A Look at Parashat Ekev

פרשת עקב

דברים Deuteronomy

Chapter 7, Verses 12 through 25 – Rewards for good behavior

This section begins on a troubling note. Rewards that are promised for good behavior are unrealistic and impossible to fulfill. This led many biblical scholars to surmise that this section may have been written during or shortly after the Babylonian exile, as it attempts to demonstrate the magnitude of what we lost and to drive home the point that the tragedy that befell us was due to, and just deserts for misbehaving.

Verses 16 through 26 – Command to destroy the people of Canaan

Again, we see the horrors of ancient give-no-quarter warfare at its most horrendous. The Rabbis and commentators had trouble with this throughout the ages. We do know that this ethnic cleansing was not carried out as the peoples vanquished in the Torah (such as the Midianites) appear again in the later books of the Tanakh. Possibly, especially if this was written post-exilic, it may aim to show that the rampant idolatry after the conquest of Canaan could have been avoided if the indigenous peoples were obliterated. Reading this, the contemporary reader is appalled on so many levels. How could such behavior be commanded or even condoned by a loving G-d, a G-d of mercy? Was Moses faithfully conveying G-d’s wishes or merely his understanding of them, distorted by time and by age?

Chapter 8, Verses 1 through 6 – Condition to assure wellbeing in the land

Wellbeing in the land is contingent on observing all of the commandments. We see from verse 5 that the wilderness ordeal was on the level with parental discipline. That is, firm, but done out of love.

Note in verse 3: “… Man does not live on bread alone, but on anything that the Lord decrees”. How do you interpret this? The Rabbis teach that these hardships, brought on by a loving G-d, are necessary to teach and mold us (ייסוריו של אהבה). As Rabbi Plaut notes in his commentary “This teaching, while it offered a total defense of G-d, also demanded total faith and to a significant extent, surrender of the human understanding of what constituted justice on earth.” Indeed, an observant Jew, upon hearing of a death, or deaths, no matter how premature or painful, customarily utters “Blessed is the true judge” (ברוך דיין האמת). Could we give credence to this theological belief system after the Holocaust?

Note reference (verse 9) ” … whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you can mine copper”, There are only very limited noncommercial known iron deposits in the Negev and copper was only mined in Timna ( north of present-day Eilat) which is on the extreme southern margins of the promised land.

When things are good, least you grow too complacent, don’t forget Who brought you to this bountiful place. Do not be arrogant and attribute it solely to your own power and efforts! Humility is called for.

Verse 10 is the only call to prayer in the Torah. ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ה’ אלקיך על הארץ הטובה אשר נתן לך – “You will eat and be satisfied, and you will bless the Lord, your G-d, on the good land that was given to you”. It is the source for the traditional grace after meals (ברכת המזון).

There is no call here to be good environmental stewards of the land. For that, we need to go to the Talmudic commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes – קהלת (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13): “Observe how beautiful is the work of my creation. Take care not to destroy it, for no one will repair it after you.”

In verse 18 we are told that the covenant is still in force (and will be in force for all time). Verse 19 contains a warning of dire consequences if the Israelites follow foreign gods. This is supportive of the biblical scholar premise that these lines may have been written after the Babylonian conquest.

Chapter 9, Verses 1 through 5 – Why the Israelites will be allowed to occupy the lands

Note that Moses (indirectly) acknowledges the report of the ten scouts over the dissenting report of Joshua and Caleb. They were telling the truth after all! Despite this, Moses promises that the wars will be a cakewalk. As we see in the Book of Joshua, they are anything but.

The people are warned not to be haughty or arrogant with self confidence. They are not being allowed and enabled to occupy these lands because of their virtues. Rather, the inhabitants are being driven out because of their sins and shortcomings. It is now up to the Israelites to prove worthy and not be lured into false gods, as a condition to remain on the land and prosper. Indeed, as we shall see, the consequences for falling short (as indeed they do) will be dire.

Verses 6 through 21 – Moses takes credit

Here we have a bitter and resigned Moses. Like G-d, he will stand up for his people, even when they may not deserve it .

Moses berates Israel for being a “stiff-necked” or stubborn people (עם קשה ערף), even ingrates. And this after all that G-d did for them! This is a people unworthy of the promised land. Only because of G-d’s pledge to the patriarchs does he put up with them. Moses reminds the people that he, and he alone, is responsible for assuaging G-d’s anger and saving them from annihilation. Perhaps he may not have been such a humble guy after all and knew how to blow his own horn! Some non-orthodox rabbis wrestled with reconciling this apparent lack of humility and rationalizing Moses’ ego.

Note in verse 20 reference to Aaron’ s acquiescent behavior in the incident of the golden calf. This is not related to in the original telling in Exodus. Also, in verse 21 Moses relates that he discarded the ground down gold from the calf into “The brook that comes down from the mountain”. In Exodus, Moses forced the people to drink the gold dust mixed with water.

Verses 22 through 29 – Moses’ people skills at work

“Here again, I assuaged G-d’ s anger”. Moses used people skills worthy of Dale Carnegie! He does not appeal to G-d for understanding or mercy. Instead, he tells G-d in effect “If you do this (wipe out the people), what will the goyim say? You will lose your street cred”.

Chapter 10, Verses 1 through 11 – Moses retells receiving the law

Retelling from Moses’ fashioning the second set of tablets through G-d’s reconciliation with the people through Moses’ second stay on the mountain. Note that the chronology of the text is interrupted with the recalling of the death of Aaron at Moserah, an event that was recorded to happen 38 years earlier (Numbers, chapter 20) at Mount Hor.

Verses 12 through 22 – Command to love your G-d and befriend the stranger

Again, the constantly repeated (36 times!) admonition to love the strangers. Why? Because we were strangers in Egypt. That is, we know what it feels like to be mistreated as the outsider. Why doesn’t the Torah tell us directly that we should treat the stranger decently, not because our distant descendants were slaves (quite an abstract concept for later generations) but simply because it is the right and moral thing to do? How does this contrast to, or be reconciled with the genocidal command earlier in this very parasha?

Verse 20: You will fear the Lord, your G-d (את ה’ אלקיך תירא): Some readers may be troubled by this. If you are acting out of fear, that is obeying commandments only because you fear the consequences, this is a very low level of morality.

Verse 22: This is extraordinary as for most societies at the time, strangers in their midst were generally treated with varying degrees of suspicion, fear, and contempt. Sound familiar?

Chapter 11, Verses 1 through 7 – Command for future generations to observe the laws

Command to revere and love G-d (ואהבת את ה’ אלקיך). A ruler can command obedience and respectful behavior. How can anyone, even G-d, command love or even respect? Does this not have to be earned?

The generation coming out of the desert is again charged with observing all the commandments, rules, and laws. They are reminded that the future generations are not witnesses to G-d’s miracles in the desert and deliverance from Egypt.

Verses 8 through 25 – Promise of bounty of the land

The productivity of the land is totally dependent on the grace of G-d to bring timely rains, as well as ample grasslands for grazing. Why is there no reference to man’s stewardship or obligations, save obeying G-d’s commandments? Also (verses 13 to 15), the text makes a promise of immediate gratification that is troubling: If we obey the commandments, there will be ample and timely rains. What would happen if, as probably did from time to time, that the people kept the commandments and the rains either failed or flooded?

Verses 18 to 20 – ושמתם את דברי אלה … וכתבתם על מזוזות ביתך ובשעריך. These lines entered the three daily prayer rituals, following the Shema (שמע), and is the source for the command to don phylacteries (תפילין) and to affix mezuzot (מזוזות) on the doorposts.

Note the exaggerated geography of the promised land in verse 24; much more extensive than previously promised to the Israelites in Numbers 34:11 to 34:12. Even at the greatest extent of the unified Kingdom of Israel during the reigns of David and of Solomon, the borders never extended anywhere near the Euphrates (נהר פרת). The Artscroll edition, offering an orthodox interpretation, proposes that this geographical description represents the borders after the coming of the Messiah. Whatever.r the coming of the Messiah. Whatever.