When I visited my kids at camp last week, I couldn’t
help but note the irony, especially from my 13 year old daughter. At home, she
would routinely complain that her bedroom isn’t big enough, her closet wasn’t
big enough, the bathroom is too small to share with her younger sister and
brother and she doesn’t have enough clothes. Sounds like a typical 13 year old
girl, or at least a typical 13 year old girl that doesn’t really want for anything.
At camp, she shares a room with 12 other girls, she sleeps on the bottom of a bunk
bed, has four shelves, about 9 inches of closet space, shares a bathroom with
12 girls and two counselors, and couldn’t be happier. She has less room, less
privacy, less clothes and in general seems quite satisfied. Now that is ironic!
This week’s Parsha is Eikev. Here in his second
discourse, Moshe explains to the new generation how the second set of tablets came
into being. He explains how God forgave their parents of their idolatrous
behavior in regards to the Eigel Zahav (Golden Calf), and all B’nai Yisroel
must do essentially refrain from Idolatry, serve God, worship God, and the
nation will be rewarded with water, grass and quality lives. Moshe also reminds
B’nai Yisroel that they have nothing to fear when they enter into Canaan and
conquer the land even though they maybe outnumbered, because God has already
demonstrated that he will protect his people. He did so during the Yetziat
Mitzrayim (Exodus), and as long as B’nai Yisroel keeps its side of the B’rit,
God will continue to protect his people.
However it is towards the end of the
Parsha, that we encounter a possible answer from a passage of Torah that is familiar to many. V’Haya Im
Tishma’u El Mitzvotai Asher Anochi M’tzaveh Etchem Hayom L’Ahavah – It will be that if you hearken to My
commandments that I command you today to love Hashem your God and to serve him
with all you heart and with all your soul…(Deut. 11:13). This is the second
paragraph of the Shema, a part of the daily prayers we say every Shacharit
(morning service) and Ma’Ariv (evening service). In this second paragraph of
the Shema, we are told that there is a reward for our obeying God’s
commandments and there will be retribution for disobeying God’s commandments.
Among the rewards is a phrase that, at first glance, does not seem like such a
reward. V’Haya Im Tishma’u El Mitzvotai
Asher Anochi M’tzaveh Etchem Hayom L’Ahavah Et Adonai Eloheichem Ul’Avdo B’Chol
Levavchem Uv’chol Nafshachem. V’Natati
M’tar Artzechem B’Ito Yoreh Umalkosh V’Asaftah D’Ganecha V'Tiroshcha
v’Yitzharecha – It will be that if
you hearken to My commandments that I command you today to love Hashem your God
and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I shall
provide rain for your Land in its proper time, the early and the late rains,
that you may gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. V’Natati Esev B’Sadcha Livhemtecha V’Achalta
V’Savata – I shall provide grass in
your field for your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied (Deut 11:15).
Among the rewards is grass for our cattle and we will eat and be satisfied. The simple meaning of the verse suggests
that we will eat the grass and or the cattle, but whatever we eat, we will be
satisfied –v’Savatah. Satisfied
implies that we will not be wanting for anything. Satisfied means fulfilled,
content. How can the grass that God will make plentiful satisfy us. Rashi explains the verse as follows: When you are very prosperous, you
must be very careful not to rebel against God, because man rejects God only
when he is sated.”
When I asked her to compare the living conditions at home
with the living conditions at camp, she looked at me as if I was a fool. She
explained that she was with her friends, that she was doing so many amazing
things and as a result didn’t need so many creature comforts. I didn’t tell her, but it was quite evident to
me, that spiritually she was flourishing and as a result she didn’t spend time “wanting”.
She was satisfied with what she had.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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