Parasha Eikev continues with Moshé recounting the events of the last 40 years for B'nei Yisrael. Now he makes visible how we are the kids from a different generation of people who learned from its mistakes. We are the result (and as a result) of disobeying (initially) and following the laws of the covenant.
This Parasha reminds me of the following...
One day, I asked my girlfriend what her favorite superpower would be if she could pick one. She said to fly, which is so environmentally mindful of her. But I end up going to the scientific mind, it would be impossible. And that's the whole point of being a superpower. We can't be against the laws of nature, because a law does not change, and as a result of not understanding and following the law, we can easily get hurt (don't jump off the cliff trying to fly).
But if we only had the chance to be participants in the creation of those laws, maybe we would be able to reach the highest places by flying. Something similar happened to the Jewish people.
Moshe recounts in this parasha how he got so infuriated not only as a result of B'nei Yisrael being blinded by the idolatry of the molten calf (which was a violation of the law in itself), but to come to realize that the laws were so blatantly disregarded.
But if we only had the chance to be participants in the creation of those laws, maybe we would be able to reach the highest places by flying. Something similar happened to the Jewish people.
Moshe recounts in this parasha how he got so infuriated not only as a result of B'nei Yisrael being blinded by the idolatry of the molten calf (which was a violation of the law in itself), but to come to realize that the laws were so blatantly disregarded.
וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּ֤ה חֲטָאתֶם֙ לַיי אֱלֹֽקֵיכֶ֔ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם לָכֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה סַרְתֶּ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר מִן־הַדֶּ֕רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יי אֶתְכֶֽם׃
I saw how you had sinned against your God יי: you had made yourselves a molten calf; you had been quick to stray from the path that יי had enjoined upon you.
We had the chance to be part of the creation a new laws, bend our luck in the universe into our favor, to give us superpowers, but the merriness and love for the idol almost blew our chance.
כִּ֣י יָגֹ֗רְתִּי מִפְּנֵ֤י הָאַף֙ וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָצַ֧ף יי עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יי אֵלַ֔י גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֥עַם הַהִֽוא׃
For I was in dread of the fierce anger against you which moved יי to wipe you out. And that time, too, יי gave heed to me.—
Idolatry is hard to see because it might feel good, but it does not feel right.
It comes at a cost of losing our free will and the inner flame of our neshama, and therefore our lives. Because a human does not live on bread alone.
It comes at a cost of losing our free will and the inner flame of our neshama, and therefore our lives. Because a human does not live on bread alone.
וַֽיְעַנְּךָ֮ וַיַּרְעִבֶ֒ךָ֒ וַיַּאֲכִֽלְךָ֤ אֶת־הַמָּן֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יָדַ֔עְתָּ וְלֹ֥א יָדְע֖וּן אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ לְמַ֣עַן הוֹדִֽיעֲךָ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֣א עַל־הַלֶּ֤חֶם לְבַדּוֹ֙ יִחְיֶ֣ה הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֛י עַל־כׇּל־מוֹצָ֥א פִֽי־יי יִחְיֶ֥ה הָאָדָֽם׃
[God] subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, in order to teach you that a human being does not live on bread alone, but that one may live on anything that יי decrees.
Carcasses with no purpose, building empires with no meaning.
The quintessential commandment to escape death in life is to recognize loving G-d, and face reality as it is.
It is not fear but to enjoy being a good person and doing things right.
That is our superpower.
The quintessential commandment to escape death in life is to recognize loving G-d, and face reality as it is.
It is not fear but to enjoy being a good person and doing things right.
That is our superpower.