In this week’s parsha, Eikev, we continue with Moses’ speeches to the Israelites. He tells them that, if they maintain their covenant with God by observing the commandments, God will, in turn, make them fruitful and victorious over their enemies. Moses recalls the hardships the Israelite people faced during their 40 years in the desert. Yet, despite everything, they survived. Moses reminds the people that both the difficulties and the remedies were provided by God.
The Israelites are about to enter the Land and Moses cautions them to maintain their faith in God and to remember that it is not by their own strength that the Land will be conquered or with their hands alone that the Land will bear fruit. All that they have and all that they will enjoy comes from God. Moses tells the people that when they have eaten they are to bless God for the good land that they have been given.
I spent some time over the past week or so reading a variety of commentaries and trying to get some inspiration while writing this D’var Torah. I came across one piece by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky, formerly of the Jewish Outreach Institute, that struck a chord with me. Olitzky highlights the title Eikev, which means “heel.”He points out commentator Jacob ben Asher’s interpretation that the heel is an indicator of humility since it always follows the toes and the rest of the foot. He suggests others believe the heel provides a foundation for the entire body on which to stand. Rabbi Olitsky comments that both of these responses mitigate the contents of the portion (which is filled with lines like show no pity) and actually leans more toward a “crushing heel” for the title. I disagree with his dismal outlook and prefer to take the happier approach like Jacob ben Asher.
I feel that we must be humble, like the heel, in order to make it through life’s tests. The Torah tells us that after the Jewish people had been wandering in the wilderness, God informed them that all the ups and downs they had experienced during that time were “… to test you and to know what is in your heart.” This sums up the meaning of a “test.”
A test at school shows very clearly what we do and do not know. It lets us and others know where we stand. But there are other types of tests that have nothing to do with school. Any situation that challenges us to see if we are going to act according to our true values or not, is a test. Our lives are full of such “life tests.”
Sometimes the test comes in the form of difficulties to see whether we will remain positive, with faith in God or pleasantness toward other people. Sometimes the test comes in the form of good fortune, to see if we will remain humble and appreciative of all the good that we have. When we keep this in mind we won’t get carried away by the good times in our lives, nor will we get bowled over by the hard times. We’ll feel able to take things in stride and to accept whatever comes our way, and do our best to “pass the test.”