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A MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI
At the very beginning of Parashat Eikev Moses tells the Israelites that: “[I]f you obey these rules and observe them carefully, the Lord your God will maintain faithfully for you the covenant that He made with your fathers. (God) will love you, bless you, and multiply you...”.
At first blush we might look at the text and consider that it is yet another, “if/then” proposition. We are being told that if we follow the rules, then we will be rewarded.
However, there is an important underlying connection being made here that one might overlook if it were not specifically pointed out. God is not acting on a promise that God made to “these” Israelites, rather the covenant being maintained was made generations earlier to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Moses’ speech is important because it forces the Children of Israel to recognize that the gifts bestowed upon them were coming to them through the actions of their ancestors. While they are reminded of how their lives have been impacted by Abraham’s, Isaac’s, and Jacob’s relationships with God hundreds of years earlier, they are also forced to recognize that they hold their ancestors’ legacy in their hands.
It is only if the Children of Israel perform well, that God’s promise to Abraham, that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the heavens, will come to fruition. But it was only by Abraham’s good actions that the Children of Israel exist in the first place.
The intergenerational symbiosis is very real. It is so real, in fact, that the Children of Israel should have recognized that what they did would have an impact on their descendants. (But this does not always seem to have been the case.) Torah never lets us forget that the future and the past are inextricably intertwined.
It is easy to read the Torah and see the connection. But there is a bigger lesson being taught by the Text. If we each lived our lives recognizing that, but for the actions of our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, we would not be where we are today, it would force us to garner respect and appreciation for the ideals of those who came before us.
At the same time, if we are cognizant of the fact that our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, will be impacted by the things we do today, perhaps we might do things differently?
The Torah tells a story, but it is not a storybook. While the narrative is always important, and provides lesson upon important lesson, there is often (always) an underlying, larger, message. The Torah thus becomes a lens through which we can view the things we do. Our lives are not just about us. They are about the lives of those who preceded us and they are about the lives of those who will come after us. Torah provides the thread that binds us all together.
Seeing to the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of our children and grandchildren is paramount to our own well-being. As the next generation goes off to school in these challenging times, please bestow the following blessing upon them:
A PARENT’S BLESSING FOR SENDING A CHILD OFF TO COLLEGE IN THESE
CHALLENGING TIMES
Rabbi Naomi Levy
May you go off to college in peace,
My it be a time of growth, learning, and wisdom,
A time of new friendships, adventures, and fun.
And through it all, May God bless you and protect you.
Amid this time of hatred and division on campus
May you always be proud to be a Jew, connected to your People and your Faith.
Know that you are strong, thoughtful and courageous,
Trust in yourself,
And remember you are never alone.
Turn to friends who will support you,
Mentors who will teach and guide you
And remember I am always here for you.
May God bless the path you take,
May all your efforts lead to success,
May your studies never cease.
May any challenges you face strengthen your character and your determination.
May God bless your body with health and your soul with joy,
May God watch over you night and day and shield you from all harm.
May all your prayers be answered.
Amen
Shabbat Shalom – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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