Eikev

Eikev, Ekev, Ekeb, or Eqeb (עקב — Hebrew for “if [you follow] ,” the second word, and the first distinctive word, in the parsha) is the 46th weekly Torah portion ("parsha") in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the book of Deuteronomy. It constitutes ) Moses told the Israelites not to fear these nations because they were numerous, for the Israelites had but to recall what God did to Pharaoh and the Egyptians and the wonders by which God liberated them. () Moses directed the Israelites to burn the images of their gods, not to covet nor keep the silver and gold on them, nor to bring an abhorrent thing into their houses. () Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell for 40 years. () Moses warned the Israelites not to forget God, not to violate God’s commandments, and not to grow haughty and believe that their own power had won their wealth, but to remember that it was God who gave them the power to prosper. ()

The golden calf

Moses exhorted the Israelites to remember how they had provoked God to anger in the wilderness from the day that they left Egypt until that day. () At the end of the 40 days, God gave Moses two stone tablets that God had inscribed with the words and the covenant that God had addressed to the Israelites. () Moses started down the mountain with the two tablets in his hands, when he saw how the Israelites had made themselves a molten calf. () God was angry enough with Aaron to have destroyed him, so Moses also interceded for Aaron. () And when God sent them from Kadesh-barnea to take possession of the land, they flouted God’s command and did not put their trust in God. ()

Thereupon God told Moses to carve out two tablets of stone like the first, come up to the mountain, and make an ark of wood. () From there they marched to Gudgod, and on to Jotbath. () Moses noted that although heaven and earth belong to God, God was drawn to love their fathers, so that God chose the Israelites from among all peoples. () Moses exhorted the Israelites to revere God, worship only God, and swear only by God’s name, for God was their glory, who wrought for them marvelous deeds, and made them as numerous as the stars. () Moses instructed them therefore to keep all the law so that they might have the strength to enter and possess the land and long endure on that land flowing with milk and honey. (): If the Israelites obeyed the commandments, loving God and serving God with heart and soul, God would grant the rain in season and they would gather their grain, wine, and oil. () Moses urged them to impress God’s words upon their heart, bind them as a sign on their hands, let them serve as a symbol on their foreheads, teach them to your children, and recite them when they stayed at home and when they were away, when they lay down and when they got up. ()

In classical rabbinic interpretation

Deuteronomy chapter 7

A midrash likened the second word of "eikev", “as a consequence” and “the end.” Israel asked God when God would grant reward for the observance of commandments. God replied that when people observe commandments, they enjoy some fruits now, but God will give them their full reward in the "end", after death. (Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:1.)Another midrash played on two possible meanings of the second word of that “it shall come to pass, because ("eikev") you harken.” (Deuteronomy Rabbah 3:2.)

Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani interpreted the words “that the Lord your God shall keep for you” in provided that the Israelites were to take from the enemies that God would deliver to them in time of war, thus implying that the Israelites could not take from non-Jews in time of peace, when God had not delivered them into the Israelites’ hands. (Babylonian Talmud Bava Kamma 113b.)

Chapter 3 of tractate Avodah Zarah in the Mishnah, Jerusalem Talmud, and Babylonian Talmud interpreted the laws of not deriving benefit from idols in “you shall not bring an abomination into your house, lest you be a cursed thing like it,” that whatever one might bring into being out of an idolatrous thing would have the same cursed status. (Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 58a.)

Rabbi Johanan in the name of Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai noted the word “abomination” in common in both required them to bless God when they had eaten and were satisfied, but the Israelites bless God even when they have eaten only the quantity of an olive or an egg. (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 20b.)

Rabbi Johanan deduced from that everything is in the hand of Heaven except the fear of Heaven, for he omitted “awesome.” And then when Daniel saw foreigners enslaving the Israelites, he asked where God’s mighty deeds were, and thus in and [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0511.htm#13 11:13–21.] (Mishnah –; Tosefta Berakhot 1:1–2:21; Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 1a–42b; Babylonian Talmud –26a.)

The Gemara reported a number of Rabbis’ reports of how the Land of Israel did indeed flow with “milk and honey,” as described in and [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0414.htm#8 14:8,] and )
*The precept of blessing the Almighty for the food we receive ()
*The precept of prayer to the Almighty () ("Sefer HaHinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education". Translated by Charles Wengrov, 4:304–57. Jerusalem: Feldheim Pub., 1988. ISBN 0-87306-457-7.)

Haftarah

The haftarah for the parshah is Isaiah [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1049.htm#14 49:14–51:3.] The haftarah is the second in the cycle of seven haftarot of consolation after Tisha B'Av, leading up to Rosh Hashanah.

In the liturgy

In the Blessing after Meals ("Birkat Hamazon"), Jews sometimes quote is the second of three blocks of verses in the "Shema", a central prayer in Jewish prayer services. Jews combine to form the core of "K’riat Shema", recited in the evening ("Ma’ariv") and morning ("Shacharit") prayer services. (Hammer, at 30–31, 112–13, 282–83.)

Further reading

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these sources:

Biblical

*Exodus (blessings).
*1 Kings [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt09a12.htm#26 12:26–30.]
*Psalms [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2611.htm#7 11:7] (God loves); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2663.htm#4 63:4] (God’s loving kindness); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a5.htm#5 105:5] (remember God’s wonders); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26a6.htm#36 106:36] (their idols became a snare); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26d6.htm#16 136:16] (God led the people through the wilderness); [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26e6.htm#8 146:8] (God loves).

Early nonrabbinic

*Pliny the Elder. "Natural History" [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137&query=head%3D%231825 26:3,] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137&query=head%3D%231827 5.] 1st Century C.E. (Egyptian diseases).
*Josephus. "Antiquities of the Jews" [http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/antiquities-jews/b4c8.html 4:8:2–3.] Circa 93–94. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition". Translated by William Whiston. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1987. ISBN 0-913573-86-8.
*Matthew [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%204:4&version=31 4:4] (not live by bread alone).

Classical rabbinic

*Mishnah: –; Bikkurim 1:3; [http://www.moreshet.net/oldsite/mishna/5761/10-06-01/wednesday.htm Sotah 7:8;] [http://www.moreshet.net/oldsite/mishna/5762/5-05-02/thursday.htm Avodah Zarah 1:9,] [http://www.moreshet.net/oldsite/mishna/archiveshabbat9.htm 3:1–10;] Tamid 5:1. Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Mishnah: A New Translation". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 3–7, 167, 458–59, 662, 664–67, 869. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-300-05022-4.
*Sifre to Deuteronomy 37:1–52:1. Land of Israel, circa 250–350 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Sifre to Deuteronomy: An Analytical Translation". Translated by Jacob Neusner. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987. ISBN 1-55540-145-7.
*Jerusalem Talmud: Berakhot 1a–42b, 72b, 88b; Peah 23a; Sheviit 42b; Avodah Zarah ch. 3. Land of Israel, circa 400 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Yerushalmi". Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, vols. 1–3, 6b. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.
*Babylonian Talmud: –26a, 32a–b, 33b–34a, 35a–b, 36b–37a, 38a, 40a–41b, 44a, 48b, 51b, 55a; Shabbat 31b, 32b, 82b, 105b, 108a; Eruvin 4a; Pesachim 36a, 49b, 53a, 87b, 101b, 104a, 119a; Yoma 3b, 11b, 69b, 72b, 74b, 75b, 79b, 81b; Sukkah 5b, 26b, 35a, 52a; Rosh Hashanah 7a, 8a–b, 17b; Taanit 2a, 3b–4a, 6a–b, 7b, 9b, 26b; Megillah 19b, 21a, 25a, 31a; Chagigah 12a–b; Yevamot 78b; Ketubot 47b, 111a; Nedarim 7b, 32a, 38a; Sotah 4b–5a, 11a, 33a; Gittin 62a; Kiddushin 29b–30b, 36a, 58a; Bava Kamma 113b; Bava Batra 9b, 14b, 19a, 21a, 110b, 121a; Sanhedrin 4b, 56a, 93a, 90b, 99a, 110a, 113a; Makkot 7b; Shevuot 30b; Avodah Zarah 15a, 21a, 40b–49b, 52a, 54b; Horayot 13a; Zevachim 16a; Menachot 28b, 31b, 37b, 43b, 84a–b, 99a; Chullin 84b, 120b, 135b, 140a; Bekhorot 6b, 44b; Arakhin 4a; Temurah 3b, 28b, 30b; Niddah 16b, 70b. Babylonia, 6th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Bavli". Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 vols. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.

Medieval

*Rashi. "Commentary". [http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=9971&showrashi=true Deuteronomy 7–11.] Troyes, France, late 11th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Rashi. "The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated". Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, 5:83–118. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. ISBN 0-89906-030-7.
*Judah Halevi. "Kuzari". Toledo, Spain, 1130–1140. Reprinted in, e.g., Jehuda Halevi. "Kuzari: An Argument for the Faith of Israel." Intro. by Henry Slonimsky, 68–69, 89, 111–12, 119. New York: Schocken, 1964. ISBN 0-8052-0075-4.
*Benjamin of Tudela. " [http://www.teachittome.com/seforim2/seforim/masaos_binyomin_mitudela_with_english.pdf The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela] ". Spain, 1173. Reprinted in "The Itinerary of Benjamin of Tudela: Travels in the Middle Ages". Introductions by Michael A. Singer, Marcus Nathan Adler, A. Asher, 91. Malibu, Calif.: Joseph Simon, 1983. ISBN 0-934710-07-4. (Anak).
*Zohar [http://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar&vol=47 3:270a–.] Spain, late 13th Century. Reprinted in, e.g, "The Zohar". Translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon. 5 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1934.

Modern

*Thomas Hobbes. "Leviathan", England, 1651. Reprint edited by C. B. Macpherson, 319, 504–05, 672, 676–77. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Classics, 1982. ISBN 0140431950.
*Samson Raphael Hirsch. "Horeb: A Philosophy of Jewish Laws and Observances". Translated by Isidore Grunfeld, 35–43, 47–50, 175–80, 187–89, 376–77, 406–16, 448–52, 471–78, 525–30, 544–47, 565–67. London: Soncino Press, 1962. Reprinted 2002 ISBN 0-900689-40-4. Originally published as "Horeb, Versuche über Jissroel’s Pflichten in der Zerstreuung". Germany, 1837.
*Thomas Mann. "Joseph and His Brothers". Translated by John E. Woods, 788. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. ISBN 1-4000-4001-9. Originally published as "Joseph und seine Brüder". Stockholm: Bermann-Fischer Verlag, 1943.
*Abraham Joshua Heschel. "Man's Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism", 36. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1954.
*Martin Buber. "On the Bible: Eighteen studies", 80–92. New York: Schocken Books, 1968.
*Moshe Weinfeld. "Deuteronomy 1-11", 5:357–455. New York: Anchor Bible, 1991. ISBN 0-385-17593-0.
*Jacob Milgrom. “‘The Alien in Your Midst’: Every nation has its ger: the permanent resident. The Torah commands us, first, not to oppress the ger, and then to befriend and love him.” "Bible Review". 11 (6) (Dec. 1995).
*Jeffrey H. Tigay. "The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation", 88–115, 438–46. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996. ISBN 0-8276-0330-4.

External links

* [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0507.htm#12 Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translation]
* [http://Bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp?action=displaypage&book=5&chapter=3&verse=23&portion=46 Hear the parshah chanted]