Chabad of Northern Beverly Hills, 409 Foothill Road . Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Rabbi Yosef Shusterman 310/271-9063

PARSHAT EIKEV "It will be that ekev (if; or because) you will listen to these laws... G-d, will keep unto you the covenant and the love which He swore to your fathers..." (7:12) The Torah does not use here the more common word of im (if), but ekev. This unusual expression, therefore, gives rise to various interpretations by the commentators. Our sages relate the conjunctive ekev (if; or because) to the noun ekev, which means "heel," the hindmost part of the foot and lowest part of the body. This word is used to describe the era right before Moshiach: "ikveta De'Meshicha - on the heels of Moshiach, i.e., close to his coming." This term has two, seemingly conflicting connotations: Ikveta De'Meshicha suggests the last generation of the galut, thus the last stage of Jewish history of the pre-Messianic era. That generation is last not only in terms of time, but also in terms of stature: spiritually and morally the lowest and hindmost, analogous to the heel of man. On the other hand, being the last generation of the galut, it is also the one that feels and hears the footsteps of Moshiach and will witness his coming. These two senses are related.

As this last generation comes after and in the wake of all those before it, it harbors and bears the accumulation of all virtues and spiritual energy of its predecessors - in addition to its own, however puny that may be. Thus just as it is the heel upon which stands the whole body, including all vital organs like the heart and the brain, so it is the "heel-generation" of ikveta De'Meshicha which bears the Jewish people of all times and moves them into the Messianic redemption and era. This is also the conjunctive meaning of ekev: "if (because) you will listen to these laws..." in the time of galut, and especially in its harshest and darkest days of ikveta De'Meshicha, "G-d will keep unto you the covenant and the love which He swore to your fathers..." by having Moshiach redeem us, speedily, in our very own days! (From: Insights to Geula, Chabad in Cyberspace)

"Not on bread alone lives man, but on the utterance of the mouth of G-d does man live."(8:3) At the core of every existence is a `divine utterance' that constitutes its `soul' - its essence and purpose. This `divine utterance' is the Divine `words' of creation ("Let there be light", "Let the earth sprout forth vegetation", etc.) which express G-d's desire that it exist and it's function within His overall purpose of creation. It is the `divine utterance' which was the original instrument of its creation, and which remains nestled within it to continuously supply it with being and life.

The soul of man descends into the trappings and trials of physical life in order to gain access to these `sparks of holiness'. By investing itself within a physical body which will eat, wear clothes, and otherwise make use of the objects and forces of the physical existence, the soul can redeem the divine utterances which they incorporate. For when man utilizes something, directly or indirectly, to serve his Creator, he penetrates its shell of mundanity, revealing and realizing its Divine essence and purpose.

Therein lies a deeper meaning to the verse: "The hungry and the thirsty, in them does their soul wrap itself." A person may desire food and sense only his body's hunger; but in truth, his physical craving is but the expression and external packaging of a deeper yen - his soul's craving for the sparks of holiness that are the object of her mission in physical life. - Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch

Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch was once asked by a "free thinker" how does one explain the existence of angels and other `spiritual' existences? After all, no one has ever seen an angel... Said Rabbi Sholom DovBer: "We are now riding in a coach, with a purpose to be fulfilled upon arrival to our destination. At present, we are discussing angels, and to us, this is a most befitting accomplishment of our trip. But the horses pulling the coach believe that the purpose of the expedition consists entirely of the oats awaiting them at the journey's end, and in the eyes of the coachman, the purpose lies in the wages he will earn to feed his family. So we have three thoughts, three perspectives on the same reality. "Now tell me," concluded the Rebbe, "just

because the horses are thinking "oats" does that in any way lessen the significance of our discussion of angels...?" (From: Once Upon a Chassid by Yanki Tauber)

"At that time Hashem separated out the tribe of Levi to bear the Ark of the Covenant, to stand before Hashem, to minister unto Him, and to bless His name even until today. Therefore Levi has no portion in the inheritance of his brothers; Hashem is his inheritance as Hashem your G-d spoke to him." (10:8-9) Why didn't the tribe of Levi (including Cohen) get any inheritance? The Rambam, in the very end of the Laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, (Chapter 13:12) writes a beautiful reason. Levi, since they were dedicated to the service of Hashem, were removed from the regular constraints of worldly existence. They didn't have to earn a living. They were to devote themselves exclusively to Hashem's service and He provided for them, as it written, "May Hashem bless his wealth . . ." (Deut. 33:11) And Hashem takes care of them as it is written, "I will be your portion and your inheritance. . ." (Num. 18:20)

Then the Rambam continues (Chapter 13:13) to explain that this arrangement is not applicable to Levi alone. Any person, who wants to dedicate himself totally to the service of Hashem and His Torah, to become devoted to Him and to know His ways, must begin by severing himself from all worldly pursuits. He then becomes consecrated; Holy to Hashem. For him Hashem will provide, just as He provided for the Cohanim and Leviim. As is written, "Hashem is my portion and my share, He guides my destiny." (Psalms 16:5) This is the meaning of the Mishna in Ethics of the Fathers (3:6), "Rebbe Nachunya ben Hakana said, "When one accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah, he becomes exempt from the yoke of military service and the yoke of making a living. When one throws off the yoke of Torah, the yoke of military service and the yoke of making a living are imposed upon him.'"

The Rambam reiterates the same idea in his commentary on the Ethics of the Fathers. (4:17) He explains the 3 crowns; the Crown of the Kahuna (priesthood), the Crown of Malchus (kingship), and the Crown of Torah. The Crown of Kahuna belongs to Aharon and his descendants, the Crown of Malchus belongs to David and his descendants. The Crown of Torah is different. The Crown of Torah awaits anybody who will come and put it on. (From: Nishmas Chayim web site)

WISDOM OF THE REBBE : RESPOSIBILITY

We all live in the same world. If one person is in pain, we should all feel it; if one person succeeds, we should all benefit. Each of us has been given the choice to see this underlying unity or to look the other way and worry only about himself, even at the expense of others. Responsibility is one of the greatest gifts G-d gave us - the gift of being active participants in the dynamic unfolding of the world's destiny. We must never ignore this gift. In the delicate balance in which the fate of the world hangs, it may be one deed of merit that tips the scale.

No matter how much his family protested that he needed to rest, an elderly scholar refused to shorten his schedule of study and prayer, which lasted twenty-one hours each day. "But why can't you rest even one more hour?" they asked him. "Surely, twenty hours of study is enough!"

"The people of the world are like links in a chain, " he explained. "If I were to take off even one hour, it would have an effect on a person in some other country who prays or studies only one hour a day, and he might stop even that hour. And another person who prays only once a week might also stop. And another person who prays but once a year might also stop. So, yes, my hour may not seem like much, but consider how it might affect these others!" (From: Towards a Meaningful Life adapted by Simon Jacobson)

Chabad of Northern Beverly Hills Rabbi Yosef Shusterman

The spirit of a man is the lamp of Hashem, searching all the innermost parts.

-King Solomon