17 Aug PARASHAT EKEV: THE LITTLE THINGS THAT AREN’T SO LITTLE

The opening section of

Parashat Ekeb

describes the

prosperity and good

fortune that are

promised to Beneh

Yisrael if they obey

Hashem’s commands.

However, the Sages

inferred from the second word in this Parasha – the

word for which it is named, “Ekev” – that these

blessings are earned by observing a particular kind of

Misva. The phrase “Ekev Tishme’un” literally means,

“as a result of obeying.” But the word “Ekev” also

means “heel,” and as Rashi comments, it is used here

to allude to those Misvot which people customarily

“tread upon with their heel.” In other words, we earn

these blessings only if we ensure to observe the Misvot

that are commonly ignored and overlooked. We are

not necessarily deserving of these rewards for

observing the “popular” Misvot, such as Shabbat and

Kashrut, vitally important as these Misvot

undoubtedly are. We earn these blessings only if we

are careful to fulfill the “unpopular” Misvot that people

tend to neglect. To which Misvot does this refer?

Which Misvot are the ones that people “trample” on? I

believe that the Sages refer here to our obligations and

responsibilities to our fellowman, to the simple, basic

acts of consideration and concern for the people

around us. When we read Tehillim, or when we attend

a Torah class, we feel “holy,” we experience an

uplifting feeling that gives us a deep sense of

satisfaction, knowing that we did something

important. Generally, however, this is not the case with

simple acts of goodness. Extending a friendly greeting

to a new face in the synagogue does not give us the

same “high” as an impassioned prayer. Offering a

neighbor a lift to the store does not get us excited. And

therefore, too often, otherwise religiously observant

people “trample” upon these Misvot. Since these and

similar simple acts of courtesy do not give us a “holy”

feeling, we easily forget how vitally important they are

to Torah observance, and so we neglect them. Of

course, I am not saying that the prayers, study and

ritualistic elements of Torah life are less important.

The Ten Commandments were written on two

equal-sized tablets, one presenting our basic

obligations to G-d, and the other our basic obligations

to our fellowman. Both are equally important, and we

must never prioritize one over the other. There is,

however, a tendency among many observant Jews to

neglect their basic duties to their fellowman, which is

due to the tendency to associate “holiness” and

“spirituality” specifically with our responsibilities to

Hashem. In order to earn the beautiful blessings

described here in Parashat Ekev, we need to ensure not

to neglect these “little things,” which the Torah

reminds us are not “little” at all. Rav Eliyahu Lopian

(1876-1970) told that he once received a generous

donation for his yeshiva from a man who was not

religiously observant, but exuded genuine love and

affection for Hachamim. 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, 50 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 Misvot we do are the “little things,” the

simple everyday acts of courtesy and consideration to

the people around us.