Illustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
Our parashah is named for a strange word:
(יב) וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃
It will be “eikev” you listen to these laws and keep and do them, and God your Lord will keep the covenant and the kindness that God promised to your ancestors.
What is the meaning of “eikev” in this pasuk?
Rashi (based on a midrash) connects this word to the word for “heel,” which sounds similar.
אִם הַמִּצְוֹת הַקַּלּוֹת שֶׁאָדָם דָּשׁ בַּעֲקֵבָיו תִּשְׁמָעוּן.
(You will get blessing) if you listen to the mitzvot that a person might think of as less serious and tread on with their heels.
According to Rashi, this pasuk is viewing the heel as the bottom, and it teaches us to pay attention even to the mitzvot that we think of as being on the lowest level—the smallest or least serious.
- Why do we sometimes think that small things or details don’t matter?
- Can you think of some examples of small details that are really important? What are some important details that are often overlooked?
עֵקֶב הוּא סוֹף וְתַכְלִית... וְכָל שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לָזֶה אֵין לוֹ מָקוֹם לִשְׂמֹחַ.
“Eikev” means “in the end”... and anyone who does not come to the end has no basis to be happy.
According to the Or Ha-Hayyim, this pasuk is emphasizing the end, just like the heel is the end of the body. It's saying that we must perform mitzvot in a complete and comprehensive way; until their very end.
In other words, we are being told “not to rest on our laurels.” Laurels are leafy crowns that used to be given out to the winners of ancient Greek and Roman sports events. The warning not to rest on your laurels means that we should not be satisfied with one single achievement and celebrate that at the expense of remembering that there are other important accomplishments ahead.
- Why do you think God’s blessings might be kept for people who perform mitzvot fully?
- Is there value to doing a mitzvah even if you can’t do it completely? Why or why not?
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