Just JEW It

"And it will be, because (עֵ קֶ ב) you will listen to these commandments and keep and perform them, that the L-rd your G-d will keep the covenant and the kindness that he swore to your forefathers."

This week's Torah portion is "Eikev" (עֵ קֶ ב), generally translated contextually as "when" or "because." But ask any native Hebrew speaker what this word means, and they'll tell you "heel" - the bottom of the foot. The most overlooked and insensitive part of the body. What symbolism does this have for us, the reader!? What connection does a heel have to holy commandments? (Beware: If NIKE hears about this, they may try to get their logos on this section of the Torah scroll).



I don't know about you, but when I receive a birthday gift, oftentimes the more touching and meaningful part is not the item given; it's the card. As the famous saying goes: "It's the little things that matter." In relationships. of course major needs and issues are vital to address, but often it's the little things that speak volumes. The husband who cleans the dishes; the child who brings a cold drink to dad after work; the mom who makes your favorite food; your friend who writes you something to brighten your day.

So too in one's relationship with G-d. About this word "Eikev" in the Torah, Rashi writes: 'The verse is suggesting if you will heed the minor commandments which a person tends to tread on with his heels (then G-d will keep his promise to you).' "It's the little things that count" says G-d. Doing the commandments that we're not so interested in doing, that may be uniquely hard on us or seemingly irrelevant. Paying attention to the small details. Showing our love through something seemingly small, where no one sees you but G-d. Thanking Him for even the little things that are good in our lives.

Through this devotion and attention to even the little things, we can reach the deeper explanation of the word heel here, that our commitment to G-d and his Torah will come to permeate one so entirely, that even the "heel" - signifying the least sensitive aspect of a person's being - will come to feel a closeness to G-d. The word heel is written in connection to the commandments, to also teach us that our relationship with G-d should not be confined only to the holy days of the year, or to certain holy hours of prayer and study, but should also embrace our everyday activities.

In the spirit of this week's Torah portion, let us choose one mitzvah - one area in Torah observance - that we usually "trample on with our heels" (ignore), and do it with a smile :)

Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel

A Bag of Cold Goins

A wealthy & experienced businessman had a son who was a novice in business. The father gave him a sack of gold coins to buy some merchandise. “Business isn't complicated my son. It's simple: You buy merchandise in bulk at wholesale price, and you sell it at retail price, making profit. Go to Vilna. Visit the city market and buy it for the wholesale price.” The son-in-law went and did as his father-in-law had suggested. The first stand he saw at the market was selling shofars (ram horns). "It's right before Rosh Hashanah! Come and buy shofars for the holiday!" Announced the owner. He got a good price on shofars and bought a wagon-load.


When he arrived home, his father was flabbergasted. “What did you do?!” The son replied, “What’s the matter? I checked the prices just like you told me to.” “Yes,” said the father, “but there's only one main synagogue in our city! Everyone hear's the shofar blown there on Rosh Hashanah. Nobody's going to buy these!” The father stormed off to tell his workers to put the shofars in the warehouse. Sometime later the father was ready to try again. The son went to Vilna again, and this time he found a tremendous bargain - a massive amount of toothpicks for less than 10% of their wholesale price! Smiling with pride, the boy filled his wagons with toothpicks and headed back to town. He was in for a surprise when he came home. “What’s the matter father? I got an amazing price on these toothpicks.” “What’s the matter? What’s the matter?! Nobody's going to buy all of these toothpicks!” The father sighed and told his workers to put the toothpicks in the warehouse.

After a while, the father called a merchant who dealt in odd lots and asked him to take the shofars and get whatever he could for them. The following day, he called somebody else, who dealt in overstocks, to do the same thing for the toothpicks. Soon after, these two fellows bumped into each other. Unaware that they were working for the same person, they made a trade, shofars for toothpicks. When the father got the report, he burst out laughing. His son complained: “Why are you so upset with me? These two guys are hot-shot businessmen and they both bought the same merchandise I did!” The father answered, “My dear son. Both of these men had something worthless and exchanged it for something worthless. But you had gold. You could have bought priceless goods, but instead you bought worthless merchandise!”

Each of us has been entrusted with a beautiful neshamoh (soul). We have been given a G-dly gift, the Torah, full of Divine wisdom and guidance. We have been given many minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years to achieve and acquire good deeds in this world. But too often we pass up on good "merchandise", instead focusing on the purchase of useless items. This wouldn't be a big deal, if not for the fact that we were given gold. Each of us has been given golden, priceless souls, entrusted with a divine mission to acquire mitzvot and better the world as best we can. From saying the shema to lighting shabbat candles or giving a dollar to charity, we can come home with great merchandise our Father can be proud of.

Shabbat Shalom!