Dvar Torah Parashat Ekev
- Jul 29
- 10 min read
Dedicated in Honor of my New Baby, Sion Palacci By Rabbi Yoseph Palacci ______________________________________________________ Parashat Ekev
When We Follow Mitzvot
This week’s parasha opens with the words “Vehaya ekev tishmeun et ha’mishpatim ha’eleh — This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances.”
According to Rashi, since the word ekev also means the heel of a foot, this verse alludes to the mitzvot that people may trample with their heels or, in other words, consider it unimportant. But the truth is that we don’t know the value of any of the mitzvot, so we can’t relate to any of them as being less significant than the others. Rashi reminds us to be equally diligent with all of G-d’s commandments. As it says in Pirke Avot (2:1) “Be scrupulous in performing a ‘minor’ mitzvah as in a ‘major’ one, for you do not know the reward given for the [respective] mitzvot.”
In life we often wait for big dramatic moments to feel spiritual or impactful. We must remember that G-d values the small steps – kind words, small acts of honesty, humbly helping people. Sometimes those “tramples” mitzvot, like saying a beracha with concentration, are the mitzvot that shape us into the great people we are. Greatness is found in how we handle the small things.
Rav Eliyahu Lopian told that he once received a generous donation for his yeshiva—Torah school from a man who was not religiously observant yet exuded genuine love and affection for Rabbis. The Rabbi asked the man why he experienced such strong feelings for Rabbis, if he was not even observant.
The man explained that when he was a young man, he had no interest whatsoever in studying Torah, but his father insisted that he travel to Radin and apply for admission to the yeshiva of the renowned Chafetz Chaim. The boy, reluctantly, made the trip to Radin and was tested by the great Sage. Much to the youngster’s delight, he failed his exam and was denied admission into the yeshiva.
Afterward, the boy told the Chafetz Chaim that he had no train home until the following day, and thus he wanted to sleep over in the yeshiva that night. The Chafetz Chaim replied that the yeshiva did not offer hospitality to those who were not students, but he graciously invited the boy to stay in his home. The boy felt very honored to receive such an invitation, and he spent the night at the Chafetz Chaim’s home.
Late that night, the Chafetz Chaim walked into the boy’s room, assuming he was asleep. The boy heard the great Sage whisper, "Oh my, it’s way too cold in here." He promptly removed his overcoat and placed it on top of his guest to keep him warm during the cold night.
"Even now, fifty years later," the man said to Rav Lopian, "I can still feel the warmth of the Chafetz Chaim’s coat."
The Chafetz Chaim did many very important things in his life, starting with the composition of seminal Torah works, such as the Mishna Berura and his work on the laws of Lashon Ha’ra. But what affected this young man was not the Chafetz Chaim’s brilliant scholarship or inspirational prayer, but rather the simple act of giving him his coat so he could keep warm.
We should certainly aspire to greatness, but we must never forget about "goodness." The word "Ekev" reminds us that often the most significant mitzvot we do are the "little things," the simple everyday acts of courtesy and consideration to the people around us.
Hashem’s Berachot
The following pesukim continue, “Hashem will love you, bless and multiply you, and He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land; your grain, your wine, your oil; the offspring of your cattle and the flocks of your sheep and goats.” The pesukim continues with an abundance of berachot for our children, our health, and our livelihood.
Just look at the Jewish population today all over the world; we are a population of just around 15 million, even after so many centuries. We are but a small fraction of one percent of the world’s population, yet we have seen beracha among our people that’s drastically disproportionate to the rest of the world. We can clearly see the fulfillment of the berachot in this week’s parasha by the disproportionate number of Jews that have achieved great things, whether in medicine, law, the humanities, technology, and so many other fields, and the tremendously high proportion of Jewish Nobel prize winners.
After only seventy years, Israel also leads the world in technology, agriculture, and so many other areas, despite the numerous disadvantages and setbacks that come from being a tiny country in a constant state of war surrounded by enemies that continuously threaten to destroy us. Let’s not fool ourselves, there’s great power in these berachot, and they only come from following in the ways of Hashem and our holy Torah!
Once on a trip to Russia, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Hacham Yitzchak Yosef, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Rabbi thought it would be just a quick “photo op” type of meeting, but Putin wanted to talk with the Rabbi at length. They sat and spoke for close to ninety minutes.
Putin told the Rabbi that he considered himself a historian and had studied all the great nations of the past — the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Greeks and Romans, and so on. He said that it had always amazed him that the Jews have outlived all these dynasties, despite their small number and the endless persecutions that they had to endure over the centuries.
He asked Hacham Yitzchak the secret to this amazing success and perseverance. The Rabbi was about to answer Putin’s question, but President Putin decided to give his own answer. He said, “I believe the reason the Jewish people have outlasted all those other nations, is that they have always followed their Torah and because they listen to their Rabbis!”
We can see this clearly from a passuk in last week’s parasha, Va’etchanan, where it says, “You shall safeguard and perform them [the mitzvot], for it is your wisdom and discernment in the eyes of the people, who shall hear all of these decrees and who shall say: Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation (4:6)!”
Rabenu Bahya comments: “The Torah states that universal acknowledgment of Israel’s wisdom will result even from its adherence to the decrees — the commandments for which no reason is revealed — because the wisdom inherent in the parts of the Torah that are accessible to rational study will convince intellectually honest people that there must be great divine wisdom in the decrees as well.”
Staying Young
Rabbi Biderman brings to light an astounding insight from this week’s parasha. Curiously in this week’s parasha it says, “Hashem will remove from you illness,” (7:15). Following that it says, “All of the bad diseases of Egypt, which you knew, He will not set upon you. He will lay them upon all your enemies.” It appears as though the Torah is repeating itself.
The “illness” that the first part of the passuk is talking about is worry. Some people may have everything going for them, but they cannot enjoy life and thrive because they are spending their life in their head about what could happen and exacerbating small issues. In fact, worry can make healthy people feel and become physically sick.
Rabbi Yaakov Meir Shechter Shlita explains how a person can remain young even in the older years. “Worries and disappointments make old. The counsel, therefore, is not to worry. Those who don’t worry stay young and live longer.” When asked how one can not worry, Rabbi Shechter answered, “For that we have the primary foundations, emunah and bitachon in Hashem Yisbarach.”
Rabbi Shechter explains that when Hashem gives us small issues, it is in our nature to think, overthink and analyze the problem until it appears much larger than it actually is. It is like scratching a mosquito bite until it bleeds. The person only hurts themselves, and it does not help him. Belief in Hashem’s power and faith in His love for us helps a person from thinking a challenge is too difficult. Hashem handpicked every challenge and struggle sent our way, and we must turn to Him when we feel overwhelmed. We are not alone in our pain and difficulties no matter how private we think they are. Hashem, our Father is always with us. That is the secret to living a fulfilling life and staying and feeling young.
Hashem Runs the World
Throughout the parasha, the Torah reminds us that Hashem is in control, running the world, creating intricate, knotted webs that come together to make miraculous stories. Rabbi Yoel Gold told an inspiring story in his video series, The Wait, about a woman who never lost emunah that Hashem would bring her naseeb—match.
At 64 years old, Laurie Fogel had been in shidduchim for over 40 years. Her mom, constantly filled with emunah, supported Laurie through her many years of dating by saying Tehillim and assuring Laurie that Hashem runs the world and that He will send her a match at the right time.
One day, Laurie’s mom suddenly had a heart attack. The doctors worked on her tirelessly in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and managed to get her stable, B’H. On May 25th, at around 6:00 PM, Laurie’s mom was ready to be discharged. The doctor removed a tube, and something went very wrong. The words “Code Blue, Code Blue” rang around the sixth floor of the hospital while the doctors and nurses struggled to bring Mrs. Fogel back to life.
After a half-hour, they miraculously succeeded, and Laurie’s mom would be okay. She was discharged a few days later, and Laurie and her mom went home together.
Two months later, Laurie was set up with a man named Ron Hass. They ended up at a coffee shop on Beverly Boulevard for their first date. Things were going great; the conversation was flowing! Laurie noticed Ron kept looking across the street at Cedars-Sinai, so she asked him, “Is everything okay?” Ron pointed to the hospital and said, “Sitting here reminds me of what a miracle it is that I’m alive. Just a couple of months ago, I was in that building. I had a heart attack.” His eyes welled up, and he said, “I was actively dying. They called my family to say goodbye. My loved ones even started organizing a funeral for me for the next morning. The doctors took me off life support, and it was a miracle from Hashem. I started to cough and then breathe on my own.”
Laurie said, “Wow! That’s incredible!!” With the emunah instilled in her from her mother, her first thought was, THIS is Hashem. This is meant to be. “When was this?” Laurie asked. Ron said, “May 25th around 6:00 in the evening.” Laurie was flabbergasted. That was the same date her mother had her near-death experience as well! After some more questions, she found out that both Ron and her mother were on the sixth floor and had the same doctors and staff working on them simultaneously.
As Laurie told the story with Rabbi Yoel Gold, she said, “This is my theory. My mom and Ron were on their way up to shamayim on May 25th, and my mom must have looked at him and said, ‘Wait a second, you’re going back down. I have a daughter for you!’ And I think Ron looked at her and said, ‘Okay, but you’re coming with me.’ And they both came back together at the same time. Hashem wasn’t ready for his angels just yet.”
Shortly after, Laurie introduced Ron to her mom, perhaps for the second time. Soon after, Ron popped the question, and Laurie said, “YES!” The morning after her daughter got engaged, Laurie’s mom passed away peacefully. It was as if she and Hashem brought Laurie’s match home from the Gates of Heaven, and she returned once he was delivered safely.
May we all realize that Hashem is in control, and that as long as we follow the ways of the Torah, He will bless us beyond our greatest expectations with children, health, and parnassah. May we always know that everything comes from Hashem, and we must be careful not to delude ourselves into thinking that it’s our efforts that produced anything because all the gifts that we have are truly berachot from Hashem!
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Amram Sananes, written by Jack Rahmey Discussion Point:
This book is a compilation of Divre Torah from the weekly parasha classes from Rabbi Sananes’ teachings over the last 10 years along with my own experiences in those classes which has stimulated my Torah growth. I’ve included many pertinent stories and life lessons to grow from at your Shabbat table. There’s also questions and discussion points at the end of each Parasha to stimulate a Torah conversation at your Shabbat table for the whole family to participate in. Also, included is a holidays section at the end of the book to use for all of our special holidays and Yomiim Toviim. Now available in all Jewish bookstores and Amazon! Scan the barcode on the right to purchase from Amazon. Rabbi Sananes and I look forward to hearing your feedback. Sincerely, Rabbi Amram Sananes and Jack E. Rahmey AmramSananes@me.com and jrahmey@rahmeyfinancial.com (917-226-6276)
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