Eikev: heels and consequences

(יב) וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Deuteronomy 7:12

(12) And if you do obey these rules and observe them carefully, the LORD your God will maintain faithfully for you the covenant that He made on oath with your fathers:

בראשית ג׳:ט״ו

(טו) וְאֵיבָ֣ה ׀ אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ וּבֵ֣ין הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין זַרְעָ֑הּ ה֚וּא יְשׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ עָקֵֽב׃ {ס}

Genesis 3:15

(15) I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your offspring and hers; They shall strike at your head, And you shall strike at their heel.”

בראשית כ״ה:כ״ד-כ״ו

(כד) וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ יָמֶ֖יהָ לָלֶ֑דֶת וְהִנֵּ֥ה תוֹמִ֖ם בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃ (כה) וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ אַדְמוֹנִ֔י כֻּלּ֖וֹ כְּאַדֶּ֣רֶת שֵׂעָ֑ר וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ שְׁמ֖וֹ עֵשָֽׂו׃ (כו) וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֞ן יָצָ֣א אָחִ֗יו וְיָד֤וֹ אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ בַּעֲקֵ֣ב עֵשָׂ֔ו וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְיִצְחָ֛ק בֶּן־שִׁשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה בְּלֶ֥דֶת אֹתָֽם׃

Genesis 25:24-26

(24) When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. (25) The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau. (26) Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

בראשית מ״ט:י״ז

(יז) יְהִי־דָן֙ נָחָ֣שׁ עֲלֵי־דֶ֔רֶךְ שְׁפִיפֹ֖ן עֲלֵי־אֹ֑רַח הַנֹּשֵׁךְ֙ עִקְּבֵי־ס֔וּס וַיִּפֹּ֥ל רֹכְב֖וֹ אָחֽוֹר׃

Genesis 49:17

(17) Dan shall be a serpent by the road, A viper by the path, That bites the horse’s heels So that his rider is thrown backward.

אבן עזרא על דברים ז׳:כ׳

(א) הצרעה. חולי בגוף מגזרת צרעת:

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 7:20

(1) THE HORNET. Ha-tzirah (the hornet) refers to an illness which afflicts the body. It is related to the word tzara’at (leprosy).

at one's heels, close behind

to cool one's heels, to be kept waiting, especially because of deliberate discourtesy

down at the heels, having a shabby, slipshod, or slovenly appearance

to lay by the heels, to arrest and imprison, to prevail over; to render ineffectual

to show a clean pair of heels, to leave one's pursuers/competitors behind; to outrun

to take to one's heels, to run away; take flight

to heel, as when a dog follows her master by staying next to her heels

to be brought to heel, under control or subjugation

Achilles heel - the Achilles tendon stretches from the back of the leg down the ankle to the heel, giving your step spring and flexibility.

She'ma in non-theistic language, by Marcia Falk, The Book of Blessings

The divine abounds everywhere

And dwells in everything;

the many are One.

Loving life

and its mysterious source

with all my heart

and all my spirit,

all my sense and strength,

I take upon myself

to follow the wisdom in the Torah,

celebrating the historic events of

my people

and their ways of making life holy,

to care for the earth

and those who live upon it,

to pursue justice and peace,

to love kindness and compassion.

I will teach this to our children

throughout the passage of the day—

as I dwell in my home

and as I go on my journey,

from the time I rise

until I fall asleep.

And may my actions

be faithful to my words

that our children’s children

may live to know:

Truth and kindness

have embraced,

peace and justice have kissed

and are One.

Freedom Out of Darkness (meditation by Tzvi Freeman, based on the teachings of the Rebbe Menachem M. Schneerson)

Free choice is the quintessential expression of God, for God alone is truly free. God breathes within the human being, and so we, too, become free to choose our path home.

Darkness, confusion, and the possibility of evil – all this then has a purpose of its own: It provides a stage for us to find God within ourselves, seen only when we make the right choice, all on our own.