ ֤ יליְהוָֹה֙ אֶת־ׁשֵ ט֣בֶ הַ ּלֵוִ֔י לָׂשֵ֖את אֶ ת־אֲר֣ ֹון נַחֲלִ ין דְּ מַ ּיִין: 8 בְּעִדָּ נָא הַהִ יא אַפְרֵשׁ יְיָ יָת שׁ ִ בְטָ א דְ לֵוִ י לְמִטַּ ל ּבְרִֽ ית־יְהוָֹ ֑ה לַֽעֲמֹ ד֩לִפְ נֵ֨י יְהוָֹ ֤ה לְׁשָֽרְ תֹו֙ ּולְבָרֵ ְ֣ךּבִׁשְמ֔ ֹו עַ֖ד יָת אֲרוֹ ן קְ יָמָ א דַ ייָ לְמֵקַ ם ֳקדָ ם יְיָ הַ ּיֹ֥ום הַ ּזֶֽה: 9 ןעַל־ּכֵ֞ ֹלֽא־הָ יָ ֧ה לְ לֵוִ ֛י חֵ ֥לֶק וְנַֽחֲלָ֖ה עִם־אֶחָ ֑יו לְשׁ ַמָּשׁ וּתֵהּ וּלְבָרָ כָ א בִשׁ ְמֵהּ עַ ד יוֹמָ א הָדֵ ין: 9 עַ ל כֵּ ן לָא הֲוָ ה לְ לֵוִ י יְהוָֹה֙ה֣ ּוא נַֽחֲלָת֔ ֹו ֥רּכַֽאֲׁשֶ ּדִ ּבֶ ֛ר יְהוָֹ ֥האֱֹלהֶ֖יָך לֽ ֹו: 10 וְאָֽ נֹכִ֞ י חֳלָק וְאַ חֲסָ נָא עִ ם אֲחוֹהִ י מַתְּ נָן דִּ יהַ ב לֵהּ יְיָ אִ נּוּן אַ חֲסַ נְתֵּהּ כְּמָ א עָמַ֣דְ ּתִ יבָהָ֗ ר ּכַ ּיָמִ ים֙ הָרִ ֣ אׁשֹנִ֔יםאַרְ ּבָעִ ֣ים יֹ֔ום וְאַרְ ּבָעִ֖ ים דִ י מַ ּלֵיל יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך לֵהּ : 10 וַאֲ נָא הֲוֵיתִ י קָאֵ ם בְּ טוּרָ א כְּיוֹמִ ין קַדְ מָאִ ין לָ֑יְלָה וַּיִׁשְמַ֨ עיְהוָֹ ֜ה אֵ לַ֗ י ּגַ֚ ם ּבַּפַ ֣עַ ם ואהַהִ֔ ֥הֹלֽא־אָבָ יְהוָֹ֖ה אַרְ בְּעִ ין יְמָמִ ין וְאַרְ בְּעִ ין לֵילָוָ ן הַׁשְחִיתֶֽ ָך: 11 רוַּיֹ֤אמֶ יְהוָֹה֙ אֵ ילַ֔ ק֛ ּום לֵ ְ֥ך לְמַּסַ֖ ע לִפְ נֵ ֣י הָעָ ֑ם וְקַבֵּ ל יְיָ צְלוֹתִ י אַ ף בְּ זִמְ נָא הַהִ יא לָא אֲבָ א יְיָ לְחַבָּ לוּתָ ְך: 11 וַאֲמַ ר וְ יָבֹ֨אּו֙ וְיִֽירְ ׁש֣ ּו ץ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶ אֲׁשֶר־נִׁשְּבַ ֥עְּתִ י לַֽאֲבֹתָ֖ ם לָתֵ ֥ת יְיָ לִ י קוּם זִ יל לְמַטּ וּל ֳקדָ ם עַמָּ א וְ יֵעֲ לוּן וְ יֵירְ תוּן יָת אַרְ עָ א דִּ י קַ ּיֵמִ ית לָהֶֽ ם: פ לַאֲבָהַתְ הוֹן לְמִתַּ ן לְהוֹ ן:

 RASHI  6-7 וּבְ נֵי יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל נָסְ עוּ מִ בְּאֵ רֹת בְּ נֵי יַעֲקָ ן מוֹסֵרָ ה. מָ ה עַ ל שׁ ֶ נָּתְ נוּ רֹאשׁ לִפְ רֹשׁ מִמֶּ נּוּ כַּ ּיוֹ ם שׁ ֶעָ שׂוּ בּוֹ אֶ ת עִ נְ יָן זֶה לְכָ אן? וְעוֹ ד, וְכִ י מִ בְּאֵרוֹ ת בְּ נֵי יַעֲקָ ן נָסְ עוּ הָעֵ גֶל: 8 בָּעֵ ת הַהִ וא הִבְדִּ יל ה' וְגוֹ '. מוּסָ ב לָעִ נְ יָן לְמוֹסֵרָ ה? וַהֲ לֹא מִמּ וֹסֵרָ ה בָּ אוּ לִבְ נֵי יַעֲקָ ן, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר17: הָרִאשׁ וֹ ן: בָּעֵ ת הַהִ וא. בַּשּׁ ָ נָה הָרִאשׁ וֹ נָה לְצֵאתְ כֶ ם "וַ ּיִסְ עוּ מִמּ ֹסֵרוֹ ת" וְגוֹ '? וְעוֹ ד, "שׁ ָ ם מֵ ת אַ הֲ רֹן", וַהֲ לֹא מִמִּ צְרַ יִם, וּטְעִיתֶ ם בָּעֵ גֶל, וּבְ נֵי לֵוִ י לֹא טָ עוּ, הִבְדִּ ילָם בְּ הֹר הָהָ ר מֵ ת, צֵ א וַחֲשׁ וֹ ב וְתִמְ צָ א שׁ ְ מוֹ נָה מַסָּעוֹ ת הַמָּקוֹ ם מִכֶּ ם. וְסָמַ ְך מִקְרָ א זֶה לַחֲזָרַ ת בְּ נֵי יַעֲקָ ן, לוֹמַ ר מִמּ וֹסֵרוֹ ת לְ הֹר הָהָ ר! אֶ ּלָא אַ ף זוֹ מִ ן הַתּ וֹכָחָ ה — שׁ ֶאַ ף בָּ זֶה לֹא טָ עוּ בָהּ בְּ נֵי לֵוִ י, אֶ ּלָא עָמְ דוּ בֶאֱ מוּנָתָ ם: וְעוֹ ד זֹאת עֲ שִׂיתֶ ם, כְּשׁ ֶמֵּ ת אַ הֲ רֹן בְּ הֹר הָהָ ר לְסוֹ ף לָשֵׂ את אֶ ת אֲרוֹ ן. הַלְוִ ּיִם: לַעֲ מֹד לִפְ נֵי ה' לְשׁ ָרְ תוֹ וּלְבָרֵ ְך אַרְ בָּעִ ים שׁ ָ נָה וְנִסְתַּ ְּ לקוּ עַ נְ נֵי כָבוֹ ד, יְרֵ אתֶ ם לָכֶ ם בִּשׁ ְ מוֹ . הַכּ ֹהֲנִ ים, וְ הוּא נְשִׂיאַ ת כַּפּ ַיִם: 9 עַ ל כֵּ ן לֹא מִמִּ לְחֶמֶ ת מֶ ְלֶך עֲרָ ד וּנְתַתֶּ ם רֹאשׁ לַחֲזֹר לְמִ צְרַ יִם, הָ יָה לְ לֵוִ י חֵ לֶק. לְפִ י שׁ ֶהֻבְדְּ לוּ לַעֲבוֹדַ ת מִ זְבֵּחַ וְאֵ ינָן וַחֲזַרְ תֶּ ם לַאֲחוֹרֵ יכֶ ם שׁ ְ מוֹ נָה מַסָּעוֹ ת עַ ד בְּ נֵי יַעֲקָ ן, פְּ נוּיִין לַחֲרֹשׁ וְלִזְ רֹעַ : ה' הוּא נַחֲלָתוֹ . נוֹטֵ ל פְּרָ ס מְ זֻמָּ ן וּמִשּׁ ָ ם לְמוֹסֵרָ ה. שׁ ָ ם נִלְחֲמוּ בָכֶ ם בְּ נֵי לֵוִי וְהָרְ גוּ מִכֶּ ם מִ בֵּ ית הַמֶּ ְלֶך: 10 וְאָ נֹכִ י עָמַדְתִּ י בָהָ ר. לְקַבֵּ ל הַ ּלוּחוֹ ת וְאַתֶּ ם מֵהֶ ם, עַ ד שׁ ֶ הֱחֶזִירוּ אֶתְ כֶ ם בְּדֶרֶ ְך חֲזָרַ תְ כֶ ם, הָאַ חֲרוֹנוֹ ת. וּלְפִ י שׁ ֶ ּלֹא פֵרַשׁ לְמַעְ לָה כַּמָּ ה עָמַ ד וּמִשּׁ ָ ם חֲזַרְ תֶּ ם הַ ּגֻדְ ּגֹדָ ה, הוּא חֹר הַ ּגִדְ ּגָד, וּמִ ן הַ ּגֻדְ ּגֹדָ ה בָּהָ ר בַּעֲלִ ּיָה אַ חֲרוֹ נָה זוֹ , חָ זַר וְהִתְחִ יל בָּהּ : כַּ יָּמִ ים יָטְ בָתָ ה.18 וּבְמוֹסֵרָ ה עֲ שִׂיתֶ ם אֵ בֶ ל כָּבֵ ד עַ ל מִיתָתוֹ הָרִאשׁ ֹנִ ים. שׁ ֶ ל לוּחוֹ ת הָרִאשׁ וֹנוֹ ת, מַ ה הֵ ם בְּרָ צוֹ ן, אַ ף שׁ ֶ ל אַ הֲ רֹן שׁ ֶ ּגָרְ מָ ה לָכֶ ם זֹאת, וְנִדְ מָ ה לָכֶ ם כְּאִ ּלוּ מֵ ת אֵ ּלוּ בְּרָ צוֹ ן, אֲבָ ל הָאֶמְ צָעִ ּיִים שׁ ֶעָמַדְ תִּ י שׁ ָ ם לְהִתְפּ ַ ּלֵל שׁ ָ ם. וְסָמַ ְך מֹשׁ ֶ ה תּ וֹכָחָ ה זוֹ לִשׁ ְבִירַ ת הַ ּלוּחוֹ ת, לוֹמַ ר עֲ לֵיכֶ ם הָ יוּ בְכַעַ ס: 11 וַ יֹּאמֶ ר ה' אֵ לַי וְגוֹ '. אַ ף עַ ל פִּ י שׁ ֶקָּשׁ ָ ה מִיתָתָ ן שׁ ֶ ל צַדִּ יקִ ים לִפְ נֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּ ְרוּך הוּא שׁ ֶסַּרְ תֶּ ם מֵאַ חֲרָ יו וּטְעִיתֶ ם בָּעֵ גֶל, אָמַ ר לִ י: ְ"לֵך נְחֵ ה כַּ ּיוֹ ם שׁ ֶ נִּשׁ ְתַּבְּ רוּ בוֹ הַ ּלוּחוֹ ת, וּלְהוֹדִ יעֲ ָך שׁ ֶהֻקְשׁ ָ ה לוֹ אֶת הָעָם" וְגוֹ ':

17. במדבר לג, לא. 18. ע"פ דפוס ראשון; לקו"ש חי"ד, עמ' 30 הערה 1.

60 120 Deuteronomy 10:6-11 eikev

6 God considers the death of righteous individuals as distressing as the breaking of the Tablets of the Covenant. It is therefore now appropriate to mention yet another instance when you angered God, this one occasioned by the death of Aaron. When Aaron died at Mount Hor and the Amalekites attacked you, the Israelites (i.e., all of you except the tribe of Levi) became discouraged and fled, backtracking toward Egypt. When you journeyed from the wells of Benei Ya’akan to Moseirah (i.e., Moseirot), the Levites caught up with you and engaged you in battle until you halted your retreat. Then, once peace and order were restored, you mourned Aaron as if there he had died, had been buried, and his son Eleazar had been installed to serve as high priest in his stead. 7 From there, you resumed the trek toward the Promised Land and journeyed once again to HaGudgod (i.e., Chor HaGidgad), and from HaGudgod you journeyed again to Yotvatah, which was a land with streams of water.67 I mention this incident in the context of the incident of the Golden Calf (even though the two incidents were separated by many years) in order to emphasize, as well, that your defection from God’s mission was as distressing to Him as when you made the Golden Calf. 8 Just as the Levites showed themselves to be faithful to God when you tried to return to Egypt after Aaron’s death, so were they the only tribe all of whose members proved faithful in the incident of the Golden Calf. Since they did not participate in this sin, God separated the tribe of Levi at that time from the rest of the people, charging them to bear the Ark of the Covenant of God, as well as all the other components of the Tabernacle when we travel,68 to stand before God to serve Him as priests,69 and to bless the people in His Name,70 as they do to this day.71 9 Therefore, the tribe of Levi has no portion in the spoils of war nor any land-in- heritance72 with its brothers, since they are occupied with other work and have no time to engage in war or agriculture. The portion that the lay people will separate from their produce and give to God is their inheritance, just as God, your God, spoke to them.73 10 I remained on the mountain the third time like the first days, that is, in God’s good favor, for forty days and forty nights, and God hearkened to me also at that time; God did not seek to destroy you. 11 God therefore said to me, ‘Arise, go before the people to lead them on their journey, so that they may come and take possession of the land I promised their forefathers that I would give them.’74

67. Numbers 20:23-21:4, 33:31-40. 68. Numbers 3:8. 69. Exodus 28:1. 70. Numbers 6:22-27. 71. Exodus 32:4, 26-29. 72. Rashi on 18:1, below. 73. Numbers 18:24. 74. Exodus 33:1.

60 121 Fifth Reading עקב

   חמישי 12 וְעַּתָ ה֙יִׂשְרָ לאֵ֔ המָ֚ יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך ל ׁשֹאֵ֖ מֵֽעִּמָ ְ֑ך ONKELOS 12 וּכְעַ ן יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל מָ א יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך ּכִ֣יאִ ם־לְ֠ יִרְ האָ֠ אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֨ה אֱֹלהֶ֜ יָך לָלֶ ֤כֶ תּבְכָל־ּדְ רָ כָ יו֙ תָּ בַ ע מִ ְנָּך אֱלָהֵ ין לְמִדְ חַ ל ֳקדָ ם יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך לִמְ הַ ְך בְּכָ ל אָרְ חָ ן דְּ תָקְ נָן ּולְאַֽ הֲבָ ֣ה אֹת֔ ֹו וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך ּבְכָל־לְבָֽבְָך֖ ֳקדָ מוֹהִ י וּלְמִרְ חַ ם יָתֵהּ וּלְמִ פְ לַח ְ ְ ּובְכָ ל־נַפְׁשֶֽ ָך: 13 ר לִׁשְמֹ֞ אֶת־מִצְ וֹ֤ת יְהוָֹה֙וְאֶ ת־חֻּקֹתָ֔ יו ֳקדָ ם יְיָ אֱלָהָ ך בְּכָ ל לִבָּ ך וּבְכָ ל נַפְשׁ ָ ְך: 13 לְמִטַּ ר יָת פִּקּוֹדַ ּיָא דַ ייָ אֲׁשֶ ֛ר אָֽ ֥ינֹכִ מְצַּוְָך֖ הַ ּיֹ֑ום לְט֖ ֹוב לְָֽך: 14 הֵ֚ ן לַֽיהֹוָ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ֔ יָך וְ יָת קְ יָמוֹהִ י דַּ אֲ נָא מְ פַקְּדָ ְך יוֹמָ א דֵ ין לִדְ יִיטַ ב ְלָך: 14 הָ א דַּ ייָ אֱלָהָ ְך 15 הַּׁשָמַ֖יִםּוׁשְמֵ ֣יהַּׁשָמָ ֑יִם הָאָ֖רֶ ץ וְכָל־אֲׁשֶר־ּבָֽ ּה: רַ ֧ ק שׁ ְמַ ּיָא וּשׁ ְמֵ י שׁ ְמַ ּיָא אַרְ עָ א וְכָ ל ּבַֽאֲבֹתֶ ֛יָךחָׁשַ ֥ק יְהוָֹ֖ה לְאַֽ הֲבָ ֣האֹותָ ֑ם רוַּיִבְחַ֞ ּבְ זַרְ עָ ֣ם דִּ י בַהּ : 15 לְחוֹ ד בַּאֲבָהָתָ ְך צְבִ י יְיָ לְמִרְ חַ ם יַתְ הוֹ ן וְאִתְרְ עֵ י בִּבְ נֵיהוֹ ן אַֽחֲרֵ יהֶ֗ םּבָכֶ ֛ם מִ ּכָל־הָֽעַּמִ֖ ים ּכַ ּיֹ֥ום הַ ּזֶֽה: 16 ּומַלְּתֶ֕ ם אֵ֖ ת בַּתְרֵ יהוֹ ן בְּכוֹ ן מִ כָּ ל עַמְמַ ּיָא כְּיוֹמָ א הָדֵ ין: 16 וְתַעְדּ וּן יָת טַפְשׁ וּת לִבְּכוֹ ן 17 עָרְלַ ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ ֑ם וְעָ֨רְ ּפְ כֶ֔ םֹל֥ א תַקְ ׁש֖ ּו עֽ ֹוד: י ּכִ֚ יְהוָֹ ֣ה וּקְדַ לְכוֹ ן לָא תַקְשׁ וּן עוֹ ד: 17 אֲרֵ י םאֱֹלֽהֵיכֶ֔ ה֚ ּוא אֱֹלהֵ ֣י הָֽאֱֹלהִ֔ ים וַֽאֲדֹנֵ֖י הָֽאֲדֹנִ ֑ים הָאֵ֨ ל יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן הוּא אֱלָהּ דַּ ּיָנִ ין וּמָרֵ י מַ לְכִ ין אֱלָהָ א רַ בָּ א גִבָּרָ א וּדְ חִ ילָא הַּגָדֹ֤ל הַּגִּבֹר֙ וְהַּנֹורָ֔ אאֲׁשֶ ר֙ ֹלֽ א־יִּׂשָ ֣אפָנִ֔ים וְֹל֥ א יִּקַ֖ ח דִּ י לֵית ֳקדָ מוֹהִ י מִסַּ ב אַפִּ ין וְאַ ף לָא ׁשֽ ֹחַ ד: 18 עֹׂשֶ ֛המִׁשְּפַ ֥טיָת֖ ֹום וְאַלְמָ נָ ֑ה וְאֹהֵ ֣ב רּגֵ֔ לָ ת֥תֶ ל֖ ֹו לְקַבָּלָא שׁ וֹ חֲדָ א: 18 עָבֵ ד דִּ ין יִתַּ ם וְאַרְ מְ לָא וְרָ חֵ ם ִ ּג ּיוֹרָ א לְמִתַּ ן לֵהּ לֶ ֥חֶם וְׂשִמְלָֽה: מְ זוֹ נָא וּכְ סוּ:  RASHI  12 וְעַתָּ ה יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל. אַ ף עַ ל פִּ י שׁ ֶעֲ שִׂיתֶ ם כָּ ל זֹאת "מִכָּ ל הָעַמִּ ים כַּ ּיוֹ ם הַ ּזֶה": 16 עָרְ לַת לְבַבְ כֶ ם. אֹטֶ ם עוֹדֶ נּוּ רַ חֲמָ יו וְחִבָּתוֹ עֲ לֵיכֶ ם, וּמִכָּ ל מַ ה שּׁ ֶ חֲטָאתֶ ם לְבַבְ כֶ ם וְכִסּ וּיוֹ : 17 וַאֲ דֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִ ים. לֹא יוּכַ ל שׁ וּם לְפָ נָיו, אֵינוֹ שׁ וֹאֵ ל מִכֶּ ם: כִּ י אִ ם לְיִרְ אָ ה וְגוֹ '. רַ בּוֹתֵ ינוּ 19 אָדוֹ ן לְהַ ִ ּציל אֶתְ כֶ ם מִ ּיָדוֹ : לֹא יִשּ ָׂ א פָנִ ים. אִ ם תִּ פְרְ קוּ דָּרְשׁ וּ מִכָּ אן: הַכּ ֹל בִּידֵ י שׁ ָמַ יִם חוּץ מִ ּיִרְ אַ ת שׁ ָמַ יִם: עֻ ּלוֹ : וְ לֹא יִקַּ ח שׁ ֹחַ ד. לְפַ ּיְסוֹ בְמָמוֹ ן: 18 עֹשֶׂ ה מִשׁ ְפַּ ט 13 לִשׁ ְ מֹר אֶ ת מִ צְוֹ ת ה'. וְאַ ף הִ יא לֹא לְחִ נָּם, אֶ ּלָא יָתוֹ ם וְאַ לְמָ נָה. הֲרֵ י גְבוּרָ ה, וְאֵ צֶ ל ּגְבוּרָ תוֹ אַתָּ ה מוֹ צֵ א "לְטוֹ ב ְלָך", שׁ ֶתְּ קַבְּ לוּ שָׂ כָ ר: 14 הֵ ן לַה' אֱלֹהֶ ָיך. עַ נְוְתָ נוּתוֹ : וְאֹהֵ ב ּגֵר לָתֵ ת לוֹ לֶחֶ ם וְ שִׂמְ לָה. וְדָ בָ ר חָשׁ וּב הַכּ ֹל, וְאַ ף עַ ל פִּ י כֵ ן "רַ ק בַּאֲ בֹתֶ ָיך חָשׁ ַ ק ה'" מִ ן הוּא זֶה, שׁ ֶכָּ ל עַצְמוֹ שׁ ֶ ל יַעֲ קֹב אָבִ ינוּ עַ ל זֶה נִתְפּ ַ ּלֵל20: הַכּ ֹל: 15 בָּכֶ ם. כְּמוֹ שׁ ֶאַתֶּ ם רוֹאִ ים אֶתְ כֶ ם חֲשׁ וּקִ ים "וְ נָתַ ן לִ י לֶחֶ ם לֶאֱ כֹל וּבֶ גֶד לִלְבּ ֹשׁ ":

19. ברכות לג, ב. 20. בראשית כח, כ.  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  Of course, Moses is here addressing all the Jewish am.”79 And since, as we have noted,80 the souls of people. How was the apparent ease with which he all the Jewish people were present at Mount Sinai attained fear of God relevant to the rest of the peo- and received the Torah from God through Moses, ple—who were certainly not on his spiritual level? something of Moses’ soul is projected into the souls The answer is that indeed, every Jew contains with- of all Jews throughout all time. in him a “spark” of the soul of Moses. Moses was By virtue of this spark of Moses within us, every the “shepherd” of the Jewish flock, charged by God one of us can emulate him. When we reveal our with the task of conveying the Torah he received di- inner Moses, the fear of God does indeed become rectly from Him to the people—in all its facets, both relatively easy to attain. rational and supra-rational. In order to accomplish this feat, God made Moses’ soul a comprehensive Moses personified the ability to “know” God, as the one, in which the souls of all the people were rooted Torah testifies: “There was no other prophet who and which projected itself into the souls of all the arose among Israel like Moses, whom God knew face people. This is the allegorical interpretation of Mo- to face.”81 The Moses within us is thus our inborn abil- ses’ statement about “the people in whose midst I ity to reach profound levels of Divine consciousness.

79. Numbers 11:21; Likutei Torah 3:31d; Sefer HaMa’amarim 5732, p. 148. 80. On Exodus 20:1. 81. Below, 34:10.

61 122 Deuteronomy 10:12-18 eikev Response to God’s Mercy  Fifth Reading 12 And now, Israel, even though you rebelled against God all those times, what does God, your God, demand of you? Only that you exercise your free choice to revere God, your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve God, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 by keeping God’s commandments and rules, which I am commanding you today. Furthermore, He is not asking you to do this gratuitously, but for your own good, since He will reward you amply for your devotion. Indeed, it is only regarding your relationship with Him that He grants you free choice; everything else in life is predestined. 14 Behold, both the physical heaven and the spiritual heavens beyond the physical heaven, not to mention the earth and all that is on it, belong to God, your God. 15 Yet, out of the entire universe, God desired only your forefathers, to love them, and He chose their seed after them—you—out of all peoples, as you remain His chosen ones to this day. 16 You must therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart—i.e., cease to be cal- lous in the face of His love—and cease being stiff-necked. 17 For God, your God, is God over all divine beings and Lord over all earthly kings and lords, so you will never be able to appeal to any other power for protection from Him. He is the great, mighty, and awesome God, who will not be partial to you if you totally shirk your Divine mission, despite having promised to be partial toward you by overlooking occasional lapses.75 Nor will He accept a bribe if you try to appease Him by donating money to His causes if you totally shirk your Divine mission, even though paying a fine can atone for sins in certain other cases.76 18 Yet, despite His transcendence and omnipotence, He also concerns Himself with the lowly affairs of humanity, even its least powerful strata:He executes justice in behalf of the orphan and widow, and He showers love upon the resident alien by giving him bread and clothing even though he will not possess any land inheritance from which to earn a living. Do not underestimate the importance of food and clothing, for when your forefather Jacob was threatened by his enemies, the only material request he made of God besides physical protection was for these two things.77  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  12 Only to fear God, your God: Although in some would be embarrassed or ashamed to have Him see contexts, the “fear of God” mentioned in the Torah you do, a mere consequence of a much more signifi- could arguably mean “the fear that God will (or cant intensity of Divine consciousness. could) punish you,” in most cases it is clear that It is in this vein that the sages of the Talmud ask, “fear of God” refers to a palpable awareness of His referring to this verse, “Is the fear of Heaven, then presence; “fear,” in this context, is simply the fear such a small matter?” And they answer, “Yes, for that God would see you doing something that you Moses it is a small matter.”78

75. Numbers 6:26. 76. Exodus 21:30; Likutei Sichot, vol. 24, pp. 73-76. 77. Genesis 28:20. 78. Berachot 33b.

61 123 Fifth Reading עקב 19 םוַֽאֲהַבְּתֶ֖ אֶת־הַּגֵ ֑רּכִֽ י־גֵרִ ים֥ הֱיִיתֶ֖ ם ּבְאֶ ֥רֶ ץ מִצְרָֽ יִם:  ONKELOS  19 וְתִרְ חֲמוּן יָת ִ ּג ּיוֹרָ א אֲרֵ י דַ ּיָרִ ין 20 אֶת־יְהוָֹ ֧ה אֱֹלהֶ ֛יָךּתִירָ֖ אאֹת֣ ֹו תַֽ דעֲבֹ֑ ּוב֣ ֹו תִדְ ּבָ֔ ק הֲוֵיתוּן בְּאַרְ עָ א דְ מִ צְרָ יִם: 20 יָת יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך תִּדְ חַ ל וּקְדָ מוֹהִ י תִ פְ לָח ּובִׁשְמ֖ ֹו ּתִּׁשָבֵֽעַ : 21 הּ֥וא תְהִ ּלָֽתְ ָך֖ וְה֣ ּוא אֱֹלהֶ ֑יָך אֲׁשֶ ר־ וּלְדַ חַלְתֵּהּ תִּקְרַ ב וּבִשׁ ְמֵהּ תְּ קַ ּיֵם: ְ ְ עָׂשָ֣ה אִּתְָך֗ תאֶת־הַּגְדֹֹל֤ וְאֶת־הַּנֹֽורָ אֹת֙הָאֵ֔ ּלֶה ֥ראֲׁשֶ רָ א֖ ּו 21 הוּא תֻשׁ ְ בַּחְתָּ ך וְ הוּא אֱלָהָ ך דַּ עֲבַ ד עִמָּ ְך יָת רַ בְרְ בָתָ א וְ יָת עֵינֶֽיָך: 22 ּבְׁשִבְעִ ֣ים ׁשנֶ֔פֶ יָֽרְד֥ ּואֲבֹתֶ֖ יָך מִצְרָ ה֑יְמָ וְעַּתָ֗ ה חֲסִ ינָתָ א הָאִ ּלֵין דִּ י חֲזָאָ ה עֵ ְינָיך: 22 בְּשׁ ַבְעִ ין נַפְשׁ ָ ן נְחָ תוּ אֲבָהָתָ ְך ׂשָֽמְ ָך֙ יְהוָֹ ֣האֱֹלהֶ֔ יָךּכְכֹֽוכְבֵ ֥י הַּׁשָמַ֖יִם לָרֽ ֹב: 11:1 וְאָ ֣הַבְּתָ֔ לְמִ צְרָ יִם וּכְעַ ן שׁ ַ וְּ ְיָך יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך אֵ֖תיְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלהֶ ֑יָך וְׁשָֽמַרְ ּתָ ֣ מִׁשְמַרְ ּת֗ ֹווְחֻּקֹתָ ֧יו ּומִׁשְּפָטָ ֛יו כְּכוֹכְ בֵ י שׁ ְמַ ּיָא לְמִסְ ּגֵי: 11:1 וְתִרְ חַ ם יָת יְיָ אֱלָהָ ְך וְתִטַּ ר מַטְּרַ ת מֵימְרֵ הּ ּומִצְ יווֹתָ֖ ּכָל־הַ ּיָמִֽ ים: 2 וִֽידַ עְּתֶם֮ הַ ּיֹום֒ ּכִ ֣י | אֹל֣ אֶת־ּבְ נֵיכֶ֗ ם וּקְ יָמוֹהִ י וְדִ ינוֹהִ י וּפִקּוֹדוֹהִ י כָּ ל יוֹמַ ּיָא: 2 וְתִ דְּ עוּן יוֹמָ א דֵ ין אֲרֵ י לָא אֲׁשֶ֤ר ֹלא־יָֽדְ עּו֙ ֣רוַֽאֲׁשֶ ֹלֽא־רָ א֔ ּו אֶת־מּוסַ֖ר יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלֽהֵיכֶ ֑ם יָת בְּ נֵיכוֹ ן דִּ י לָא יְדָ עוּ וְדִ י לָא חֲזוֹ אֶ ת־ּגָדְ ל֕ ֹו אֶ ת־יָדֹו֙ ההַֽחֲזָקָ֔ ּוזְרֹעֹ֖והַּנְטּויָֽה: 3 וְאֶת־אֽ ֹתֹתָ יו֙ יָת אֻלְפָּ נָא דַּ ייָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן יָת רְ בוּתֵהּ יָת יְדֵהּ תַּקִּיפְתָּ א וּדְרָ עֵהּ מְרָ מְמָ א: וְאֶֽת־מַֽ יועֲׂשָ֔ אֲׁשֶ ֥ר העָׂשָ֖ ּבְת֣ ֹוְך מִצְרָ ֑יִם לְפַרְ עֹ֥ה מֶֽלְֶך־ 3 וְ יָת אַתְ וָתֵהּ וְ יָת עוֹבָדוֹהִ י דִּ י עֲבַ ד בְּגוֹ מִ צְרָ יִם לְפַרְ עֹה מַ לְכָּ א דְ מִ צְרַ יִם מִצְרַ֖ יִםּולְכָל־אַרְ צֽ ֹו: 4 וַֽאֲׁשֶ ֣ר עָׂשָ ה֩ לְחֵ֨ יל מִצְרַ֜ יִם לְסּוסָ ֣יו וּלְכָ ל אַרְ עֵהּ : 4 וְדִ י עֲבַ ד לְמַשּׁ ִרְ יַת ּולְרִ כְּב֗ ֹו ראֲׁשֶ֨ הֵצִ֜ יףאֶת־מֵ ֤ייַם־סּוף֙ עַל־ּפְ םנֵיהֶ֔ ּבְרָדְ פָ֖ם מִ צְרַ יִם לְ סוּסָוָתֵהּ וְלִרְ תִ כּוֹהִ י דִּ י אַטֵּ ף יָת מֵ י יַמָּ א דְ סוּף עַ ל אַפּ ֵיהוֹ ן אַֽ חֲרֵ יכֶ ֑םוַיְאַּבְדֵ ֣םיְהוָֹ ֔ה עַ֖ד הַ ּיֹ֥ום הַ ּזֶֽה: 5 וַֽאֲׁשֶ ֥ר עָׂשָ ֛ה בְּמִרְ דַּ פְהוֹ ן בַּתְרֵ יכוֹ ן וְאוֹבָדִ נּוּן יְיָ עַ ד יוֹמָ א הָדֵ ין: 5 וְדִ י עֲבַ ד לְכוֹ ן לָכֶ֖ם ּבַּמִדְ ּבָ ֑רעַד־ּבֽ ֹאֲכֶ֖םעַד־הַּמָק֥ ֹום הַ ּזֶֽה: 6 רוַֽאֲׁשֶ֨ עָׂשָ֜ ה בְּמַדְ בְּרָ א עַ ד מֵיתֵיכוֹ ן עַ ד אַתְרָ א לְדָתָ ֣ן םוְלַֽאֲבִירָ֗ נֵ ּבְ ֣י אֱלִיאָב֮ ּבֶן־רְ אּובֵ ן֒ ראֲׁשֶ֨ ּפָֽצְתָ ֤ה הָדֵ ין: 6 וְדִ י עֲבַ ד לְדָתָ ן וְלַאֲבִירָ ם בְּ נֵי אֱלִיאָ ב בַּ ר רְ אוּבֵ ן דִּ י פְתַ חַ ת הָאָ֨רֶ ץ֙ אֶת־ּפִ֔יהָ וַּתִבְ לָעֵ ֥ם וְאֶת־ּבָּֽתֵיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־אָֽ הֳלֵיהֶ ֑ם אַרְ עָ א יָת פּ ֻמַּהּ וּבְ לָעַתְ נוּן וְ יָת אֱ נַשׁ בָּתֵּיהוֹ ן וְ יָת מַשׁ ְ כְּ נֵיהוֹ ן וְ יָת כָּ ל וְאֵ֤ת ּכָל־הַ יְקּום֙ אֲׁשֶ ֣רּבְרַ גְלֵיהֶ֔ םּבְקֶ֖רֶ בּכָל־יִׂשְרָאֵֽ ל: 7 ּכִ ֤י יְקוּמָ א דִּ י עִמְּ הוֹ ן בְּגוֹ כָּ ל יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל: עֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ ת הָֽרֹאֹ֔ אֵ ֛ת ּכָל־מַֽ עֲׂשֵ ֥היְהוָֹ֖ה הַ ּגָד֑ ֹל אֲׁשֶ֖ר עָׂשָֽ ה: 7 אֲרֵ י עֵ ינֵיכוֹ ן חֲזָאָ ה יָת כָּ ל עוֹבָדָ א דַ ייָ רַ בָּ א דִּ י עֲבָ ד: 8 וְתִטְּ רוּן יָת כָּ ל 8 ּוׁשְמַרְּתֶ ם֙ אֶת־ּכָל־הַּמִצְ וָ֔האֲׁשֶ ֛ראָֽ נֹכִ ֥י מְצַּוְָך֖ הַ ּיֹ֑ום תַּפְקֶדְתָּ א דִּ י אֲ נָא מְ פַקְּדָ ְך יוֹמָ א דֵ ין בְּדִ יל דְּתִתְקְ פוּן וְתֵ עֲ לוּן וְתֵירְ תוּן לְמַ֣עַ ן ּתֶֽחֶ זְק֗ ּו ּובָאתֶ ם֙ וִֽירִ ׁשְּתֶ ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶ ץ ֥ראֲׁשֶ אַּתֶ ֛ם יָת אַרְ עָ א דִּ י אַתּ וּן עָבְרִ ין לְתַמָּ ן עֹֽבְרִ ֥ים ׁשָּ֖מָה לְרִ ׁשְּתָֽ ּה: לְמֵירְ תַהּ :  RASHI  19 כִּ י גֵרִ ים הֱיִיתֶ ם. מוּם שׁ ֶבְּ ָך אַ ל תּ ֹאמַ ר לַחֲבֵרְ ָך: הָאָרֶ ץ אֶ ת פִּיהָ ", וְ לֹא "פִּ ּיוֹתֶיהָ "? אָמַ ר לוֹ : וּמָ ה אֲנִ י 20 אֶ ת ה' אֱלֹהֶ ָיך תִּירָ א. וְתַ עֲ בֹד לוֹ וְתִדְ בַּ ק בּוֹ , וּלְאַחַ ר מְ קַ ּיֵם "בְּקֶרֶ ב כָּ ל יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל"? אָמַ ר לוֹ : שׁ ֶ נַּעֲ שֵׂ ית הָאָרֶ ץ שׁ ֶ ּיִהְ יוּ בְ ָך כָּ ל הַמִּ דּוֹ ת הַ ּלָלוּ, אָ ז "בִּשׁ ְ מוֹ תִּשּׁ ָ בֵעַ ": מִדְ רוֹ ן כְּמַשׁ ְפּ ֵ ְך, וְכָ ל מָקוֹ ם שׁ ֶהָ יָה אֶחָ ד מֵהֶ ם בּוֹרֵ חַ , 2 וִידַ עְתֶּ ם הַ יּוֹ ם. תְּ נוּ לֵב לָדַ עַ ת וּלְהָבִ ין וּלְקַבֵּ ל הָ יָה מִתְ ּגַלְ ּגֵל וּבָ א עַ ד מְ קוֹ ם הַבְּקִ יעָ ה: וְאֵ ת כָּ ל הַ יְקוּם תּ וֹכַחְתִּ י: כִּ י לֹא אֶ ת בְּ נֵיכֶ ם. אֲנִ י מְדַ בֵּ ר עַכְשׁ ָ ו, שׁ ֶ ּיוּכְ לוּ אֲשׁ ֶ ר בְּרַ גְלֵיהֶ ם. זֶה מָמוֹנוֹ שׁ ֶ ל אָדָ ם, שׁ ֶמַּעֲמִ ידוֹ עַ ל לוֹמַ ר: אָ נוּ לֹא יָדַ עְ נוּ וְ לֹא רָ אִ ינוּ בְּ כָ ל זֶה: 6 בְּקֶרֶ ב רַ גְלָיו: 7 כִּ י עֵ ינֵיכֶ ם הָ רֹאֹת. מוּסָ ב עַ ל מִקְרָ א הָאָ מוּר כָּ ל יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל. כָּ ל מָקוֹ ם שׁ ֶהָ יָה אֶחָ ד מֵהֶ ם בּוֹרֵ חַ , הָאָרֶ ץ לְמַעְ לָה22: "כִּי לֹא אֶת בְּ נֵיכֶם אֲשׁ ֶ ר לֹא יָדְ עוּ" וְגוֹ', כִּ י נִבְקַעַ ת מִתַּחְתָּ יו וּבוֹ לַעְתּ וּ, אֵ ּלוּ דִּ בְרֵ י רַ בִּ י יְהוּדָ ה. אִם עִמָּ כֶם אֲשׁ ֶר "עֵ ינֵיכֶם הָ רֹאֹת" וְגוֹ ': אָמַ ר לוֹ רַ בִּ י נְחֶמְ יָה: וַהֲ לֹא כְּבָ ר נֶאֱמַ ר21: "וַתִּ פְתַּ ח

21. במדבר טז, לב. 22. פסוק ב.

62 124 Deuteronomy 10:19-11:8 eikev

19 You, likewise, must show love toward the resident alien by not taunting him for being of inferior social status, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt and suf- fered for being of inferior status. 20 In general, you should strive to imitate God by imitating all facets of His loving- kindness. Accordingly, I am stipulating that this behavior be an additional aspect of the respect you must accord Him. Previously, I told you that you may only swear in His name if you revere Him and worship Him.82 Now, I am adding a third condition: Only if You revere God, your God, worship Him, and are attached to Him in love83 may you swear by His Name. 21 He deserves to be the object of your praise, because He is your God, who did these great and awesome things for you, as you have seen with your own eyes. 22 Your forefathers descended to Egypt with seventy souls, and now God, your God, has made you—relative to those seventy souls84—as abundant as the stars of heaven. 11:1 You must therefore reciprocate His love, and love God, your God, and guard His charge, rules, ordinances, and commandments, all the days, i.e., for all time. 2 Know and accept all that I am saying today, for I am not speaking with your children—who did not know and who did not see the chastisement of God, your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm, 3 His signs, and His deeds, which He performed in the midst of Egypt, to Pha- raoh, king of Egypt and to his entire land; 4 and what He did to the army of Egypt, to its steeds, and to its chariots, how He caused the waters of the Sea of Reeds to inundate them when they pursued you, and how God destroyed them, so that their army remains crippled to this day; 5 and what He did for you in the desert, until you arrived at this place; 6 and what He did to Dathan and Aviram, sons of Eliav the son of Reuben, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with their house- holds, their tents, and all the property that stood them on their feet (i.e., made them self-sufficient), in the midst of all Israel;85 and since your children did not know or see all this, they might question how I can exhort them to be faithful to God based upon all these things— 7 rather, it is with you that I am speaking, for your eyes have seen all the great work of God, which He did, as I have recounted. 8 Therefore, keep all the commandments that I am commanding you today, in order that you be strong and come take possession of the land that you are crossing into in order to possess,  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  Possessing this inner spark enables us all to contem- stantly, the depth of its impression upon those of plate and meditate upon God’s unlimited immanence us who indeed contemplate it profoundly makes it and transcendence and thereby awaken ourselves to relatively “simple” to reawaken this awareness at any a profound awareness of His presence. Even though time. Thus, “for [the] Moses [within us], it is indeed a we may not be able to sustain this awareness con- relatively small matter.”86

82. Above, 6:13. 83. Likutei Sichot, vol. 14, p. 55. 84. Likutei Sichot, vol. 19, p. 20, note 46; vol. 39, p. 1, note 8. 85. Numbers 16:32. 86. Tanya, chapter 42.

62 125 Sixth Reading עקב 9 ּולְמַ֨עַ ן ּתַֽ אֲרִ ֤ יכּו יָמִ ים֙ עַל־הָ ֣אֲדָ מָ֔ האֲׁשֶ ר֩ ענִׁשְּבַ֨ יְהוָֹ ֧ה  ONKELOS  9 וּבְדִ יל דְּ תוֹרְ כוּן יוֹמִ ין עַ ל אַרְ עָ א לַֽאֲבֽ ֹתֵיכֶ֛םלָתֵ ֥ת לָהֶ֖םּולְ זַרְ עָ ֑םאֶ ֛רֶ ץזָבַ ֥ת חָלָ֖ב ּודְ בָֽׁש: ס דִּ י קַ ּיִים יְיָ לַאֲבָהַתְ כוֹ ן לְמִתַּ ן לְהוֹ ן  ששי 10 ּכִ֣י הָאָ֗רֶ ץ אֲׁשֶ֨ ר אַּתָ ֤ה ה֙בָא־ׁשָּ֨מָ לְרִ ּהׁשְּתָ֔ ֹל֣ א וְלִבְ נֵיהוֹ ן אַרְ עָ א עָבְדָ א חֲלַב וּדְ בָשׁ : 10 אֲרֵ י אַרְ עָ א דִּ י אַתְּ עָ לֵל לְתַמָּ ן כְאֶ ֤רֶ ץמִצְרַ֨ יִם֙ הִ֔ וא אֲׁשֶ ֥ר יְצָאתֶ֖ ם מִּׁשָ ֑ם ֤ראֲׁשֶ ּתִ זְרַ ע֙ לְמֵירְ תַהּ לָא כְאַרְ עָ א דְ מִ צְרַ יִם אֶֽ ת־זַרְ עֲָך֔ וְהִׁשְקִ ֥יתָ בְרַ גְלְָך֖ ּכְ גַ ֥ן הַ ּיָרָֽ ק: 11 ץוְהָאָ֗רֶ אֲׁשֶ֨ ר הִ יא דִּ י נְפַקְתּ וּן מִתַּמָּ ן דִּ י תִ זְרַ ע יָת זַרְ עָ ְך וּמַשׁ ְ קַ ת לֵהּ בְּרַ ְגְלָך אַּתֶ֜ ם ֥ עֹֽבְרִ ים הׁ֙שָּ֨מָ לְרִ ּהׁשְּתָ֔ אֶ ץ֥רֶ הָרִ֖ ים ּובְקָ עֹ֑ת לִמְטַ ֥ר כְּ גִנְּתָ א יַרְ קָ א: 11 וְאַרְ עָ א דִּ י אַתּ וּן הַּׁשָמַ֖יִם ּתִׁשְּתֶה־ּמָֽיִם: 12 אֶ֕רֶץ אֲׁשֶ ר־יְהוָֹ ֥ה אֱֹלהֶ֖יָך ּדֹרֵ ׁ֣ש עָבְרִ ין לְתַמָּ ן לְמֵירְ תַהּ אֲרַ ע טוּרִ ין וּבִקְ עָ ן לִמְ טַ ר שׁ ְמַ ּיָא תִּשׁ ְתֵּ י מַ ּיָא: אֹתָּ֑ה ּתָמִ֗ יד עֵינֵ֨י יְהוָֹ ֤ה אֱֹלהֶ֨ יָךּ֙בָ֔ ּהמֵֽרֵׁשִ ית֙ הַּׁשָ נָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד 12 אַרְ עָ א דַּ ייָ אֱלָהָ ְך תָּ בַ ע יָתַהּ ְ אַֽ חֲרִ ֥ית ׁשָנָֽה: ס תְּדִירָ א עֵ ינֵי יְיָ אֱלָהָ ך בַּהּ מֵרֵישׁ ָ א דְּשׁ ַתָּ א וְעַ ד סוֹפָ א דְשׁ ַתָּ א: 13 וִיהֵ י 13 וְהָ יָ֗ה אִם־ׁשָמֹ֤עַ ּתִׁשְמְ עּו֙ אֶל־מִצְ י וֹתַ֔ ֧ראֲׁשֶ אָֽ ֛ינֹכִ מְצַ ּוֶ ֥ה אִ ם קַבָּלָא תְ קַבְּ לוּן לְפִקּוֹדַ י דִּ י אֲ נָא אֶתְ כֶ֖םהַ ּיֹ֑וםלְאַֽ הֲבָ֞ האֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֤ה אֱֹלֽהֵיכֶםּ֙ולְעָבְד֔ ֹו ּבְכָ ל־ מְ פַקֵּ ד יַתְ כוֹ ן יוֹמָ א דֵ ין לְמִרְ חַ ם יָת יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן וּלְמִ פְ לַח ֳקדָ מוֹהִ י בְּכָ ל לְבַבְכֶ֖ם ּובְכָ ל־נַפְׁשְכֶֽם: לִבְּכוֹ ן וּבְכָ ל נַפְשׁ ְ כוֹ ן:  RASHI  10 לֹא כְאֶרֶ ץ מִ צְרַ יִם הִ וא. אֶ ּלָא טוֹבָ ה הֵימֶ נָּה. הַשּׁ ָמַ יִם תִּשׁ ְתֶּ ה מָּ יִם"28, אַתָּ ה יָשׁ ֵ ן עַ ל מִטָּתְ ָך וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ וְ נֶאֶמְרָ ה הַבְטָחָ ה זוֹ לְיִשְׂרָ אֵ ל בִּיצִיאָתָ ם מִמִּ צְרַ יִם, בָּ ְרוּך הוּא מַשׁ ְ קֶ ה ְנָמוּך וְ גָבוֹהַּ , ּגָלוּי וְשׁ ֶאֵינוֹ ּגָלוּי, שׁ ֶהָ יוּ אוֹמְרִ ים: שׁ ֶמָּ א לֹא נָבוֹ א אֶ ל אֶרֶ ץ טוֹבָ ה כְּאֶחָ ת: כְּ גַן הַ יָּרָ ק. שׁ ֶאֵ ין דַּ י לוֹ בִ גְשׁ ָמִ ים, וּמַשׁ ְקִ ין אוֹתוֹ וְ יָפָ ה כָּזוֹ . יָכוֹ ל בִּ גְנוּתָהּ הַכָּ תוּב מְדַ בֵּ ר, וְכָ ְך אָמַ ר בָּרֶ גֶל וּבַכָּתֵ ף: 11 אֶרֶ ץ הָרִ ים וּבְקָ עֹת. מְשׁ ֻבָּ ח הָהָ ר מִ ן לָהֶ ם: לֹא כְאֶרֶ ץ מִ צְרַ יִם הִ יא, אֶ ּלָא רָ עָ ה הֵימֶ נָּה, הַמִּישׁ וֹ ר, שׁ ֶהַמִּישׁ וֹ ר — בְּ בֵ ית כּוֹ ר אַתָּ ה זוֹרֵ עַ כּוֹ ר, תַּ לְ מוּד לוֹמַ ר23: "וְחֶבְרוֹ ן שׁ ֶבַ ע שׁ ָ נִ ים נִבְ נְתָ ה לִפְ נֵי" אֲבָ ל הָהָ ר — בֵּ ית כּוֹ ר מִמֶּ נּוּ חֲמֵשׁ ֶ ת כּוֹרִ ין, אַרְ בָּעָ ה וְגוֹ ' — אָדָ ם אֶחָ ד בְּ נָאָ ן, חָ ם בָּ נָה צֹעַ ן לְמִ צְרַ יִם בְּנוֹ , מֵאַרְ בָּעָ ה שׁ ִפּ וּעָ יו וְאֶחָ ד בְּ רֹאשׁ וֹ : וּבְקָ עֹת. הֵ ן מִישׁ וֹ ר: וְחֶבְרוֹ ן לִכְ נַעַ ן, דֶּרֶ ְך אֶרֶ ץ אָדָ ם בּוֹ נֶה אֶ ת הַ נָּאֶ ה וְאַחַ ר 12 אֲשׁ ֶ ר ה' אֱלֹהֶ ָיך דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ . וַהֲ לֹא כָּ ל הָאֲרָ צוֹ ת כָּ ְך בּוֹ נֶה אֶ ת הַכָּ עוּר, שׁ ֶפְּסָלְתּ וֹ שׁ ֶ ל רִאשׁ וֹ ן הוּא הוּא דּוֹרֵשׁ , שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר29: "לְהַמְטִ יר עַ ל אֶרֶ ץ לֹא אִישׁ ", נוֹתֵ ן בַּשּׁ ֵ נִ י, וּבְ כָ ל מָקוֹ ם הֶחָבִ יב קוֹדֵ ם. הָ א לָמַדְ תָּ , אֶ ּלָא כַּבְ יָכוֹ ל אֵינוֹ דוֹרֵשׁ אֶ ּלָא אוֹתָהּ , וְעַ ל יְדֵ י אוֹתָהּ שׁ ֶחֶבְרוֹ ן יָפָ ה מִ ּצֹעַ ן. וּמִ צְרַ יִם מְשׁ ֻבַּחַ ת מִכָּ ל הָאֲרָ צוֹ ת, דְּרִישׁ ָ ה שׁ ֶדּוֹרְשׁ ָהּ , דּוֹרֵשׁ אֶ ת כָּ ל הָאֲרָ צוֹ ת עִמָּהּ : תָּמִ יד שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר24: "כְּ גַן ה' כְּאֶרֶ ץ מִ צְרַ יִם", וְ צֹעַ ן שׁ ֶבַ ח מִ צְרַ יִם עֵ ינֵי ה' אֱלֹהֶ ָיך בָּהּ . לִרְ אוֹ ת מַ ה הִ יא צְרִ יכָ ה וּלְחַדֵּשׁ הִ יא, שׁ ֶהָ יְתָ ה מְ קוֹ ם מַ לְ כוּת, שׁ ֶכֵּ ן הוּא אוֹמֵ ר25: "כִּ י לָהּ ְ ּגזֵרוֹ ת, עִתִּ ים לְטוֹבָ ה וְעִתִּ ים לְרָ עָ ה וְ כוּ', כִּדְ אִיתָ א הָ יוּ בְ צֹעַ ן שָׂרָ יו". וְחֶבְרוֹ ן פְּסָלְתָּהּ שׁ ֶ ל אֶרֶ ץ יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל, בְּ רֹאשׁ הַשּׁ ָ נָה30: מֵרֵשׁ ִ ית הַשּׁ ָ נָה. מֵ רֹאשׁ הַשּׁ ָ נָה נִדּוֹ ן מַ ה לְכָ ְך הִקְ צוּהָ לִקְ בוּרַ ת מֵתִ ים, וְאַ ף עַ ל פִּ י כֵ ן הִ יא ּיְהֵ א בְּסוֹפָהּ : 13 וְהָ יָה אִ ם שׁ ָ מֹעַ . "וְהָ יָה" מוּסָ ב עַ ל יָפָ ה מִ ּצֹעַ ן. וּבְמַסֶּכֶ ת כְּתֻבּוֹ ת26 דָּרְשׁ וּ בְּעִ נְ יָן אַ חֵ ר: הָאָ מוּר לְמַעְ לָה — "לִמְטַ ר הַשּׁ ָמַ יִם תִּשׁ ְתֶּ ה מָּ יִם": וְהָ יָה אֶפְשׁ ָ ר אָדָ ם בּוֹ נֶה בַּ יִת לִבְנוֹ הַקָּטָ ן וְאַחַ ר כָּ ְך לִבְנוֹ אִ ם שׁ ָ מֹעַ תִּשׁ ְמְ עוּ. אִ ם "שׁ ָ מֹעַ " בַּ ּיָשׁ ָ ן "תִּשׁ ְמַ ע" בֶּחָדָשׁ . הַ ּגָדוֹ ל, אֶ ּלָא שׁ ֶמְּ בֻנָּה עַ ל אֶחָ ד מִשּׁ ִבְעָ ה בְּ צֹעַ ן: אֲשׁ ֶ ר וְכֵ ן31: "וְהָ יָה אִ ם שׁ ָ כֹחַ תִּשׁ ְכַּ ח", אִ ם הִתְ חַלְתָּ לִשׁ ְכּ ֹחַ — יְצָאתֶ ם מִשּׁ ָ ם. אֲפִ ּלוּ אֶרֶ ץ רַ עְמְ סֵ ס וְאֶרֶ ץ ּגֹשׁ ֶ ן אֲשׁ ֶ ר סוֹפְ ָך שׁ ֶתִּשׁ ְכַּ ח כּ ֻּלָהּ , שׁ ֶכֵּ ן כְּתִ יב בִּמְ גִ ּלָה32: אִ ם תַּעַ זְבֵנִ י יְשׁ ַבְתֶּ ם בָּהּ , וְהִ יא בְּמֵיטַ ב אֶרֶ ץ מִ צְרַ יִם, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר27: יוֹ ם, יוֹמַ יִם אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ : מְ צַ וֶּה אֶתְ כֶ ם הַ יּוֹ ם. שׁ ֶ ּיִהְ יוּ עֲ לֵיכֶ ם "בְּמֵיטַ ב הָאָרֶ ץ" וְגוֹ ', אַ ף הִ יא אֵ ינָהּ כְּאֶרֶ ץ יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל: חֲדָשׁ ִ ים, כְּאִ ּלוּ שׁ ְמַעְתֶּ ם בּוֹ בַ ּיוֹ ם: לְאַ הֲבָ ה אֶ ת ה'. וְהִשׁ ְקִיתָ בְרַ גְלְ ָך. אֶרֶ ץ מִ צְרַ יִם הָ יְתָ ה צְרִ יכָ ה לְהָבִ יא שׁ ֶ ּלֹא תֹאמַ ר: הֲרֵ י אֲנִ י לוֹמֵ ד בִּשׁ ְבִ יל שׁ ֶאֶהְ יֶה עָשׁ ִ יר, מַ יִם מִ נִּילוּס בְּרַ גְלְ ָך וּלְהַשׁ ְ קוֹתָהּ , וְצָרִ ְיך אַתָּ ה לִנְדּ ֹד בִּשׁ ְבִ יל שׁ ֶאֶקָּרֵ א רַ ב, בִּשׁ ְבִ יל שׁ ֶאֲקַבֵּ ל שָׂ כָ ר, אֶ ּלָא מִשּׁ ְ נָתְ ָך וְ לַעֲ מֹל, וְהַ ְנָּמוּך שׁ וֹתֶ ה וְ לֹא הַ ּגָבוֹהַּ , וְאַתָּ ה כָּ ל מַ ה שּׁ ֶתַּ עֲ שֶׂ ה עֲ שֵׂ ה מֵאַ הֲבָ ה, וְסוֹ ף הַכָּבוֹ ד לָבוֹ א: מַעֲ לֶה הַמַּ יִם מִ ן הַ ְנָּמוּך ּלַגָבוֹהַּ . אֲבָ ל זוֹ — "לִמְטַ ר וּלְעָבְדוֹ בְּכָ ל לְבַבְ כֶ ם. עֲבוֹדָ ה שׁ ֶהִ יא בַ ּלֵב, וְזוֹ הִ יא

23. במדבר יג, כב. 24. בראשית יג, י. 25. ישעיה ל, ד. 26. קיב, א. 27. בראשית מז, יא. 28. דברים יא, יא. 29. איוב לח, כו. 30. יז, ב. 31. דברים ח, יט.

63 126 Deuteronomy 11:9-13 eikev

9 and in order that you prolong your days in the land that God swore to your forefathers that He would give to them and to their seed, a land flowing with milk and date- and fig-honey.  Sixth Reading 10 For the land to which you are coming to possess is not like Egypt, not even like the part of Egypt out of which you came—Goshen, which is the choicest part of Egypt.87 In Egypt, after you sowed your seed, you watered many of the fields manually, carrying water to them by foot—just as a vegetable garden cannot survive on rainwater and needs to be irrigated—since the natural overflow of the Nile did not reach all the fields by itself, and certainly not the fields that were higher than the river. 11 In contrast, the land that you are crossing into in order to possess is superior to Egypt. Whereas all the arable land in Egypt is level, the Land of Israel is a land of mountains and valleys, so you can cultivate their slopes and thereby produce more yield per area than is possible in Egypt. Furthermore, it is watered by the rains of heaven, which reach all elevations equally. You do not have to trouble yourselves to irrigate it manually. 12 It is the land that God, your God, watches over; only through watching over the Land of Israel does He watch over the rest of the world. The eyes of God, your God, are always upon it, from the beginning of the year—Rosh HaShanah, when the material fortune of the world is determined for that year88—to the end of the year, to see if the beneficence He apportioned it on Rosh HaShanah needs to be increased or decreased based on the merits of its inhabitants.” The Community’s Love of God 13 Moses then spoke in God’s name, articulating the conditions for receiving the Divine blessings he just mentioned as characterizing the Land of Israel: “Specifi- cally, if you, as a community,89 ensure that all the individuals that compose the community90 study My commandments continuously, reviewing them constantly in order not to forget what you have already learned and in order to better understand what you have yet to learn, and you study them with ever-fresh enthusiasm as if I am commanding them to you for the first time today,91 and you study the Torah out of love for God, your God, rather than out of any ulterior motive, such as reward or title, and in order to serve Him in prayer with all your heart and

 RASHI  תְ פִ ּלָה, שׁ ֶהַתְּ פִ ּלָה קְ רוּיָה עֲבוֹדָ ה, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר33: "אֱ לָהָ ְך לְפָ ָנֶיך": בְּכָ ל לְבַבְ כֶ ם וּבְכָ ל נַפְשׁ ְ כֶ ם. וַהֲ לֹא כְּבָ ר הִ זְהִ יר דִּ י אַ נְתְּ פּ ָלַח לֵהּ בִּתְדִירָ א", וְכִ י יֵשׁ פּ ֻלְחָ ן בְּבָבֶ ל? עַ ל כָּ ְך36: "בְּ כָ ל לְבָבְ ָך וּבְ כָ ל נַפְשׁ ְ ָך"? אֶ ּלָא, אַ זְהָרָ ה אֶ ּלָא, עַ ל שׁ ֶהָ יָה מִתְפּ ַ ּלֵל, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר34: "וְכַ וִּ ין פְּתִ יחָ ן לְ יָחִיד, אַ זְהָרָ ה לְצִבּ וּר: לֵהּ " וְגוֹ '. וְכֵ ן בְּדָ וִ ד הוּא אוֹמֵ ר35: "תִּ כּוֹ ן תְּ פִ ּלָתִ י קְ טֹרֶ ת

32. עיין מדרש שמואל פרשה א שהביא כן משם "מגילת חסידים". 33. דניאל ו, יז. 34. שם, יא. 35. תהלים קמא, ב. 36. דברים ו, ה.

87. Genesis 47:6, 11. 88. Leviticus 23:25. 89. Whereas above, 6:4 ff, the commandment is couched in the singular “you,” here it is couched in the plural “you.” 90. Sichot Kodesh 5729, vol. 2, p. 419. 91. Likutei Sichot, vol. 19, p. 233, note 48; vol. 24, pp. 192-193 (particularly note 42).

63 127 Sixth Reading עקב

 CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  created and sustained by God. Relative to the first The implications of these two levels of Divine con- paragraph, this experience is true “hearing,” since sciousness account for the differences in the two we are now “hearing” what is normally “heard”— versions of life as described by these two similar but God’s immanence. different passages.

the First Two Paragraphs of the Shema

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (parashat Va’etchanan) Deuteronomy 11:13-21 (parashat Eikev) 4 Hear, O Israel: God is our God, God is one. 5 You will love God, your God, with all your 13 If you study My commandments continuous- heart, and at the expense of your very soul, ly, as if I am commanding them to you today, out and with all your material means. of love for God, your God, and in order to serve Him in prayer with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 I will give the rain of your land both in its proper time, the early rain and the latter rain, and you will gather in your grain, wine, and oil. 15 I will give grass to your livestock in your field, you will eat and be sated. 16 beware, lest your heart be misled and you neglect the study of the Torah, and you worship insentient gods and prostrate yourselves before them. 17 If you do, the wrath of God will be kindled against you. He will close off heaven and there will be no rain, and the ground will not give back its produce. You will perish quickly from upon the good land that God is giving you. 6 These words that I command you today… 18 You must set these words of Mine upon your you will keep them upon your heart. heart and upon your soul. 7 You will learn for the sake of your students. You will discuss them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the way, when you lie down, and when you wake up. 8 You must bind them as a sign upon your You must bind them as a sign upon your weaker weaker arm and they must act as a reminder arm and they must act as a reminder between between your eyes. your eyes. 19 You must teach them to your children to speak with them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the way when you lie down and when you wake up. 9 You must inscribe this paragraph upon 20 You must inscribe this paragraph upon the the doorposts of your house and upon your doorposts of your house and upon your gates. gates. 21 In order that your days and the days of your children increase on the land that God swore to your forefathers to give them as the days of heaven above earth.

64 128 Deuteronomy 11:13 eikev with all your soul—but you nevertheless do all this only to the extent required of you, not going beyond that which is required of you and not exceeding your natural abilities,  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  13 If you study My commandments continu- Va’etchanan and parashat Eikev. ously: This paragraph appears in the daily liturgy The key to understanding the differences between as the second paragraph of the Shema (the first these aspects of relationship lies in the word used to paragraph being found toward the end of parashat describe the type of love for God that appears only 92 Va’etchanan ). As can be seen in the comparison giv- in the first paragraph of the Shema: “with all your Every other time this word appears in ”.(מאד) en here, it is similar to the first paragraph in many means ways—and even seems to repeat it—but there are a Scripture, it is used as an adjective meaning “very” number of significant differences: or “very much,” so that it might be translated here • The first paragraph is couched entirely in the as “your very much,” or “beyond your own abil- singular (each Jew is addressed individually), ity.” Thus, the contemplation that introduces the whereas the second paragraph is mainly couched first paragraph of the Shema is one that will lead us in the plural (i.e., the Jews are addressed as a to love God beyond our natural ability, while that community). presumed by the second paragraph will not. • In the first paragraph, we are commanded to love As has been discussed at length, Moses asked God God “with all your heart, with all your soul, and to grant us the unconditional gift of Divine “sight,” with all your means.” In the second paragraph, i.e., the direct perception of God’s transcendence. the third type of love—“with all your means”— This request was not granted, so he instead exhort- is not mentioned. ed us to “hear,” i.e., to contemplate and understand • Unlike the first paragraph, the second paragraph God’s transcendence intellectually. Moses then de- raises the issue of reward and punishment. scribed how our relationship with God will unfold based on this meditation. • Unlike the first paragraph, the second paragraph discusses the eventuality of exile and how Nonetheless, since that which we are exhorted to the Jew—even in such circumstances—can and “hear”—God’s transcendence—is the same as what should continue to serve God. Moses wanted us to “see,” this “hearing” is still relatively on the level of “seeing.” • In the first paragraph, the commandment to Therefore, this expectation is still not realistic, at learn the Torah is mentioned before the com- least on the popular level. Sustained contemplation mandment of tefilin, whereas in the second para- on the fact that there is Something and Someone graph, the order is reversed: the commandment that so transcends everything we see and know that of tefilin precedes that of learning Torah. it renders our apparent reality null and void is sim- • In the first paragraph, learning the Torah is ply too intense to demand of the average individu- mentioned with reference to teaching students, al. The Torah therefore asks us to sustain conscious- whereas in the second paragraph it is mentioned ness of God’s immanence, the aspect of His Divinity with reference to teaching one’s children. to which we can all relate much more readily. It is These differences mirror the diverse aspects of indeed reasonable to expect us to remain aware our relationship with God described in parashat that everything we see and know is continuously

inner dimensions [13] If you study: The fact that the first para- us to operate at a much higher level of Divine graph of the Shema is couched in the singular energy and existence. This is possible because of indicates that it is addressing the unique, singu- this aspect of the soul’s singular focus on God to lar essence of the Jew (the yechidah of the soul), the exclusion of all else. which—at least in the present order—lies latent, In the second paragraph of the Shema, which is deep within our Divine consciousness and is couched in the plural, we are addressed as a col- not normally evident. This aspect of the soul, in lection of various faculties and powers, i.e., at which we all identify ourselves as “a veritable the levels below our unique essence. Therefore, part of God,” knows nothing of the bounds of the commandment to express love for God “be- nature; therefore, when it does surface, it enables yond your natural ability” is not relevant.

92. Deuteronomy 6:7-8.

64 129 Sixth Reading עקב 14 וְנָֽתַּתִ֧ י מְטַֽר־אַרְ צְכֶ ֛ם ּבְעִּת֖ ֹו יֹורֶ ֣ה ּומַלְק֑ ֹוׁש וְאָֽסַפְּתָ ֣  ONKELOS  14 וְאֶתֵּ ן מְ טַ ר אַרְ עֲכוֹ ן בְּעִדָּ נֵהּ ְ 15 בַּכִּ יר וְלַקִּישׁ וְתִ כְנוֹשׁ עִבּ וּרָ ך דְ גָנֶָ֔ך וְתִ ירֹֽ ׁשְ ָך֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽ ָך: ֛ יוְנָֽתַּתִ עֵ ׂ֥שֶ בּבְׂשָֽדְ ָך֖ לִבְ הֶמְּתֶ ָ֑ך וְחַמְרָ ְך וּמִשׁ ְ חָ ְך: 15 וְאֶתֵּ ן עִ שְׂ בָּ א ְ ְ וְאָֽכַלְּתָ֖וְׂשָבָֽעְּתָ : בְחַקְ לָך לִבְעִירָ ך וְתֵ יכוּל וְתִ שְׂ בָּ ע:  RASHI  14 וְ נָתַתִּ י מְ טַ ר אַרְ צְכֶ ם. עֲ שִׂיתֶ ם מַ ה שּׁ ֶעֲ לֵיכֶ ם, אֶ ל הַבַּ יִת וְ לֹא אוֹ יְבֶ ָיך, כָּעִ נְ יָן שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר38: "אִ ם אֶתֵּ ן אֶ ת אַ ף אֲנִ י אֶעֱ שֶׂ ה מַ ה שּׁ ֶעָ לַי: בְּעִתּ וֹ . בַּ ּלֵילוֹ ת שׁ ֶ ּלֹא דְּ ְגָנֵך וְגוֹ ' כִּ י מְאַסְ פָ יו יֹאכְ לֻהוּ", וְ לֹא כָעִ נְ יָן שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר39: יַטְרִ יחוּ אֶתְ כֶ ם. דָּ בָ ר אַ חֵ ר: "בְּעִתּ וֹ ", בְּ לֵילֵי שׁ ַבָּתוֹ ת, "וְהָ יָה אִ ם זָרַ ע יִשְׂרָ אֵ ל" וְגוֹ ': 15 וְ נָתַתִּ י עֵ שֶׂ ב בְּ שָׂדְ ָך. שׁ ֶהַכּ ֹל מְ צוּיִין בְּבָתֵּיהֶ ם: יוֹרֶ ה. הִ יא רְ בִיעָ ה הַ נּוֹפֶלֶת שׁ ֶ ּלֹא תִ צְטָרֵ ְך לְהוֹלִיכָהּ לַמִּדְ בָּרִ ּיוֹ ת. דָּ בָ ר אַ חֵ ר: לְאַחַ ר הַ ּזְרִ יעָ ה, שׁ ֶמַּרְ וָ ה אֶ ת הָאָרֶ ץ וְאֶ ת הַ ּזְרָ עִ ים: שׁ ֶתִּהְ יֶה גוֹ זֵז תְּ בוּאָתְ ָך כָּ ל יְמוֹ ת הַ ּגְשׁ ָמִ ים וּמַשׁ ְ לִ ְיך וּמַ לְקוֹשׁ . רְ בִיעָ ה הַ ּיוֹרֶדֶ ת סָ ְמוּך לַקָּצִ יר לְמַ ּלֹאות לִפְ נֵי בְהֶמְתֶּ ָך, וְאַתָּ ה מוֹ נֵעַ יָדְ ָך מִמֶּ נָּה שׁ ְלֹשׁ ִ ים יוֹ ם הַתְּ בוּאָ ה בְּקַשּׁ ֶיהָ . וּלְשׁ וֹ ן "מַ לְקוֹשׁ " דָּ בָ ר הַמְּ אֻחָ ר, קֹדֶ ם לַקָּצִ יר, וְאֵ ינָהּ פּ וֹחֶתֶ ת מִ דְּ גָנָהּ : וְאָ כַלְתָּ וְ שָׂ בָעְתָּ . כְּדִ מְתַרְ ּגְמִ ינָן37: "וְהָ יָה הָעֲטֻפִ ים לְלָבָ ן" — "לַקִּישׁ ַ ּיָא". הֲרֵ י זוֹ בְּרָ כָ ה אַ חֶרֶ ת, שׁ ֶתְּ הֵ א בְּרָ כָ ה מְ צוּיָה בַּפּ ַ ת בְּתוֹ ְך דָּ בָ ר אַ חֵ ר: לְכָ ְך נִקְרֵ את "מַ לְקוֹשׁ ", שׁ ֶ ּיוֹרֶדֶ ת עַ ל הַמֵּעַ יִם. "וְאָ כַלְתָּ וְ שָׂבָעְתָּ ": הַמְּ לִילוֹ ת וְעַ ל הַקַּשּׁ ִ ין: וְאָסַפְתָּ דְ ָגָנֶך. אַתָּ ה תַּאַסְ פֶנּוּ

37. בראשית ל, מב. 38. ישעיה סב, ח ־ט. 39. שופטים ו, ג.  CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  discouraging descent from the utopia depicted in of teaching “students,” who can appreciate the val- the first paragraph. However, as we have seen be- ue of the Torah, while the second paragraph also fore, there is often an advantage to the apparently speaks of teaching “children,” who are still too im- lower scenario over the apparently higher one—in mature to appreciate its value. In teaching the im- the present case, of “hearing” over “seeing.”97 Con- mature, we address their intrinsic relationship with sciousness of God’s transcendence may indeed en- the Torah rather than their conscious recognition of gender a more comprehensive and absolute disso- its worth. lution of the will before God, but its disadvantage Nonetheless, despite its applicability to only the se- is that it is so beyond our natural consciousness lect few and its inherent flaw, the higher vision of that it cannot affect it or transform it. In contrast, our relationship with God remains part of the daily since consciousness of God’s immanence, in con- liturgy, even preceding the recitation of the lower trast, must by nature infuse itself into the very fabric of our mundane lives, it strikes much deeper vision. This fact reminds us that despite our limita- at the root of our natural consciousness and is far tions, we should still aspire to the future day when more effective in transforming it into Divine con- we will be able to overcome them, and moreover, sciousness. that we can now and again rise above our everyday selves and live life as if we belonged to the religious This explains, from another perspective, why ex- elite that live that way constantly. ile is mentioned only in the second paragraph but not in the first. When our relationship with God If you study My commandments continuously: is predicated solely on “sight,” its very perfection As was noted, the sages inserted the ancillary precludes compromise or provisional policies; it statement “Blessed be the name of the glory of His knows only of “either/or” logic. Thus, it cannot con- kingdom forever and ever” into our twice-daily ceive of performing the commandments during ex- liturgical recitation of the Shema. The purpose of ile; exile and any continued relationship with God this insertion is to focus our consciousness on our seem mutually exclusive. When, however, our rela- direct perception (“sight”) of God’s immanence tionship with God is attained through “hearing,” it within creation. Thus, although the Torah itself penetrates to our essential bond with Him; thus, in only requires us to “hear” rather than “see,” the its context, the particulars of circumstance are in- sages encourage us to “see” as much as we can— consequential and we can continue our relationship God’s immanence—in order that we benefit from with God even in exile. the advantages of direct perception as well as from For this reason, too, the first paragraph only speaks intellectual contemplation.98

97. See the Overview to parashat Va’etchanan. 98. Or HaTorah 166; Likutei Torah 3:42c; Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, p. 77, footnote 40; pp. 79-85; Sefer HaMa’amarim Melukat, vol. 4, pp. 6-7, vol. 5, p. 282.

65 130 Deuteronomy 11:14-15 eikev

14 I will reward you in a like manner:93 I will provide you with all your material needs, but only to the maximal extent possible within the limitations I have built into nature. Thus, I will give the rain in the manner best suited for your land to produce its yield: it will fall in its time—i.e., the time I have placed at its exclusive disposal (so to speak)—the nighttime, when people are not outdoors working the land. This way, you will be able to work the land by day unhindered by rain. Both types of rain necessary for an optimal yield will fall: the early rain, which falls after sowing-time, enabling the newly sown seed to germinate and grow; and the latter rain, which falls just before harvest-time, bringing the grain to full ripeness. You—rather than your enemies—will gather in your grain, wine, and oil. 15 In fact, I will give your land so much fertility that you will be able to harvest your grain a month early and use it as the grass you need to feed your livestock in your field, and by harvest time it will have grown back so you will still have enough to eat and be sated. And if you do not choose to use your grain for fodder, I will still give you the grass you need for your livestock in your own field, so you won’t have to lead them to other, far-away fields. In any case, even when you will eat a small amount of the bread that you bake from your grain, you will be sated by it.94 (In contrast, as I have told you,95 if you dedicate yourselves to your Divine mission beyond the call of duty, you will earn beneficence that exceeds the limitations of nature.96)

 CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  Sustained contemplation of God’s transcen- such a transcendent consciousness. In contrast, dence—Moses’ vision for the Jewish people in consciousness of God’s immanence in creation is the first paragraph of the Shema—is so intense the “consciousness for the masses”; therefore, the that fulfillment of God’s will is a given; there is second paragraph of the Shema is couched in the no need to mention reward and punishment, and plural. the possibility of exile is of course not even con- Since, at this less-intense level of Divine percep- sidered. Furthermore, the intensity of this Divine tion, we are entirely aware of our own existence, we consciousness enables us to transcend our innate are therefore susceptible to mistakenly putting our finitude and love God “beyond your natural abil- own perceived priorities ahead of those of the To- ity,” beyond our natural limits. When this is the rah. It therefore becomes necessary to delineate the case, we can all rely on ourselves and on our own consequences both of heeding and ignoring God’s personal experience of Divinity to ensure our com- call. Since we are fallible, reliance on our own effort mitment to God and His will. leaves room for the possibility of exile, and we need Similarly, learning Torah—relative to performing to look to each other for communal support to bol- the commandments—is a direct experience of God- ster our commitment to God’s will—another reason liness, inasmuch as through learning the Torah we this paragraph is couched in the plural rather than are granted a glimpse into God’s mind, as it were. in the singular. In this context, therefore, it is given precedence over the fulfillment of the Torah’s commandments. Similarly, the experience of fulfilling God’s commandments, relative to Torah study, is an indirect But the fact that this vision of reality is couched in experience of God; in this context, therefore, it is the singular alludes to the fact that it is ultimately given precedence over the study of the Torah. relevant only for select individuals, the spiritually gifted few who can indeed continuously sustain Thus far, the second paragraph seems to be a

93. Likutei Sichot, vol. 19, pp. 115-117. 94. Leviticus 25:19, 26:5; Cf. Genesis 23:2, 24:67. 95. Leviticus 26:3-13. 96. Likutei Sichot, vol. 19, pp. 115-120.

65 131 Sixth Reading עקב 16 ּוהִּׁשָֽמְר֣ לָכֶ֔ םּפֶן־יִפְּתֶ֖ הלְבַבְכֶ ֑םוְסַרְ ם ּתֶ֗ וַֽעֲבַדְ ּתֶ ם֙  ONKELOS  16 אִסְתַּמָּ רוּ לְכוֹ ן דִּ לְמָ א יִטְ עֵ י אֱֹלהִ ֣ים אֲחֵרִ ים֔ וְהִׁשְּתַֽ חֲוִיתֶ֖ ם לָהֶֽ ם: 17 וְחָרָ֨ ה אַ ף־יְהוָֹ ֜ה לִבְּכוֹ ן וְתִ סְ טוּן וְתִ פְלְ חוּן לְטַעֲוַת עַמְמַ ּיָא וְתִ סְ ְ ּגדוּן לְהוֹ ן: 17 וְ יִתְ קוֹ ף םּבָכֶ֗ וְעָצַ ֤ר אֶת־הַּׁשָמַ֨ יִם֙ וְֹלא־יִֽהְ יֶ֣ה רמָטָ֔ וְהָ ֣אֲדָ המָ֔ ֹל֥ א רֻ גְ זָא דַ ייָ בְּכוֹ ן וְ יֵחוֹ ד יָת שׁ ְמַ ּיָא וְ לָא יְהֵ י מִטְרָ א וְאַרְ עָ א לָא תִתֵּ ן תִּתֵ֖ ןאֶ ת־יְבּולָ ּ֑ה וַֽאֲבַדְ ֣םּתֶ מְ הֵרָ֗ ה מֵעַ ל֙ הָאָ ץ֣רֶ הַ ּטֹבָ֔ ה יָת עֲלַלְתַּהּ וְתֵיבְ דוּן בִּפְרִ יעַ מֵעַ ל ֥ראֲׁשֶ יְהוָֹ֖ה נֹתֵ ֥ן לָכֶֽם: 18 וְׂשַמְּתֶ ם֙ אֶת־ּדְ ֣ יבָרַ אֵ֔ ּלֶה עַ ל־ אַרְ עָ א טַבְתָ א דַּ ייָ יָהֵ ב לְכוֹ ן: 18 וּתְשׁ ַ וּוּן יָת פִּתְ ּגָמַ י אִ ּלֵין עַ ל לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וְעַֽל־נַפְׁשְכֶ ֑םּוקְׁשַרְ ם ּתֶ֨ ֤םאֹתָ לְאֹות֙ עַ ל־יֶדְ כֶ֔ ם לִבְּכוֹ ן וְעַ ל נַפְשׁ ְ כוֹ ן וְתִקְטְ רוּן יַתְ הוֹ ן לְאָ ת עַ ל יֶדְ כוֹ ן וִיהוֹ ן לִתְ פִ ִּ לין בֵּ ין וְהָ יּ֥ולְטֽ ֹוטָפֹ֖ת ּבֵ ֥ין עֵֽינֵיכֶֽם: עֵ ינֵיכוֹ ן:  RASHI  16 הִשּׁ ָמְ רוּ לָכֶ ם. כֵּיוָ ן שׁ ֶתִּהְ יוּ אוֹכְלִ ים וּשְׂ בֵעִ ים, הַ ּיִסּ וּרִ ין אַ גְלֶה אֶתְ כֶ ם מִ ן הָאֲדָ מָ ה, שׁ ֶ ּגָרְ מָ ה לָכֶ ם הִשּׁ ָמְ רוּ לָכֶם שׁ ֶ ּלֹא תִ בְעֲ טוּ, שׁ ֶאֵ ין אָדָ ם מוֹרֵ ד בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ לַחֲטֹא. מָשׁ ָ ל לְמֶ ְלֶך שׁ ֶשּׁ ָ לַח בְּנוֹ לְבֵ ית הַמִּשׁ ְתֶּ ה, וְהָ יָה בָּ ְרוּך הוּא אֶ ּלָא מִתּ וֹ ְך שְׂבִיעָ ה, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר40: "פּ ֶ ן תּ ֹאכַ ל יוֹשׁ ֵ ב וּמְ פַקְּדוֹ : אַ ל תּ ֹאכַ ל יוֹתֵ ר מִ ּצָרְ כְּ ָך, שׁ ֶתָּבוֹ א נָקִ י וְ שָׂבָעְתָּ , וּבְקָרְ ָך וְ צֹאנְ ָך יִרְ בְּ יֻן", מַ ה הוּא אוֹמֵ ר אַ חֲרָ יו? לְבֵיתֶ ָך. וְ לֹא הִשׁ ְ ּגִיחַ הַבֵּ ן הַ הוּא, אָ כַ ל וְשׁ ָתָ ה יוֹתֵ ר "וְרָ ם לְבָבֶ ָך וְשׁ ָכַחְתָּ ": וְסַרְ תֶּ ם. לִפְ רֹשׁ מִ ן הַתּ וֹרָ ה, מִ ּצָרְ כוֹ , וְהֵקִ יא וְטִ נֵּף אֶ ת כָּ ל בְּ נֵי הַמְּסִבָּ ה, נְטָ לוּהוּ וּמִתּ וֹ ְך כָּ ְך "וַעֲבַדְ תֶּ ם אֱלֹהִ ים אֲחֵרִ ים", שׁ ֶכֵּיוָ ן שׁ ֶאָדָ ם בְּ יָדָ יו וּבְרַ גְלָיו וּזְרָ קוּהוּ אֲחוֹרֵ י פּ ַלְטְרִ ין: מְ הֵרָ ה. אֵ ינִ י פּ וֹרֵשׁ מִ ן הַתּ וֹרָ ה הוֹ ְלֵך וּמִ דַּ בֵּ ק בַּעֲבוֹדָ ה זָרָ ה. וְכֵ ן דָּ וִ ד נוֹתֵ ן לָכֶ ם אַרְ כָּ א. וְאִ ם תּ ֹאמְ רוּ: וַהֲ לֹא נִתְּ נָה אַרְ כָּ א אָמַ ר41: "כִּ י גֵרְשׁ וּנִ י הַ ּיוֹ ם מֵהִסְתַּפּ ֵחַ בְּ נַחֲלַת ה' לֵאמֹר לְדוֹ ר הַמַּבּ וּל, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר43: "וְהָ יוּ יָמָ יו מֵאָ ה וְעֶ שְׂרִ ים ְלֵך עֲ בֹד" וְגוֹ ', וּמִ י אָמַ ר לוֹ כֵּ ן? אֶ ּלָא כֵּיוָ ן שׁ ֶאֲנִ י מְ גֹרָשׁ שׁ ָ נָה"? דּוֹ ר הַמַּבּ וּל לֹא הָ יָה לָהֶ ם מִמִּ י לִלְמוֹ ד, מִ ּלַעֲ סֹק בַּתּ וֹרָ ה, הֲרֵ ינִ י קָרוֹ ב לַעֲ בֹד אֱלֹהִ ים אֲחֵרִ ים: וְאַתֶּ ם יֵשׁ לָכֶ ם מִמִּ י לִלְמוֹ ד: 18 וְ שַׂמְתֶּ ם אֶ ת דְּ בָרַ י. אֱלֹהִ ים אֲחֵרִ ים. שׁ ֶהֵ ם אֲחֵרִ ים לְעוֹבְדֵ יהֶ ם, צוֹעֵ ק אֵ לָיו אַ ף לְאַחַ ר שׁ ֶתִּ גְלוּ הֱיוּ מְ ּצֻיָנִ ים בְּמִ צְוֹ ת: הַ נִּיחוּ תְּ פִ ִּ לין וְאֵינוֹ עוֹ נֵהוּ, נִמְ צָ א עָ שׂוּי לוֹ כְּ נָכְרִ י: 17 אֶ ת יְבוּלָהּ . וַעֲ שׂוּ מְ זוּזוֹ ת, כְּדֵ י שׁ ֶ ּלֹא יִהְ יוּ לָכֶ ם חֲדָשׁ ִ ים כְּשׁ ֶתַּחְ זְרוּ. אַ ף מַ ה שּׁ ֶאַתָּ ה מוֹבִ יל לָהּ , כָּעִ נְ יָן שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר42: "זְרַ עְתֶּ ם וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵ ר44: "הַ ּצִיבִ י ְלָך צִ ּיֻנִ ים": הַרְ בֵּ ה וְהָבֵ א מְ עָ ט": וַאֲבַדְתֶּ ם מְ הֵרָ ה. עַ ל כָּ ל שׁ ְאָ ר

40. דברים ח, יב ־יג. 41. שמואל ־א כו, יט. 42. חגי א, ו. 43. בראשית ו, ג. 44. ירמיה לא, כ.

 CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  16 Beware, lest your heart be misled and you ne- as a person allows this consciousness to lapse, he is glect (literally, “you turn away”) and you worship ipso facto tacitly ascribing at least some indepen- insentient gods: The Ba’al Shem Tov interpreted dent reality to creation. Having lost sight of the fact this verse to mean that the moment a person turns that God is the sole autonomous force in the world, away from God, he is already “serving idols.”107 he succumbs to the illusion that he should respect Divine consciousness encompasses the awareness lesser “deities,” whether these be celestial, natural, that God is the only true, intrinsic reality, and that or societal forces (such as wealth, power, and pres- everything else is contingent on His reality. As soon tige). This is a subtle but very real form of idolatry.108

99. Above, 8:11-17. 100. Rashi here and on 32:1, below. 101. Above, 8:19-20. 102. Genesis 6:3. 103. Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, p. 80, note 6. 104. Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, p. 80, note 9. 105. Rashi on 6:8, above, and on Exodus 13:16. 106. Above, 6:8. 107. Tzava’at HaRibash (ed. Kehot) 76. 108. Sichot Kodesh 5720, pp. 392-393.

66 132 Deuteronomy 11:16-18 eikev

16 Here again,99 beware, lest your heart be misled into spiritual insensitivity by this material abundance, as it is apt to be, and you consequently neglect the study of the Torah, and as a result, when you eventually seek to fill the spiritual void in your life, you worship insentient deities and prostrate yourselves before them. 17 If you fall into idolatry, the wrath of God will be kindled against you. He will close off heaven and there will be no rain, and the ground will even not give back as its produce the quantity of grain you sow it with. In addition,100 I will exile you; you will perish quickly from upon the good land that God is giving you, since that very land and its material bounty are causing you to rebel against Me.101 I will not give you any reprieve; although I gave the generation of the Flood reprieve,102 they had no one to learn from. You, however, should have learned from their example. 18 Therefore, you must set these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul: fulfill My commandments—both when you are in your land, in order to earn the right to remain there, and when you go into exile,103 in order to remain prac- ticed in them so they will not seem strange to you when you return.104 With regard to tefilin, I instruct you now to write this paragraph on a fourth parchment and place it in the remaining empty compartment of your head-tefilin (see Figure 1), and also to add this paragraph to the single parchment of your hand-tefilin (see Figure 2). Thus, you must bind them as a sign upon your weaker arm (see Figure 3) and they must act as a fourfold105 reminder on your forehead, above the point exactly between your eyes (see Figure 4).106

Figure 1. Manufacture of Head-Tefilin Figure 2. Manufacture of Arm-Tefilin

Figure 3. Wearing the Arm-Tefilin Figure 4. Wearing the Head-Tefilin

66 133 Seventh Reading עקב 19 וְלִּמַדְ ּתֶ ֥םאֹתָ ֛ם אֶת־ּבְ נֵיכֶ֖םלְדַ ּבֵ ֣רּבָ ֑ם ּבְׁשִבְּתְ ָך֤  ONKELOS  19 וְתַ ְּ לפוּן יַתְ הוֹ ן יָת בְּ נֵיכוֹ ן לְמַ ּלָלָא ּבְבֵיתֶָ֨ך֙ ּובְ לֶכְּתְ ָך֣ בַּדֶ֔רֶ ְך ּוֽבְׁשָכְּבְָך֖ ּובְקּומֶֽ ָך: 20 ּוכְתַבְּתָ ֛ם בְהוֹ ן בְּמִתְּ בָ ְך בְּ בֵיתָ ְך וּבִמְ הָכָ ְך בְּאָרְ חָ א וּבְמִשׁ ְ כְּבָ ְך וּבִמְקִימָ ְך: עַל־מְ זּוזֹ֥ות ּבֵיתֶ֖ ָךּובִׁשְ עָרֶֽ יָך: 21 עַ לְמַ֨ ןיִרְ ּב֤ ּו יְמֵיכֶם֙ וִ ימֵ ֣י 20 וְתִ כְתְּ בִ נּוּן עַ ל מְ זוּזְ יָן וְתִקְ בְּעִ נּוּן בְּסִפּ ֵ י בֵיתָ ְך וּבְתַרְ עָ ְיך: 21 בְּדִ יל בְ םנֵיכֶ֔ עַ֚ ל הָֽאֲדָ המָ֔ אֲׁשֶ֨ ר ֧ענִׁשְּבַ יְהוָֹ ֛ה לַֽאֲבֽ ֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לָתֵ ֣ת דְּ יִסְ ּגוּן יוֹמֵיכוֹ ן וְיוֹמֵ י בְ נֵיכוֹ ן עַ ל אַרְ עָ א דִּ י קַ ּיִים יְיָ לַאֲבָהַתְ כוֹ ן לְמִתַּ ן לָהֶ ֑ם ּכִ ימֵ ֥י הַּׁשָמַ֖יִם עַל־הָאָֽרֶ ץ: ס לְהוֹ ן כְּיוֹמֵ י שׁ ְמַ ּיָא עַ ל אַרְ עָ א:  שביעי ומפטיר 22 ּכִי֩ אִם־ׁשָמֹ֨ רּתִׁשְמְר֜ ּון אֶת־ּכָל־הַּמִצְ וָ ֣ה 22 אֲרֵ י אִ ם מִטַּ ר תִּטְּ רוּן יָת כָּ ל תַּפְקֶדְתָּ א הָדָ א דִּ י אֲ נָא מְ פַקֵּ ד הַ ּזֹ֗ אתאֲׁשֶ ֧ראָֽ נֹכִ ֛ימְצַ ּוֶ ֥ה אֶתְ כֶ֖ם לַֽעֲׂשֹתָ ּ֑ה לְאַֽ הֲבָ֞ ה יַתְ כוֹ ן לְמֶעְבְּדַ הּ לְמִרְ חַ ם יָת יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן לִמְ הַ ְך בְּכָ ל אָרְ חָ ן דְּ תָקְ נָן אֶ ת־יְהוָֹ ֧ה אֱֹלֽהֵיכֶ ֛םלָלֶ ֥כֶ תּבְכָל־ּדְ רָ כָ֖יו ּולְדָ בְקָה־בֽ ֹו: ֳקדָ מוֹהִ י וּלְאִתְ קָרָ בָא לְדַ חַלְתֵּהּ :

 RASHI  19 לְדַ בֵּ ר בָּ ם. מִשּׁ ָעָ ה שׁ ֶהַבֵּ ן יוֹדֵ עַ לְדַ בֵּ ר, לַמְּדֵ הוּ: לָתֵ ת לָהֶ ם. "לָתֵ ת לָכֶ ם" אֵ ין כְּתִ יב כָּ אן, אֶ ּלָא "לָתֵ ת "תּ וֹרָ ה צִ וָּ ה לָנוּ מֹשׁ ֶ ה"45, שׁ ֶ ּיְהֵ א זֶה לִמּ וּד דִּ בּ וּרוֹ . לָהֶ ם", מִכָּ אן מָצִ ינוּ לְמֵדִ ים תְּחִ ּיַת הַמֵּתִ ים מִ ן הַתּ וֹרָ ה: מִכָּ אן אָמְ רוּ: כְּשׁ ֶהַתִּ ינוֹ ק מַתְחִ יל לְדַ בֵּ ר אָבִ יו מֵ שִׂ יחַ 22 שׁ ָ מֹר תִּשׁ ְמְ רוּן. אַ זְהָרַ ת שׁ ְמִ ירוֹ ת הַרְ בֵּ ה, לְהִ ּזָהֵ ר עִמּ וֹ בִּ לְשׁ וֹ ן הַקּ ֹדֶשׁ וּמְ לַמְּ דוֹ תוֹרָ ה, וְאִ ם לֹא עָ שָׂ ה כֵ ן, בְּתַ לְ מוּדוֹ שׁ ֶ ּלֹא יִשׁ ְתַּכַּ ח: לָלֶכֶ ת בְּכָ ל דְּרָ כָ יו. הוּא הֲרֵ י הוּא כְּאִ ּלוּ קוֹבְרוֹ , שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר: "וְלִמַּדְ תֶּ ם אֹתָ ם אֶ ת רַ חוּם וְאַתָּ ה תְּ הֵ א רַ חוּם, הוּא ּגוֹמֵ ל חֲסָדִ ים וְאַתָּ ה בְּ נֵיכֶ ם לְדַ בֵּ ר בָּ ם" וְגוֹ ': 21 לְמַעַ ן יִרְ בּ וּ יְמֵ יכֶ ם וִימֵ י ּגוֹמֵ ל חֲסָדִ ים: וּלְדָ בְקָ ה בוֹ . אֶפְשׁ ָ ר לוֹמַ ר כֵּ ן, וַהֲ לֹא בְ נֵיכֶ ם. אִ ם עֲ שִׂיתֶ ם כֵּ ן יִרְ בּ וּ, וְאִ ם לָאו לֹא יִרְ בּ וּ, אֵשׁ אוֹכְ לָה הוּא, אֶ ּלָא הִדָּ בֵ ק בַּתַּ לְמִידִ ים וּבַ חֲכָמִ ים, שׁ ֶדִּ בְרֵ י תּ וֹרָ ה נִדְרָשׁ ִ ין מִכְּ לָל לָאו הֵ ן וּמִכְּ לָל הֵ ן לָאו: וּמַעֲ לֶה אֲנִי עָ ָלֶיך כְּאִ ּלוּ נִדְ בַּקְתָּ בּוֹ : 45. דברים לג, ד.

a closer look [20] You must inscribe: It is customary for the ity of the parchments in order to afford more on the expensive cases, since it is only the parchments (שדי) scribe to write God’s Name Shakai back of the mezuzah. The mezuzah is then rolled that fulfill the commandment and produce the up and positioned in its case with the word spiritual and physical effects the commandment Shakai facing outward.114 This Name can be seen is intended to provide. Hence the special impor- as an acronym for the words “Guardian of the tance of ensuring that all the mezuzot affixed to the doorposts of our homes and places of work 115.(שומר דלתות ישראל) ”Doors of Israel Although there is nothing wrong with encasing be written by skilled scribes in compliance with the mezuzot in ornamental or artistically crafted the strictest standards of Jewish law. cases, one should never scrimp with the qual-

INNER DIMENSIONS [20] You must inscribe: The letters that spell the the Jewish people), and which are reflected in -allude to the unique ideal of the husband and wife in the physical home it (מזוזה) word mezuzah preceding these two pronouns (מ) the Jewish home: self. The mem are the third-person feminine and mas- alludes to the Written Torah, which was given to זה and זו culine demonstrative pronouns (“this”), respec- Moses (in the form of the Ten Commandments, 116 tively. They thus allude to the male and female which include the entire Torah ) at the end of 40 principles in creation, which are most funda- days (40 being the numerical value of the letter mentally the cosmic groom and bride (God and mem), and the Oral Torah, which, as recorded

114. Zohar 3:228b, 258a 115. Etz Chaim, Sha’ar HaKelalim 4; Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez on this verse. 116. Exodus 20:1.

67 134 Deuteronomy 11:19-22 eikev

19 You must teach them to your children;109 in fact, teach your children to speak with them: converse with your children in Hebrew so it becomes their native tongue, and teach them the language using passages from the Torah. Let them see that the Torah’s teachings are your chief occupation: as above,110 each one of you should discuss them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the way; let them be your last concern when you lie down to sleep at night and your first concern when you awaken in the morning. 20 Every one of you must inscribe this paragraph, too, upon the parchment that I have instructed you111 to place in a container (see Figure 5) fastened to one of the doorposts of each door of your house and upon your gates (see Figure 6).

Figure 5. The Mezuzah and a Case Figure 6. The Mezuzah on a Doorpost 21 Fulfill My commandments and study My Torahin order that your days as a collective entity and the days of your children increase in the land112 that God swore to your forefathers to give not only to you, their descendants, but to them as well, when they will be resurrected in the messianic future, for as long as the days of heaven above earth, i.e., for all time.  Seventh Reading & Maftir 22 For if you take measures to safeguard all these commandments that I am commanding you, by studying the Torah’s instructions regarding how to perform them properly and not by forgetting what you have learned, and in order to love God, your God, and then to walk in all His ways by being merciful and kind—not only to the extent to which you have been explicitly commanded to be, but by imitating how He is merciful and kind beyond the ways He requires of you in His commandments—and finally to cleave to Him by constantly associating with the sages and teachers of the Torah,113

 CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  20 You must inscribe: We have just described how zuzah—a parchment inscribed with these passag- the first two paragraphs of theShema express the two es—to the doorposts of our homes, we affirm that facets of Divine consciousness that we are intended everything we possess and all aspects of our lives to maintain throughout our lives. By affixing a me- are infused with this dedication to God. [continues...]

109. Likutei Sichot, vol. 9, p. 33, note 3. 110. 6:7. 111. Above, 6:9. 112. Likutei Sichot, vol. 7, p. 159, note 8; vol. 9, p. 80, note 8. 113. Likutei Sichot, vol. 14, pp. 55-56, 59.

67 135 Seventh Reading עקב 23 וְהֹורִ֧ יׁש יְהוָֹ ֛ה אֶת־ּכָל־הַּגֹויִ ֥ם הָאֵּ֖לֶה מִּלִפְ נֵיכֶ ֑ם  ONKELOS  23 וִיתָרֵ ְך יְיָ יָת כָּ ל עַמְמַ ּיָא הָאִ ּלֵין וִֽירִ ׁשְּתֶ ֣ם ּגֹויִ֔ם ּגְדֹלִ ֥ים וַֽעֲצֻמִ֖ ים מִּכֶֽם: 24 ּכָל־הַּמָק֗ ֹום אֲׁשֶ֨ ר מִ קֳּ דָ מֵיכוֹ ן וְתֵירְ תוּן עַמְמִ ין רַ בְרְ בִ ין וְתַקִּיפִ ין מִ נְּכוֹ ן: 24 כָּ ל אַתְרָ א דִּ י ּתִדְר֧ ְֹךּכַֽף־רַ גְלְכֶ ֛ם ּב֖ ֹו לָכֶ ֣ם יִֽהְ יֶ֑ה מִ ן־הַּמִדְ רּבָ֨ וְהַּלְבָנֹ֜ון תִדְ רוֹ ְך פַּרְ סַ ת רַ גְלְכוֹ ן בֵּהּ דִּ לְכוֹ ן מִן־הַ ּנָהָ ֣רנְהַר־ּפְרָ֗ ת וְעַד֙הַ ּיָ ֣ם הָאַֽ חֲר֔ ֹון יִֽהְ יֶ֖ה ּגְבֻֽלְכֶֽם: יְהֵ י מִ ן מַדְ בְּרָ א וְלִבְ נָן מִ ן נַהֲרָ א נְהַ ר פְּרָ ת וְעַ ד יַמָּ א מַ עַרְ בָ א יְהֵ י 25 ֹלֽא־יִתְ יַּצֵ ֥באִ֖ יׁש ּבִפְ נֵיכֶ ֑םּפַחְּדְ םכֶ֨ ּומֹורַֽ םאֲכֶ֜ יִּתֵ ֣ן | תְ חוּמְ כוֹ ן: 25 לָא יִתְ עַתַּ ד אֱ נָשׁ יְהוָֹ ֣ה אֱֹלֽהֵיכֶ֗ םעַל־ּפְ נֵ ֤י ץ֙כָל־הָאָ֨רֶ אֲׁשֶ ֣רּתִדְרְ כּו־בָ֔ ּה ֳקדָ מֵיכוֹ ן דַּ חֲלַתְ כוֹ ן וְאֵימַתְ כוֹ ן יִתֵּ ן יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹ ן עַ ל אַפּ ֵ י כָ ל אַרְ עָ א דִּ י ּכַֽאֲׁשֶ֖ר ּדִ ּבֶ ֥ר לָכֶֽם: תִדְרְ כוּן בַּהּ כְּמָא דִּ י מַ ּלֵיל לְכוֹ ן:

קי"א פסוקים. אי"ק סימן. יעל"א סימן.

 RASHI  23 וְהוֹרִישׁ ה'. עֲ שִׂיתֶ ם מַ ה שּׁ ֶעֲ לֵיכֶ ם, אַ ף אֲנִ י אֶעֱ שֶׂ ה מִכָּ ל מָקוֹ ם. אִ ם כֵּ ן, מַ ה תַּ לְ מוּד לוֹמַ ר "אִישׁ "? אֲפִ ּלוּ מַ ה שּׁ ֶעָ לַי: וַעֲ צֻמִ ים מִ כֶּ ם. אַתֶּ ם ּגִבּוֹרִ ים וְהֵ ם ּגִבּוֹרִ ים כְּעוֹ ג מֶ ְלֶך הַבָּשׁ ָ ן: פַּחְ דְּ כֶ ם וּמוֹרַ אֲכֶ ם. וַהֲ לֹא "פּ ַחַ ד" הוּא מִכֶּם. שׁ ֶאִ ם לֹא שׁ ֶ ּיִשְׂרָ אֵ ל ּגִבּוֹרִ ים, מַ ה הַשּׁ ֶבַ ח שׁ ֶמְּשׁ ַבֵּחַ "מוֹרָ א", אֶ ּלָא "פּ ַחְדְּ כֶ ם" עַ ל הַקְּרוֹבִ ים, "וּמוֹרַ אֲכֶ ם" אֶ ת הָאֱמוֹרִ ּיִים לוֹמַ ר "וַעֲ צֻמִ ים מִכֶּ ם", אֶ ּלָא אַתֶּ ם עַ ל הָרְ חוֹקִ ים. "פּ ַחַ ד" לְשׁ וֹ ן בְּעִיתַ ת פִּתְ אֹם, "מוֹרָ א" ּגִבּוֹרִ ים מִשּׁ ְאָ ר אֻמּ וֹ ת, וְהֵ ם ּגִבּוֹרִ ים מִכֶּ ם: 25 לֹא לְשׁ וֹ ן דְּ אָ גָה מִ ּיָמִ ים רַ בִּ ים: כַּאֲשׁ ֶ ר דִּ בֶּ ר לָכֶ ם. וְהֵיכָ ן יִתְ ּיַצֵב אִישׁ וְגוֹ '. אֵ ין לִ י אֶ ּלָא אִישׁ , אֻמָּ ה וּמִשׁ ְפּ ָחָ ה דִּ בֵּר? "אֶת אֵימָתִ י אֲשׁ ַ ּלַח לְפָ ָנֶיך" וְגוֹ '46: וְאִשּׁ ָ ה בִּכְשׁ ָ פֶיהָ מִ נַּיִן? תַּ לְ מוּד לוֹמַ ר: "לֹא יִתְ ֵּ יַצב" חסלת פרשת עקב 46. שמות כג, כז.

INNER DIMENSIONS [continued...] in its seminal form as the Mishnah, the domestic harmony between husband and begins and ends with the letter mem. (The first wife as well as to that between God and the Jew- from when”]122 ish people, which is ultimately possible only“] מאימתי word of the Mishnah is -when their relationship is governed by the prin שלום and the last word in the Mishnah is [“peace”].123) The word mezuzah thus alludes to ciples of the Torah.124

122. Berachot 1:1. 123. Uktzin 3:12. 124. Benei Veitcha, p. 28 (from Kefar Chabad Magazine, issue 1163, p. 38).

68 136 Deuteronomy 11:23-25 eikev

23 then, in reward, God will drive out all these nations from before you. You will dispossess nations who are so strong that they are greater and stronger than you, even though you yourselves are mighty. 24 Every place upon which the soles of your feet will tread in order to conquer will be yours, even territory beyond your promised border, which will extend from the desert in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the ‘great’ river, the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean sea in the west.117 25 No one will stand up against you, not even a man as giant as Og. God, your God, will cast the immediate terror of you on those near you and the gnawing dread of you on all the inhabitants of the land upon which you tread, even those far away, as He spoke concerning you.”118

The Haftarah for parashat Eikev is on p. 239.

 CHASIDIC INSIGHTS  The mezuzah is affixed to the right doorpost because Divine consciousness inscribed on the mezuzah the right side is associated with love,119 as is stated are meant to accompany us when we leave our in the Song of Songs,120 “His right hand embraces homes, as well. This heightened Divine conscious- me,” and maintaining Divine consciousness, as ness protects us spiritually from the materialistic these passages assure us, inspires us to love God enticements of those aspects of the outside world with and through all aspects of our lives. that have yet to be rectified, and since every spiri- Affixing the mezuzah to the doorpost of the home’s tual reality finds expression in physical reality, the entrance—in addition to the doorposts of all inner mezuzah serves to protect us from physical harm, doorways—is an affirmation that the ideals and as well.121

117. Numbers 34:1-15. 118. Exodus 23:27. 119. See on Genesis 1:1 (Inner Dimensions). 120. 2:6, 8:3. 121. Torah Or 42c; Sefer HaMa’amarim Melukat, vol. 5, pp. 48-49.

68 137 Dedicated in honor of our children Nathan, Yitzchok, Moshe Lev, and Gilana

May you continue to grow in the ways of our holy Torah Yuri and Deana Pikover