Ekev

Dvorim 8: hints to the holidays

עַל-הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן-לָךְ.

10 And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee.

יא  הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ, פֶּן-תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם.

11 Beware lest thou forget the LORD thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His ordinances, and His statutes, which I command thee this day;

יב  פֶּן-תֹּאכַל, וְשָׂבָעְתָּ; וּבָתִּים טֹבִים תִּבְנֶה, וְיָשָׁבְתָּ.

12 lest when thou hast eaten and art satisfied, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

יג  וּבְקָרְךָ וְצֹאנְךָ יִרְבְּיֻן, וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב יִרְבֶּה-לָּךְ; וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-לְךָ, יִרְבֶּה.

13 and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

יד  וְרָם, לְבָבֶךָ; וְשָׁכַחְתָּ אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים.

14 then thy heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;

טו  הַמּוֹלִיכְךָ בַּמִּדְבָּר הַגָּדֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא, נָחָשׁ שָׂרָף וְעַקְרָב, וְצִמָּאוֹן, אֲשֶׁר אֵין-מָיִם; הַמּוֹצִיא לְךָ מַיִם, מִצּוּר הַחַלָּמִישׁ.

15 who led thee through the great and dreadful wilderness, wherein were serpents, fiery serpents, and scorpions, and thirsty ground where was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

טז  הַמַּאֲכִלְךָ מָן בַּמִּדְבָּר, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדְעוּן אֲבֹתֶיךָ:  לְמַעַן עַנֹּתְךָ, וּלְמַעַן נַסֹּתֶךָ--לְהֵיטִבְךָ, בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ.

16 who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might afflict thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

יז  וְאָמַרְתָּ, בִּלְבָבֶךָ:  כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי, עָשָׂה לִי אֶת-הַחַיִל הַזֶּה.

17 and thou say in thy heart: 'My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth.'

יח  וְזָכַרְתָּ, אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ, לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל:  לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת-בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר-נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ, כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  {פ}

18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God, for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day. {P}

יט  וְהָיָה, אִם-שָׁכֹחַ תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְהָלַכְתָּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, וַעֲבַדְתָּם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לָהֶם--הַעִדֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם, כִּי אָבֹד תֹּאבֵדוּן.

19 And it shall be, if thou shalt forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I forewarn you this day that ye shall surely perish.

כ  כַּגּוֹיִם, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה מַאֲבִיד מִפְּנֵיכֶם--כֵּן, תֹּאבֵדוּן:  עֵקֶב לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּן, בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.  {פ}

20 As the nations that the LORD maketh to perish before you, so shall ye perish; because ye would not hearken unto the voice of the LORD your God. {P}

"All I want is your love" (forever):                                    edited 2025

This is what we would hear God saying if we listen closely to what the Torah is teaching (in this week's portion, 'Ekev').

One of the great Jewish mystics taught that the reason God created humanity was for us to...

to be incredibly spiritual?

well, kinf of...

To give thanks to God every day, and be very grateful for what we have?

well, kind of...

Actaully according to Ramchal (Luzzato: see source below) the reason God created humanity was for us to be able to feel the deepest possible joy.

Amazing!

But how are we able to attain that state?

In this week's portion, Moses relays what God wants from us, and various mystical sources amplify the message.

In a way, what the parsha relates of what God wants from us - the words of Moshe Rabenu (Moses) not long before his death, later recorded in the Torah via God's dictation, ie ratified by God - begins with what sounds like the dreaded list we may hear in a relationship. It starts with "all I want is", but the continuation is a long list! [Dvarim (Deut) 10:12-13]:

"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but

• to fear the LORD thy God,

• to walk in all His ways,

• and to love Him,

• and to serve the LORD thy God

• with all thy heart and with all thy soul;

• to keep the commandments of the LORD,

• and His statutes, which I command thee this day..........

• Deuteronomy Chapter 10 דְּבָרִים

• יב וְעַתָּה, יִשְׂרָאֵל--מָה ה' אֱ'ךָ שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ: כִּי אִם-לְיִרְאָה אֶת-ה' אֱ'ךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל-דְּרָכָיו, וּלְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ, וְלַעֲבֹד אֶת-ה' אֱ'ךָ, בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשֶׁךָ.

• 12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul;

• יג לִשְׁמֹר אֶת-מִצְוֺת ה', וְאֶת-חֻקֹּתָיו, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם - לְטוֹב לָךְ.

• 13 to keep the commandments of the LORD, and His statutes, which I command thee this day

Some list! How can such a list legitimately start with "All God asks is......"!

However, the key is the next two words, giving the purpose of this list:

13 to keep the commandments ....."letov lecha"

- for thy good!

And it is exactly this last part which is amplified by the mystics, who explain that it means that by following that path the soul will obtain the greatest possible joy.

.

Love, and more: Firstly, note that in addition to what rulers and alleged deities might say they want - like obedience and respect and taxes and that's basically it- God wants our love! And to create in ourselves the capacity for feeling God's love for us! And that's the key to the divine human relationship, which is founded on mutual love. [see the song which swept Israel in the difficult period not long after the start of the War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6X6sAEdeE8... , https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LqHMzbHHIH0 , singing it for the rabbi who composed the words, and the one sang it for him first https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Jz5ARNl8ZZE ]

Note that in 11:22 the passage has a similar list but adds " uledovko bo" "to cling(cleave un)to" God., uing the same term for 'cleave' as is used when God tells the newly-created man and woman that they are meant to cleave unto each other, 'to be one flesh'.

In addition to love, the list informs us that we also have to have some of the 'fear' or 'trepidation' that in a relationship comes from respect for the other and from not taking the relationship for granted (like in a relationship, it sometimes helps if there's some 'fear' of losing the closeness). When love has a little of this fear/respect added, the rest will follow naturally, and in the case of the human-God relationship we on our side will WANT to keep all the commandments, we will WANT to serve God with all our hear and soul

So the key to understanding the mystical intent of this passage is that it is talking of a bond, a mutual relationship.

.

The Mystical interpretation

As opposed to most relationships, the human-God one is meant to be eternal, and that's where the mystics step in:

Based on the usage of the term 'uledavka bo' mentioned above we can see that the relationship God seeks with us is intimate and personal and mutual, and in the mystical sense, it is a form of union (of our soul with its essence, as we are told in Genesis that God infused dust ie (the material aspect) with the divine breath, thus fashioning a human.

And, as opposed to most relationships, the human-God one is meant to be eternal - which is possible since the connection is at the level of the spiritual essence of humanity - as the mystics write:

• Interpreting the wors "for your good", Rabbenu Ib Ezra writes: "Basof; ve-zeh sod gadol" = "In the end. And this is a great (mystical) secret". ie God tells us that this is meant to be 'for your good' in the 'end', in a mystical sense (ie it is about your soul's joy not that of your body).

• The pre-eminent mystical Biblical commentator the holy Ramban ('Nachmanides') refers to Ibn Ezra about this, and refers to the Kuzari's saying that a human being is a vessel for the shchinah (divine presence), saying that some people are at the level where even when alive they are "tzrurim bitzror hachayim" "tied/connected to the life-source", a phrase that more usually refers to those who have departed this world, so this is a hint to the eternal aspect of the relationship, or of its benefit (ie 'for your good'), and for our ability to feel it even when in our body.

• The passage quoted earlier (10:12-13) is quoted by R Luzatto, ("Ramchal"), the holy "Mesilas Yesharim" in his book of that name: this passage is basically the Biblical source for the mystical quest of inner development that he outlines in the book. He bases everything on the principle that the reason God created humanity was for them to feel the deepest possible joy. (If nothing ealse, read the introduction he wrote to the book)

Well, if we were all created in order to feel the greatest joy, how do we attain this joy?

The holy Ramchal (Luzatto) explains that we attain this by developing ourselves through Torah observance and intensive step-by-step character-refinement to the point where after we leave our body we are able to maximally cling to God, thus existing (eternally) in the state of the greatest possible joy.

.

Conclusion: So the key to understanding what God wants from us, as outlined in the list in the passage in this week's portion, is to understand that more than what God wants FROM us, it is about what God wants FOR us (in life, and especially in the post-death state); as the last words of the passage above state: "letov lecha" "for your good" or "so that it will be good for you", eternally.

.

May we be blessed to be motivated to work on improving our character attributes as outlined in the 'Mesiallt yesharim", working assiduously towards the goal of reaching the refined state where we can feel even now, and especially to be ready, at the appointed time, to most fully experience this great wondrous gift of the highest possible joy.

An inner meaning of this parsha's name "ekev".  The parsha open with "ekev tishme'un" "if you will harken" to God, and later has the opposite "" 8:20 עֵקֶב לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּן, בְּקוֹל ה' אֱלֹ-כֶם.  20", being ejected from the Land if God's voice is NOT harkened to. Let's investigate the word "ekev" and its significance, including to the Promise of the Land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

Jacob, the ancestor of the Jewish People , was given what seems to be a derogatory name based on the word "akev/heel"- presumably by his father; the name means 'will heel' = 'Ya-akov' after he emerges in birth holding Esav's heel ("akev Esav"). Note that EKEV and AKEV are spelled completely identically in the Torah.

Esav even refers to this name and its meaning later on, regarding the selling of the birthright for porridge incident and the taking of the blessings, when he says "Yes, he 'heeled' me twice". How can it be that Holy Forefather Isaac could give his son such a name? 

One clue is that right after Isaac was brought to the akedah (sacrifice) by Abraham, God says "All nations will be blessed via your descendants since (ekev) you listened to my voice". Gen  22:18  והתברכו בזרעך כל גויי הארץ עקב אשר שמעת בקלי

So to Isaac, the word EKEV must have had tremendous significance, especially as applied to his descendants, ie those fathered by his as yet unborn son, whom he named based on this term. And when he saw his son emerge holding the heel of his brother, it may well have had deep significance, and giving a name based on it seemed portentous rather than derogatory. [There's also a deep reference to Genesis in all this.]

Isaac was distinguished from his father Abraham and son Yaakov in that God explicitly requests that he not leave the Land (despite hardship there), and in the context of that request/command by God to Isaac, God ratifies the promise of the Land to his descendants, and again uses the term 'ekev': "since (ekev) Abraham listened to my voice" 25:5  עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקלי וישמר משמרתי מצותי חקותי ותורתי , and so the Promise to Abraham and his descendants including of course Isaac, given due to 'the binding of Isaac', is again tied to the word 'ekev'.

So it is particularly appropriate that in this parsha, which begins with "and it will be 'ekev' you will listen", there is also the opposite of this first passage - the passage (8:20) warning the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob lest they NOT hearken to God's voice, that they will be ejected from the Land just as were its former inhabitants: " 8: עֵקֶב לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּן, בְּקוֹל ה' אֱלֹ-כֶם.  20". "since/as a result of (ekev) NOT listening to the voice of God".

May we all merit to hear the voice of God clearly, and merit thereby to live as a People in our Land! 

……………...............

The moral: 

May we be blessed with the inner resources, and "good eyes", to see the true meanings of events, and the underlying patterns in history and in our lives; and may our names always have positive meaning!

AR: Is there any hint to Ya'akov, ekev: My vort was that he got name as reference to Avraham: "ekev ahser shama lekoli" so this parsha, since it talks about " ekev tishme'un" ie "listening to H" but is ther  mention of  H's "voice".. "which he promised to your fathers" ie a ref to Avraham & Yakov? 10:15 "rak ba'avosecha chashak H leahava otam, vayivchar bezar'am  acharehem"

But is there a ref to "asher shamatem lekoli" or a warning that they must, this parsha seems to miss out on these words re 'voice'?

……

Rivalry between man & woman, and humans and snake:  הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ, וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב

But where do we see a head and a heel together? Yakov's head under Esav's heel as they are born!, Yakov is holding Esav's heel, ie Esav's heel is perhaps trying to crush Yakov's hand, and the hand is trying to prevent the heel from hitting it, not trying to pull itself out first!!!

....

..

Genesis 3 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ, וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב. {ס} 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0103.htm

Deuteronomy 8 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

עֵקֶב לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּן, בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. {פ} 20 As the nations that the LORD maketh to perish before you, so shall ye perish;

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0508.htm

Deuteronomy 7 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

P} יב וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן, אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה, וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם, אֹתָם--

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0507.htm

Genesis 49 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

S} יט גָּד, גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ; וְהוּא, יָגֻד עָקֵב. {ס} 19 Gad, a troop shall troop upon him; but he shall troop upon their heel. {S} כ

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0149.htm

Numbers 14 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

see it. כד וְעַבְדִּי כָלֵב, עֵקֶב הָיְתָה רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת עִמּוֹ, וַיְמַלֵּא, אַחֲרָי--וַהֲבִיאֹתִיו,

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0414.htm

Isaiah 5 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

כג מַצְדִּיקֵי רָשָׁע, עֵקֶב שֹׁחַד; וְצִדְקַת צַדִּיקִים, יָסִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ. {פ} 23 That justify the wicked

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1005.htm

Jeremiah 17 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

ט עָקֹב הַלֵּב מִכֹּל, וְאָנֻשׁ הוּא; מִי, יֵדָעֶנּוּ. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceeding weak--who can know

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1117.htm

Hosea 12 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

Jacob according to his ways, according to his doings will He recompense him. ד בַּבֶּטֶן, עָקַב אֶת-אָחִיו; וּבְאוֹנוֹ, שָׂרָה אֶת-

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1312.htm

2 Samuel 12 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

ו וְאֶת-הַכִּבְשָׂה, יְשַׁלֵּם אַרְבַּעְתָּיִם: עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר ... עַד-עוֹלָם: עֵקֶב, כִּי בְזִתָנִי

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt08b12.htm

Psalms 119 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

P} לג הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה, דֶּרֶךְ חֻקֶּיךָ; וְאֶצְּרֶנָּה עֵקֶב. 33 HE. ... חֻקֶּיךָ-- לְעוֹלָם עֵקֶב. 112 I

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26b9.htm

Psalms 70 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

ד יָשׁוּבוּ, עַל-עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם-- הָאֹמְרִים, הֶאָח הֶאָח. 4 Let them be turned back by reason of their shame that say: 'Aha, aha

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2670.htm

Proverbs 22 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the thoughtless pass on, and are punished. ד עֵקֶב עֲנָוָה, יִרְאַת יְהוָה; עֹשֶׁר

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2822.htm

Psalms 19 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

יב גַּם-עַבְדְּךָ, נִזְהָר בָּהֶם; בְּשָׁמְרָם, עֵקֶב רָב. 12 Moreover by them is Thy servant warned; in keeping of them there is

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2619.htm

Psalms 41 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

הִגְדִּיל עָלַי עָקֵב. 10 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, {N}hath lifted up his heel against me. יא

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2641.htm

Psalms 40 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

N}let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that delight in my hurt. טז יָשֹׁמּוּ, עַל-עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם-- הָאֹמְרִים לִי,

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2640.htm

Amos 4 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

Me, saith the LORD. יב לָכֵן, כֹּה אֶעֱשֶׂה-לְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל: עֵקֶב כִּי-זֹאת אֶעֱשֶׂה-לָּךְ, הִכּוֹן

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1504.htm

Genesis 26 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

ה עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר-שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי; וַיִּשְׁמֹר, מִשְׁמַרְתִּי, מִצְו תַי, חֻקּוֹתַי

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0126.htm

Genesis 22 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre

יח וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ, כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ, עֵקֶב, אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי. 18 and in thy seed

www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0122.htm  

……….

לדעת את אשר בלבבך.

"למען ענותך לנסותך לדעת את אשר בלבבך התשמור מצוותיו אם לא" (דברים ח' ב').

מכאן אנו רואים שכביכול ה' אינו יודע את הנמצא בלבבו של האדם אם יחטא האדם או לא (הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים). וכן הנאמר בבראשית "לראות מה יקרא לו" (י"ב י"ט).

:

9:28 MR telling how he had davened to hashem not to destroy BY so that Mizrayim wont be able to say Hashem couldn’t save them…like earlier, when chumash describes it happening and "Lamah yomri mitzratim ayeh elohehem". Maybe this is reason hashem saved pharoh from yam suf, so that he could be used as a reason to save BY.

Ch 11: long beginning, not your children who didn’t see…..(list of things your children didn’t see) 11:7: but YOUR eyes saw…11:12 a land on which God's eyes are always on it. Then:

'vehaya im shamoa' of the 'shma'

…………

פרשת עקב ח:ג­ב: "לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם כי על מוצא פי ב'" :משה רבנו: "לחם לא אכלתי (ארבעים יום) ­­¼הוא חיממש אל מיצא פי ה'¡

על כל מוצא פי ה' יחיה האדם.~ (להעביר לחלק של דברים)

"כי לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם כי על כל מוצא פי ה' יחיה האדם" (דברים ח' ג').

יתכן וזהו רמז לעץ החיים ולגן עדן ול"בזיעת אפך תאכל לחם".

לפני החטא אכלו מהעצים אותם הצמיח ה' בגן כפי שאומר הפסוק:

"ויאמר אלוקים תדשא הארץ... ותוצא הארץ... ועץ"

העץ מוצא מהארץ עך פי ה' והאימרה "ויאמר אלוקים" הינה מוצא פי ה' כך שהעצים הם "מוצא פי ה'" ובמיוחד עץ החיים אותו הצמיח ה' בעצמו.

מאז שחטא האדם כשאין את עץ החיים שהוא מוצא פי ה' ו'בזעת אפנו נוכל לחם' בכל זאת:

"לא על הלחם לבדו יחיה האדם כי על כל מוצא פי ה' יחיה האדם".