eikev

Eikev

"And it shall come to pass, "Eikev," because you harken to

these ordinances and observe and keep them, that God will keep

his covenant with you."

Parshat Eikev begins as Moses continues to encourage the children

of Israel to trust in Hashem and in the wonderful rewards he will provide

with if they keep the Torah. He warns the Jewish people to beware of the pitfalls of their own future prosperity which might cause them to forget Hashem. He further reminds them of their transgressions in the desert, retelling the story of the golden calf at length, and describing Hashem's abundant mercy for them . The word that gives the Parsha its name "Eikev" has been explained by Rashi. Rashi teaches that "Eikev" stresses obedience to those commandments that a person is inclined to treat lightly. The word Eikev means reward and in this parsha, Moshe was telling the Jewish People about the rewards that await them when they enter the Land of Israel. The Midrash also comments on the word Eikev and states that this word can also mean heel, 'which alludes to those mitzvoth that usually don’t get the coverage they deserve or those which people see as relatively unimportant, so they tend figuratively to "tread on them with their heels."

The message of "Eikev" is that we must treat commandments, great or small, with equal care and concern.

"And you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless HaShem your G-d for the good land which He gave to you." [Deuteronomy 8:10]

In the Torah, this verse comes after a passage in which Moses reminds Israel how God cared for them while they wandered in the wilderness. These words are the explicit source for the commandment of Birkat haMazon (“Blessing of the Food”) - blessing God after eating a meal. This prayer is one of the most important prayers in Judaism, as well as being one of the very few that the Torah commands us to recite.This commandment is fulfilled by reciting this blessing after each meal, and is commonly known as bentsching. The Talmud emphasizes this point by noting that,

"It is forbidden to enjoy the fruits of this world without pronouncing a blessing, and whosoever derives such enjoyment without uttering a blessing has committed a trespass" (Berachot 35a).

Keep in mind that, despite the miraculous manna that God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, their biggest complaints were about hunger and the lack of variety in their food. This promise, to say a blessing after every meal must have been incredibly attractive and easy for the people to agree to. However, Moses then, reminds them, they must never forget the source of their sustenance. Most blessings that we say including those we say when we learn Torah are said before we begin, isn’t it easier to be thankful before one eats? Therefore it is interesting to note that the timing of this commandment to say this blessing after we are satiated and content with food reflects the Torah's profound understanding of human nature. The Torah goes on to warn us that after we are sated, we can make a tragic mistake.

"Guard yourselves lest you forget HaShem your G-d... lest you eat and be satisfied, and build good houses and dwell therein... and you instill pride in your hearts and forget HaShem your G-d who took you out from Egypt,

from the house of slavery... and you say in your hearts, 'my strength and the might of my hand made me all of this great wealth!'" [8:11-17]

This is why we say the Birkat HaMazon after we eat, we should not forget whom to thank.

Shabbat Shalom,

Miriam

Moses then goes on to tell Israel what to expect in the Land of Israel, which they are about to enter. It is a "good land, with streams and springs and fountains." It is a land of "wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey." Moses continues this discourse by telling Israel that the land they are about to enter is, "a land where you may eat food without stint, where you will lack nothing...."

Since we are speaking of wheat and barley I would like to give you a recipe which was made by one of my closest friends - Ms.Pam. By blessing after we eat, we elevate the act of eating by connecting with God

Ms. Pam's Oatmeal Bread with

raisins or figs

3 cups unbleached bread flour

1 cup oatmeal

4 tbl.butter or margarine

1 tesp. salt

4 tbl. brown sugar

2 teasp. yeast-instant or 1 pack active dry

1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk or non-dairy-or soy

3/4 cups raisins, or chopped figs

In large mixing bowl or electric mixer, combine all

of the ingredients mixing to form a shaggy dough. knead dough by hand 10 minutes or 5 minutes if using electric, till its smooth. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow it to rest for onehour, it becomes quite puffy, but might not double in size. Shape as you like but as you can see i shaped it as a log. place in loaf pan which been greased and allow it to rise for 1-1 1/2 hours till its over the rim of the pan. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes until until slightly brown.

In Judiasm the Pomegranate is one of the seven fruits and barley that Israel was blessed with. In the torah the spies that Moses sent into Canaan returned with grapes, pomegranates and figs - thus emphasizing the riches of the country. Pomegranates also symbolize the upcoming of spring!

Chicken with pomegranate and wine

2-3 chicken thighs/legs

1q4 cup olive oil

3-4 minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup white wine

salt and pepper

juice from 1 large pomegranate

pomegranate seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to high.

Place chicken thighs in pan (I used small pyrex).

Mix together olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper.

Cook in oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix together the wine