Eikev/ Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25 Wendy Roberman August 8, 2015
The Parshah this week is Eikev, which means, “Because”. Moses is continuing his closing address to the children of Israel. The Parshah begins with the sentence: And it will be, because you will heed these ordinances and keep them and perform them, that the Lord, your God, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.”
Some commentaries dwell on the Hebrew word Eikev in this verse – which is an uncommon synonym for “because.” Many see a connection with the word Akeiv (same spelling, different pronunciation), which means “heel”, as in the heel of the foot.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe says (and I’m paraphrasing here): Our commitment to Torah (or what you perceive as “right living”) should be such that it permeates us entirely, so that also our heel — the lowest and the least sensitive part of the person — “hearkens to these laws, observes them and does them.” In other words, our relationship with G-d should not be confined to the holy days of the year, or to certain “holy” hours we devote to prayer and study, but should also embrace our everyday activities. Indeed, this “lowly” and “spiritually insensitive” part of our life is the foundation of our relationship with G-d, in the same way that the heel is the base upon which the entire body stands and moves. I can see that the heel, at the bottom of your body, furthest from you brain, perhaps inelegant and rough, is as important a pathway towards connection with Spirit as your brain, heart, mouth or hands. I know that many of us see a walk in the woods as a literal path towards feeling a connection to the Infinite. So, maybe Eikev means by using our heels and being connected to the earth we will “walk the walk” and be fulfilling the mitzvot.
This parashah has phrases and ideas most of us are familiar with. For instance,Moses says that the Israelites’ forty years in the desert, during which God sustained them with daily manna from heaven, was to teach them “that man does not live on bread alone, but by the utterance of God’s mouth.” In common usage now, this means in order to survive, people need more than physical things like food and shelter; people need mental or spiritual things like satisfaction, meaningfulness, love, companionship, friendship and more.
And the land is also blessed with wheat, barley, grapevines, figs, pomegranates, oil producing olives and honey.
I read something by Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum. She says these seven species were the staple foods consumed by the Jewish people in the Land of Israel during biblical times. Their special status is reflected by the unique blessing recited after eating them, thanking G-d for the goodness of the land. And we eat these at the Tu B’Shvat seders.
She goes on to say that the special significance of the seven species is accentuated by the Kabbalist Arizal,who attributes the spiritual energies of each fruit to one of the seven lower sefirot (spiritual emanations). She found it interesting to note how the medical properties of the seven species are synchronized with their spiritual energies. I enjoy imagining the connections between the foods and their medicinal and spiritual properties. I’ve printed this out in case anyone is interested in this aspect.
We’re also familiar with a key passage in the Parshah (11:13 – 21), which becomes the second part of the Shema, which repeats the fundamental mitzvot enumerated in the Shema’s first part, and describes the rewards of fulfilling God’s commandments and what negative things happen if you don’t follow them. I know our modern sensibility doesn’t like the authoritarian father figure sound of this, but really, don’t many of us believe that, say, if we don’t destroy the earth, there will be enough rain to grow the grain and grapevines and olive trees. But if we bow the the other gods, like putting short term profit over sustainability, things will go haywire?
And everyone is likely familiar with the phrase Moses uses to describe the land they are about to enter; that it is “flowing with milk and honey” and, by the way, plenty of water and fountains. Great news, he tells them. After 40 years in a desert, you’re entering a wonderful place where you’ll have plenty of material things; life was hard, but it will now be easier. But there is danger in all that material abundance! Beware!
We live in such abundance compared to the rest of the world – our lives are a land flowing with milk and honey, not to mention figs and pomegranates whenever we want them. But it’s a finite world, and maybe we have too much. Maybe it’s been too long since we’ve “been wandering in the desert”. When do we have enough – enough food or enough stuff? Does having so much (compared to the rest of the world, and compared to our ancestors in the desert) affect us? Moses warns the people that they are going to feel full, but will this lead to their mistaking that this abundance is from false gods? Maybe the false gods are not just clay idols, but the other things we make into gods in our modern lives.
Those of you who were able to attend the recent Shabbaton with Rabbi Jill Hammer may remember that she talked about and led us in what she called Spirit Journeys. These are inner visualizations and guided meditations that bring us closer to our ancestors, and closer to our sense of what is divine, what you may call spirit or the cosmos. They can be inner forays into the realm of myth and collective unconscious and that it is good for us to practice entering those realms.
I’d like to lead you in a guided meditation, borrowing greatly from Rabbi Jill; to go on your own spirit journey, where you can perhaps encounter a spirit guide who shares with you an inner meaning on today’s Parshah.
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If you’d like, close your eyes, find a comfortable position, and focus on your breath for a few moments. #
Trust your instincts, allow your inner voice to take you where ever it wants; don’t censer or correct it.#
Imagine that you are standing at a gateway. The gateway can be anything from an ornate gate to a garden arch, to an ordinary door. #
Now, Step through the gateway. You are now somewhere else, anywhere. Notice your surroundings. #
There is a being walking towards you. It may be a child, an animal, a woman, a man, an angel or anything you imagine. Greet this being and ask if she/he/it is willing to be your guide to the realm of the spirit. If the answer is ‘no’, keep going until you find a guide who will say ‘yes.’ Be confident that you will.#
When the answer is ‘yes’, ask the guide to be for you a reflection of your open heart and listen to what it says about what it means to be satisfied. To have enough. Ask your guide now. Listen to what the guide tells you. #
Thank the guide and retrace your steps. # Return to the gateway and step through. #
Become aware of your breath, notice the sensations in your body, and then open your eyes.
The seven “kinds” as they relate to the lower sefirot, from Rebbetzin Chana Bracha Siegelbaum
Wheat corresponds to chesed (kindness), the first of the seven lower sefirot. The characteristic of chesed is expansion, to reach out and extend oneself toward others. Wheat likewise reflects the nourishing food of kindness and to this day remains our main sustaining food staple. According to the renowned rabbi and physician Maimonides, wheat strengthens the body and increases mothers’ milk, the ultimate nourishment and expression of chesed.
Barley corresponds to gevura (restraint). Its characteristic is contraction, reduction and setting boundaries. This is reflected by each barley seed being enclosed in a strong hull (boundary) which remains intact even during threshing. Due to its contracting quality, barley is highly effective in reducing liquid when added to soup. A recent study by the FDA evidenced that barley reduces cholesterol and risk of coronary disease.
Grapes grow in beautiful clusters and correspond to tiferet (beauty). This trait is characterized by the balance between its different and sometimes contrary components. Since tiferet is the perfect balance between chesed and gevura, grapes include both nourishing and eliminating qualities. Grape-seed oil nourishes the skin, while also containing a very high content of antioxidants that help in eliminating free radicals. Grapes possess a diuretic quality, yet they are very nutritive replete with vitamins A, B, and C, while also treating blood and energy deficiency.
Figs correspond to netzach (endurance), which engenders longevity. The fig-tree reflects everlasting fruitfulness as it has one of the longest periods of ripening, spanning more than three months. The Malbi explains that we need to watch the fig-tree very carefully by picking its figs daily, since they ripen one after the other; likewise we need to observe our teachers daily in order to glean the fruits of their wisdom. According to Maimonides, “Figs, grapes and almonds are always the best fruits whether fresh or dried.”Maimonides also taught that figs alleviate constipation, which is one of the main tenets of longevity and health. Figs may benefit the elderly by strengthening the blood and arousing a person’s vitality.
Modern science affirms the nutritional benefits of figs: they are very rich in minerals, especially potassium, iron and calcium, and they contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Figs also contain phytosterols, which inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol, thus decreasing the total levels of cholesterol. Moreover, they may help prevent certain types of cancers.
Pomegranate, a very beautiful and majestic fruit, even has a crown. It corresponds to hod which means majesty and glory. Hod is also related to the Hebrew word toda which means thanks and recognition. According to Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh, hod corresponds to our immune system. A healthy immune-system is able to recognize our friends from our foes, and pomegranates boost our immune system. Pomegranate seed oil causes cancer cells to self-destruct; the juice of the fruit is toxic to most breast cancer cells, yet has almost no effect on healthy cells. Pomegranate juice has also been proven to decrease heart disease by decreasing LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and increased HDL (“good cholesterol”).
Olive oil corresponds to yesod (foundation). Olive oil is the foundation of most Mediterranean foods. Maimonides explains that olive oil cleanses the liver and loosens stools. It is helpful against stones in the urinary tract to drink a teaspoon of olive oil every morning before eating. Olive oil protects against heart disease by lowering the blood pressure, and has strong anti-bacterial properties. It also contains several antioxidants to help fight cancer. Thus olive oil can truly be called the foundation (“yesod”) of life.
Dates correspond to malchut (kingdom). Malchut is the channel that allows everything to manifest below. Therefore malchut is connected with the digestive system. The Talmud teaches that dates heal intestinal illnesses. The palm tree has no waste, its lulavs (hearts) are used for prayer, its fronds for shade, its fibers for ropes, its twigs for a sieve, and its beams for houses. Likewise the people of Israel have no waste: they each master their own particular part of Torah learning or perform mitzvoth and charitable deeds.
The Torah’s mention of the seven species is not incidental. Rather, these foods are central to a Jewish spiritual path that endeavors to elevate the physical through intentional living. Eating the seven species in a conscious way can promote our well-being, help us connect to the land of Israel, and deepen our relationship with Hashem. Each of the seven species contains deep lessons about G-d and our spiritual lives. Every time we eat them we have the opportunity to tune into their spiritual messages, eat consciously, and bring the world a step closer to its perfected state.