Parshat Eikev
Before we get into this week’s sedra, let’s do an overview of the month which we are in. The Mishna in Taanit declares: When Av enters, we reduce joy. This is how alhatorah.org (a highly recommended website) renders the statement in the Mishna – not only does one fast on the Ninth of Av, but from when the month of Av begins, one decreases acts of rejoicing.
But let’s do the math. The month has 30 days in our fixed calendar. The minhag is to extend the mournful restrictions of the Nine Days until halachic noon of the 10th of the month. That means that about one-third of the month is mournful and two-thirds are hopeful and full of comfort. That’s why the prevalent custom is to call this month Menachem Av.
Furthermore, this past Shabbat was Tu B’Av, which the Mishna declares as the most joyous of festive days for the Jewish people.
So the month started mournfully but has definitely changed to something much more positive.
The name Av, spelled alef-bet, is seen by some as an acronym (rashei teivot) for Elul Ba – meaning “The month of Elul is coming.” (This Shabbat is the 22nd of the month; next Shabbat – Parshat R’ei – is the 29th, which is Shabbat Mevorchim and Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul.) This pointing towards Elul tells us that teshuva (repentance) is necessary, not only as individuals, but for all of Klal Yisrael. If done properly, that puts us further along the road to the Geulah Sheleima – the Complete Redemption – which will see the sadness of the beginning of Av evaporate and morph into a very joyous time.
Now let’s turn to Parshat Eikev. With 5,846 pesukim in the Torah, divided among 54 sedras, the average length of a sedra is 108.26 pesukim per sedra. Eikev has 111 pesukim, which ties it with Parshat Vayikra for the 26th position on the list of sedras. That’s close to average, making it a middle-sized sedra. But when we look at words and letters in a sedra, Eikev jumps to 16th and 14th position, respectively. This is so because Eikev’s pesukim are relatively long. In fact, they are the third longest in the Torah.
Speaking of long, Eikev has an interesting distinction: Its Shabbat Mincha, Monday, and Thursday, layning are the longest of all sedras – 25 pesukim! With a minimum of 10 pesukim for a three-aliyah reading, 25 is impressively high.
Eikev’s first-place position for this statistic needs an asterisk, though. When Matot and Masei are read separately, the Shabbat Mincha/Monday/Thursday reading officially has only 10 pesukim. But there is an opinion that the account of the travels in the Midbar should always be read completely, without stopping or cutting it short. Accordingly, some will read the full 49-pasuk section from the beginning of Masei at Shabbat Mincha and on Monday and Thursday mornings as well, thereby knocking Eikev off the top of the list.
And, as long as we’re on this particular topic, a second asterisk can point to one other Shabbat afternoon layning that is longer than Eikev’s (but which doesn’t apply to the Monday and Thursday morning layning): When Yom Kippur is Shabbat, the Torah reading at Mincha is 30 pesukim long.
Either way, however, Eikev’s thrice-read sedra “previews” are still impressive and noteworthy.
As for mitzvah count, Eikev has 8 mitzvot of the Torah’s 613: six positive commandments and two prohibitions. That doesn’t sound like that many – and it isn’t – but there are 34 sedras with fewer mitzvot and only 19 sedras with more.
The two prohibitions, both towards the beginning of the sedra, deal with idolatry.
And then, right at the end of the first aliyah, we find a well-known pasuk with the command to “bentch” after a satisfying meal, i.e., to say Birkat HaMazon. It is important to note that the Torah’s requirement to “bless Hashem” is after eating a meal and being satisfied with it. Our Sages extended the requirement of Birkat HaMazon to include even a skimpy meal that includes bread. Furthermore, Chazal also require us to say a beracha after eating a significant amount of any food. And further-furthermore (don’t look up that word – you won’t find it, but it works), they require us to make before-berachot on any amount of food or drink.
Obviously, the full details of berachot before and after food or drink are far too extensive to do more than touch upon them here. But look at this Gemara (Bavli, Berachot 20b): “Darash Rav Avira… (in the name of R’ Ami or R’ Asi): The ministering angels said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: ‘Master of the Universe, in Your Torah it is written: “The great, mighty, and awesome G-d who favors no one and takes no bribe” (Devarim 10:17), yet You, nevertheless, show favor to Israel, as it is written: “The L-rd shall show favor to you and give you peace” (Bamidbar 6:26).’ He replied to them: ‘And how can I not show favor to Israel, as I wrote for them in the Torah: “And you shall eat and be satisfied, and bless Hashem your G-d” (Devarim 8:10)… Yet they are exacting with themselves to recite berachot even if they have eaten as much as a kazayit or k’beitza. Since they go beyond the requirements of the law, they are worthy of favor.’”
Let’s expand this idea and give it some perspective. Many years ago, I saw a story in the Reader’s Digest column “Life in These United States.” A mother wrote about the enthusiasm of her young daughter when, having learned in Sunday school about saying Grace, asked her father who was at the refrigerator taking a can of beer if he was going to say Grace. A funny, heart-warming story from a Christian perspective. At the time, the writer earned $250 for a couple of paragraphs. Our reaction? We recite a beracha before taking a sip of water! That’s not humorous. It’s not blowing things out of proportion. That is part of Hilchot Berachot. A sip of water might seem a far cry from a full, satisfying meal, but Rabbinic legislation often seeks to give depth to a Torah mitzvah.
And look at what we say for that sip of water, and for many other foods and drinks: “Baruch Ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha-olam, Shehakol nihyah bidvaro” – Hashem is the source of all beracha, [He is] our G-d and King of the world, and everything exists is by His say-so. A nine-word beracha that many people take for granted and mumble through in a second or two. It deserves more than that. It is an amazing statement of Jewish belief and hashkafa.
So too, Eikev gives us the source of the mitzvah to daven. Once again, Rabbinic law has given us the how many times a day, at what times, and what to say. It should, however, never escape us that the Torah’s command to “Serve G-d with all our heart” is the core of our davening. Don’t let the formal prayers of the siddur take the mitzvah out of our hearts and just make it a product of mind and mouth. We are challenged to daven with proper kavana and enthusiasm and with a feeling of humility before and love for G-d.
Berachot come in different categories. Six berachot before food; and then Birkat HaMazon, Beracha Mei’ein Shalosh (Al Hamichya, Al Hagefen, and Al Haeitz), and Borei N’fashot after food. Five berachot for smell. A number of berachot for hearing and seeing. Many, many berachot before doing mitzvot (and interesting reasons why some mitzvot are not preceded by a beracha). Many berachot within davening – blending, in essence, the mitzvah of Birkat HaMazon and the mitzvah of prayer.
Little kids in religious homes learn berachot before they can otherwise put a sentence together. But making careful and meaningful berachot is an ongoing, developing challenge. Let’s take the challenge seriously and properly appreciate and thank Hashem for everything He gives us… all with love.