Reminders for the Future

Parshat Ekev
Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25

Synopsis
By following all the rules established by God, Israel will experience great blessings - health, abundant produce, and fertility. All the enemies of Israel will be vanquished with God's help, and Israel is to destroy all signs of their enemies' idolatrous worship.

A second admonition to obey God's laws is followed by a brief description of Israel's wanderings in the desert. Despite the 40 years of hardship, their clothing did not wear out, neither did their feet swell. Manna was provided for food. God disciplined the Israelites, as a father would discipline his son, in order to teach them to keep God's commandments. Now that Israel is to enter a bountiful Land, the people are cautioned to maintain their faith in God. Moses reminds them to give thanks continually to God for the abundance provided. The people should never assume it is by their own hand that they enjoy the fruits of the Land - all that they have is from God.

By not following God's commandments, Israel would doom itself.

Moses recounts to the Israelites all their acts of defiance: the making of the Golden Calf, complaining about the food and the water, and the incident of the spies. He reminds the people how he interceded with God on their behalf. Because of these pleadings, Israel is still able to enter Canaan.

Moses tells the people that all God wants is that Israel remain faithful to God's laws, worship God, and behave appropriately toward orphans, widows, and strangers. Such acts will result in blessings and prosperity.
This synopsis can be found in Teaching Torah by Sorel Goldberg Loeb and Barbara Binder Kadden.

For your Shabbat table:

• In Parshat Ekev, Moses reminds the Israelites to thank God for everything they receive in the new land of Canaan. What are some ways that you thank God for what you have? How frequently do you remember to thank God?
• At the end of the parsha, Moses tells the people that it is important to remember God's laws and to live by them. What are some ways you remember to live by the Torah and God's laws?
• Jews are instructed to behave appropriately towards orphans, widows, and strangers. What do you think this mean? What is special about widows, orphans, and the stranger, and what can that tell us about how we should behave towards others?

Time for some Torah toons!