We can see these ideas alluded to in the first words of this week’s parsha: “V’haya Eikev tishmi’un.” Rashi quotes Chazal who explain that this refers to mitzvot that people tend to neglect because of their smallness – they seem to step on them with their heels (related to the word eikev). Accordingly, the Torah is telling us that if we are punctilious even in our observance of these mitzvot we will receive the many blessings the Torah later describes. In reality, there are no small and insignificant mitzvot because everything matters. Leaders need to remember that anything can make or break an organization.
The Iturei Torah quotes a chassidic insight that eikev refers to taking steps. In other words, the Torah is telling us that a person must ensure that every step he takes adheres to Hashem’s mitzvot. He must constantly assess whether his steps, i.e. his actions, are aligned with the Torah. Like the weapon system on the New Jersey the Torah is instructing us to live our lives in a feedback loop. When necessary, we must adjust our behaviors to make sure they reflect the Torah’s values. Like the ship’s plotting system, which took into account external factors, we must also consider external forces before we decide on a course of action. Leaders must live within these feedback loops.
A third explanation of the word eikev in this context is that a person should always be ready to fulfill a mitzvah. Just like a person who must get up quickly to go somewhere jumps off his heel, so too all of us should be ready in a moment’s notice to fulfill a mitzvah or to take evasive action to save ourselves from sinning. Leaders, like the captain on the bridge, must always be alert and ready to take action – since delays, even short ones, can mean the difference between success and failure.
