Reflections from Rabbi Ellis

We are now in the third Parsha of the Divarim, the final book of the Torah. This is the third and final Parsha in which Moshe tells the story of Israel to the Children of Israel. In each of the three Parshiot Moshe speaks specifically about three events that had a major impact on the Children of Israel. The first week Moshe recalls the sin of the spies, the second week he retells the Ten Commandments and revelation at Sinai, this week Moshe tells us about the sin of the Golden Calf.

The name of this week’s Parsha comes from the second word in this week’s Parsha. The Torah uses the word Ekev to describe the way in which we observe the Mitzvot. It is not entirely clear what the meaning of the word is here. Rashi, the eleventh century Torah commentator par excellence, connects the term to the word for ankle, Akav. He says that the Torah is referring to the minor Mitzvot that get trampled underfoot, that if we are careful about them then we will merit to see blessing from the Mitzvot.

The word that I most closely associate with Ekev is Laakov, to set back or to hold up. Mitzvot do that, they stand in the way of things going ahead smoothly and in a timely manner. Last night we were all ready to leave my friend's house, bags packed and kids in hand when we remembered that we hadn’t said Birkat Hamazone. So instead of an orderly exit we sat at the table and prayed together.

This disruption is the spiritual power that Mitzvot places in our hands. Life moves fast and we try to keep up with it. Life, especially with children, is a marathon from one event to another all the time constantly changing location. In order to accomplish what we need to do we have to always be on the move. The Mitzvot tie up this process, they throw in all manner of details that make efficient action a distant dream. I think about the hours I’ve spent searching for kosher food, or how difficult it is to schedule vacations around Shabbat.

These bumps on the paths and pauses in progression give us the time to actually enjoy what we are doing and to share it with others. The Mitzvot then come to change the shape of our lives, by disrupting the rhythm at which they are lived. One of the blessings we are promised by the Torah for following the Mitzvot is length of day, this does not mean a long life, that is length of years. Length of days are days that are long, in which every moment is full of significance.

The Mitzvot promise a life full of meaning and blessing not because they make life easier, rather the opposite. By filling our lives with complications and additional considerations they give us the chance to live our lives as opposed to just going with the flow. We can all merit to live a life of reduced efficiency and heightened meaning if we just allow for the Mitzvot to hold us up a bit.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Yehoshua Ellis