Drash Cards for Eikev (5770)
by Marc Mangel
• Many years ago, I overheard a conversation between a wealthy, healthy, and successful person and the Hillel Rabbi in Davis in which this person said to the Rabbi “Life is hard” and the Rabbi answered “Actually, life is awesomely wonderful”
• And indeed, Art Green has reminded us that “Awe is the beginning of spirituality”
• Today, I want to talk about Ch 11, v 13-15, which reads “…If you [plural]…I shall give you [singular]…”
• The Ishbister (R. Mordechai Yosef of Isbitza) tells us that the plural is used because all accept the Torah but that the singular is used because each one of us receives it differently according to our individuality
• But why is it not singular followed by plural? Because it is our responsibility to help others move toward a deeper understanding and observance of Torah. How do we do that?
• The answer is in the previous verse (v. 12): that we should be in awe of God.
• About this, Nachsoni writes: “In itself, awe is easy because it is part of our makeup, but recognizing it is very difficult, because we must attain it through our own efforts, without the help of Heaven. The Chazal remind us that ‘all is in the hands of Heaven except the awe of Heaven’. Awe of God lies outside of God and that is why this quality is so precious and great”