Eikev, עֵקֶב  "As a Consequence"   Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25

Ekev / Resurrection Shema

Poetic Notes On The Parashat Ekev*

The mitzvot are made for the land

and the land for the mitzvot

In the beginning and in the end

the land and the mitzvot are one

Through the mitzvot 

the land is planted

planted and cultivated

and grown to be the holy garden

With spiritual and natural fruit

harvested in peace with abundance

This is your inheritance

Oh Israel

It is written in the will and testament

of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

Moses stood in the role 

of its executor

the role of Mashiach

saying to the children of Israel

God gave you manna

to sustain you in the desert

And He gave you mitzvot 

the mitzvot of His mouth

to sustain you in the Land

so you may inherit the milk and honey

the miracles and mercies of the Holy Land

That you might transform its wheat 

barely, grapes and figs

pomegranates, olives and dates

into holy, spiritual fruits

All and every mitzvah is yours

in all and every portion

A whole and perfect equipment

A full and complete inheritance

To cultivate a land

A land destined to live forever

Thieves and robbers turned the earth

looking for its treasures

But you shall come planting

and being planted

A holy seed

And to your credit shall go the labour

Resolve firmly

Dig deep and truly

Complete the whole mitzvah

Elevate the Holy Land

to its full measure

A light to the nations

What David began

he leaves his son to finish

What Moshe began

his brothers and sisters finish

Then the reward shall come

You will stand again with Joseph

And recite the whole Shema

All famine and exile forgotten

In the quorum of the resurrection

you will stand in your land and pray

*Being a meditation on a Torah class on parashah Ekev, delivered by Rabbi Baitelman of ChaBaD Richmond, B.C., based on the series, Torah Studies, by Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. Neither Rabbi Baitelman nor the JLI have reviewed or approved of the content of this post.