Eikev Parts 2-4 Weekly Torah Portion according to the Kli Yakar Deuteronomy 7:14 - 8:1-2 5776

Okay, good evening everybody. We're in Paras ahead which is in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse14. I think that the first few verses are just so beautiful. I actually want to read them beforehand and it will be because of your listening to these ordinances and you're observing and performing them. Then, Hashem, your God, will safeguard for you the covenant and the kindness that he swore to your forefathers. He will love you. He will bless you and he will multiply you. And he will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain, your wine, and your oil, the offspring of your cattle, and the herds of your flock on the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you. Now our verse. You will be the most blessed of all the peoples. There will be no infertile male, infertile male or infertile female among you or among your animals. Okay. In [Music] Hebrew. Okay. So the kar begins by introducing us to this idea in the in the medish all the nations will bless you. This is what it's saying. All the nations will bless you. Yeah, you got it. If you read it again, you will be blessed of all the peoples. You will be blessed of all the peoples. The med says all the nations will bless you. And how does that come about a just like when we come home on Friday night and we sit at the table we had a great week and Friday night we're sitting there with our family and everyone is there's peace in the home and we say next week should be just like the the following week should be just like the week we had and whatever negative forces there might exist that we created through the week has to say amen. made great. they lost and they're giving more power to the positive and unfortunately it can also work the other way around but that's the idea here and it's brought down in Shabas Gmor Shabas 119B now the Barbarel asks on this my what do we gain by the nations saying amen or you know what I'm saying if we're blessed amongst all the nations or in this case by the angels And every nation has an angel. What What do we exactly gain? I'm not sure what of course we g we're blessed, but we're blessed more than them. What does that mean? What is the exact definition of the benefit? What what do we what do we benefit? So the says this land, the land of Israel, Hashem has his eye on it. He's he's desiring it. He's seeking it out. And he has a special relationship with the land as well, with the people on the land with the land. kosharatos and it's through this desire that God has for the land of Israel that's how he ends up having a desire for the whole world because the braha which also means like a source right is like the spring where the water comes out from so you're talking about the actual source is the land of Israel is the source of all blessing throughout the entire So that all the benefit that the world receives is from the essence they drink from the original essence that came from the land itself. [Music] Israel then by necessity we're forced to say or even the going themselves are forced to basically bless us because all their blessings came via Israel. Israel means the land of Israel, the people of Israel. And he's going to make a difference whether we're doing the right thing or not. Right? When we're not doing the right thing, the land doesn't produce either. And when we are doing the right thing, then everything goes real smooth. That the peace of Israel brings peace right to the rest of the world. It's like an overflowing cup of blessing. When there's no peace here, there's no peace through the world. When there's peace here, they're they're benefiting from that peace. ocean. If you look in Psalms 117 verses [Music] 1-2, right? Praise Hashem all nations. Praise him all states for his kindness has overwhelmed us and the truth of Hashem is eternal. Hallelujah. And but he says therefore whatever we just said up until now is an introduction to the next point. If you look in verse 16, so verse 16 says, "You will devour all the peoples that Hashem your God delivers to you. Your eyes shall have shall not have pity on them. You shall not worship their gods, for it is a snare to you." Why should they bless us? Why should they bless us? No. If they realize that all their goodness is coming from us, if they realize that, they will bless us. I'm saying is that u this is a very nice formula, but the nations didn't heed to us. In other words, if the Romans knew how bad it would be for them if they would crush us, right, they wouldn't have crushed us. Correct? But they failed. We failed in nature. So they failed and their failure was most likely a result of our failure. So the P says, so the begins by saying when we are devouring them, we're consuming them. That's because it actually belongs to us, right? That's what he's saying. When God gives it to us, it's it's ours. It's specifically that which Hashem gives to you that you devour, that you can eat that he's handing it over into your hand. Like it says invar numbers 14:9 for they are your bread. God says I wouldn't read the whole verse and not that you cannot devour. You're not allowed to consume. You can't destroy that which God did not give into your hand. Why? Because it's gel. You're not allowed to steal from the All that we do consume, meaning devour or consuming, is because God actually took it away from them and gave it to us. It's not us taking it away from them and destroying it. I'm going to read that verse in Bidbar, the whole verse in Deuteronomy 14:9. Actually, I want to read 8 and 9. It's in numbers um 14 verse 8 and 9. If Hashem desires us, he will bring us to this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. But do not rebel against Hashem. Okay? You shall not fear the people of the land, for they are our bread. Their protection has departed from them. Hashem is with us. Do not fear them. It's through us doing the right thing and the combination of them doing the wrong thing that the whole puzzle fits together in the terms of devouring them. That not only do we have the scoot, the merits and that they have lost their merit that that would come to be. Okay. So maybe this is quite messianic because like you said Moshe, we haven't really seen this too much. Actually I disagree Israel. If you think take as being inventions for sure and and look at all the inventions that Israel has produced the world is benefiting from and so whether they like it or not which is actually sort of the case that they have to in a certain sense bless Israel. So I think that we have seen it over the course of history. There were ups and downs. History. It's the course of the last 40 years. That's history. In other words, you had the golden age of Spain. We saw it. We've seen where Jews were councils to kings. And now in the last I'm going to say even 60 years or 70 years the amazing research and development and the the gathering of brains that have created things that you wouldn't even know the Israel you know we know but most people have no clue uh what the Israelis have invented what the Jews have invented when they started this BDS movement they had no clue that the app the apps that they're using to spread this message of BDS and the technology they're using to create some kind of a boycott and devestment is all Israeli inventions. You want to I can say two things. One is that you know maybe maybe Hamas shouldn't be lucky to see Israeli medical inventions. That's one thing you say Jack that was separate. What I was going to say is there there is actually something you can look up called very good news in Israel which gives you the latest and it's like they come up with a a dozen things each time and it's like it's like it's amazing what they come up with in in medicine and technology. So I think that when I said originally it's like messianic we don't see a whole lot of it. We're seeing a whole lot of it now. And I think that it is messianic meaning we're entering the uh messianic period. Okay. Now we're going to do the next part which is chapter 8 verse 1 and 2. It's still in paras. I'll read it in English first. All the commandments notice commandments that I command you today. Now in Hebrew you can't I mean in English you can't really notice it. But that's going to be singular that I command you today. You shall observe to perform them. That's already pluralized plural. So that you may live and increase and come to take possession of the land that Hashem swore to your forefathers. You shall remember the entire road on which Hashem your God led you these 40 years in the wilderness so as to afflict you, to test you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would observe his commandments or not. That's singular is singular. This is already now plural or pluralized. I don't know which word to use. You shall observe and perform them so you may live and increase or or or [Music] Hashem. So, another word we're going to focus on is the word to test. It said to test you. Okay. In order to test you. So the [Music] begins. So it hit as you noticed it began in a singular format but towards the end of the well not even the end of the verse but the latter part of the verse would already changed and turned into a plural um language as uh the first one's talking about the mitzvah the second one is talking about the it says I have commanded you. Okay, the word mitzvah is singular meaning one mitzvah. We want to know what that one mitzvah is but it's is I you know that I commanded you and singular that what you shall observe you as in plural you shall observe to perform. Okay. Yep. So he wants to begin by answering if you look in Mishap 10:2 that's Proverbs 10:2. We see that it's the righteous one is the foundation of the world. I'll just read the whole verse. When the storm passes, a wicked one is no more. But a righteous one is the foundation of the world. Even an individual who performs just one command, the 613 commandments, one individual performs just one of them. Asho asho. How praiseworthy is he? How great that is. So what's happening here? He's imagining himself and maybe that's the case that he is on the scales and he himself is mamish is actually just level with positives and negatives with pluses and minuses with mitzvah and availing commandments and creating sins 50/50. And he's doing that one mitzvah that's tipping the scales just for himself. But as a result, what is that happening? The whole world is also in the same state. It's the whole world is standing at a 50/50 status on the scale. And not only is he flipping to one side for himself, but as a result flips the entire world to the side of merit. The same thing applies when one individual repents. So not only is he atoned for but the entire world is saved through his one act of repentance. This is a Jewish concept by the way. Nice. That's why it says that which I commanded you to the one individual I commanded you these this mitzvah and it's one mitzvah the result is right well the rest of the verse says that you will guard to do them in order you will live then what does it mean that the guard guarding the observing of one individual, one mitzvah. It's as if the entire people are guarding all the mitzvah. And how does that come to be? We're talking about from the singular mitzvah to the many mitzvah. So there's a concept as we're going to see soon of mitzvah mitzvah. But before we reach that point, it says what happens as a result of that one person keeping that one mitzvah. the result reaches and the benefit helps the entire world. Everyone benefits from the one mitzvah that you do. You were sitting on the scales. You were in a 50/50 position. The whole world was in a 50/50 position. And a result of that one mitzvah, everybody benefits as a result of that one mitzvah. And the the verse uses the word mitzvah commandment. You would have assumed it would have said commandments, one commandment in an in like a singular fashion telling you go that even the guarding the observing of one single mitzvah as it was commanded meaning fulfill it in its most perfected way at least you know beyond the minimum. that causes plural that you may live that the Jewish people that the world right that's why it said a mish that the sad is the foundation of the world the world exists and is maintained as a result of that one person doing that one mitzvah then we go on just like says in the Hedron that's 111 side a there is a verse in Isaiah 5 verse14 it's talking about the ground opening up its mouth but it opens its mouth in a limited way I'm sorry it opens it its mouth without limit let's read the verse That that's the pushup shot. The simple explanation is I'll read the verse. Therefore, the netherworld has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth without limit. Right? It'll be all consuming. But we're not going to read it that way. We're not going to understand it that way. It means that the world the the mouth will the m the ground will open its mouth which always represents sha. Oh, right. represents the the gehenn the hellfire the the punishment of the world to come it's going to open its mouth but it says ble not with don't without limit but somebody that doesn't fulfill even a someone who doesn't even do one mitzvah meaning that that's the result of right that's what's coming to someone who doesn't even do one mitzvah but what do we what let's take a logical um conclusion from So that's waiting for somebody who doesn't fulfill even one. What can you say as a result of the statement? Ah but if he guards himself with even [Music] one that's enough to save a person from the punishment of the world to come. Why? mitzvah mitzvah because of the concept of one mitzvah causes and brings on other mitzvah. Now how do we understand that the clear car explained this before that every mitzvah has including in it another 612 points or seeds of all the other mitzvah. When you start and do this mitzvah, you're already or let's say you complete it. You certainly already completed a portion, a small portion in the other 612. And again, it's not upon you to finish, but it is upon you to start. And therefore, since you started you, it's called inertia. You've already brought something into motion. And therefore, with God's help, you'll continue and you may get to the point where you can finish all of those mitzvah that you started. As the clear explained at the end of parl the last paragraph what it says in verse two which we started to translate right in order to afflict you to test you God wants to know. Can you believe this? He knows everything. So why does he have to know? I'll read the verse again. You shall remember the entire road on which Hashem your God led you these 40 years in the wilderness so as to afflict you to test you to know what is in your heart. You think God doesn't know what's in your heart. Tell me. So the word lenos lka which is nace is right. It's testing, but it's also nace means a pole to hang something high on a pole. So the he the clear explains it's as if you're you're hanging it high on a pole, meaning letting everyone else know. When you're with a tour guide and you look away for a second, you lose the whole group. But what does the tour guide have? Some kind of little flag. So you see in the distance, you know where he is or she. So We know that the word nosa means to bring up high as in the verse in Psalms 4 verse 7. Let the light of your face shine upon us Hashem meaning bring upon us. Place upon us. place on a high place the light of [Music] God as if he placed our hearts your heart high on a pole and then it would rest in front of everyone's eyes who's looking upon it. And then as a result, what does he want? He wants that shall know what is in your heart. Does it mean him? Does it mean God needs to know what's in your heart? No. That the entire world will know what's on your heart. What's what are the Jews thinking? What are the Jews doing? Don't they all want to know? If you look at every newspaper throughout the world, it seems like Israel is mentioned out of all the countries the most because they really want to know. Even the word to know is like it says in Joshua verse 4 uh sorry 4:4. So the whole verse goes like this. You should look this up. so that all the peoples of the earth would know the hand of Hashem that it is mighty so that you would fear Hashem your God all the days. It's so obvious we're talking about that the right that all the people's will that they would know not that God needs to know because he knows everything as the verse concludes to know if you're keeping my mitzvah or not. God knows if you're keeping the mitzvah but he wanted others to know. Again, what did we say in the first verse? That they will bless us. As Moshe pointed out, it hasn't worked out so well throughout our history. As of late, it's really coming to a head, but um certainly to let the world know to inform them whether we are keeping the mitzvah or not. Now, what do we care? We asked earlier, what do we care? Like what really what practical difference does it make? If we are actually guarding his mitzvah then you know what the result will be. Hashem will give you the ultimate success much high above higher above all the nations and that will be a place for them to complain either way. Aren't they going to complain? You know what they're going to say when we are so successful? Lama came with Koy. Why didn't you make all the other nations just as successful? Yes to Asav Ishmael. Let's just take we think of the people who believe in the Islamic religion. As we think of the people who believe in Christianity, but for all practical purposes, these are nations. They also came out of Abraham. And yet they are not, shall I say, they are not as blessed. And I'm going to put in parenthesis or as cursed as the Jews. So what would God say to the nations and say why didn't you just make us all equal? Why didn't give or at least Ishmael and why didn't you give them the same blessings? They came out of Abraham's loins. Well, God can answer which nation. Give me one example. Give me any nation who withtood the tests and the trials like the Jews did. Nobody. You can't. You can't answer. Zaru. Remember, they followed Hashem into the desert into a land that nothing could grow. And yet they followed, right? We followed Hashem. Okay? So that's why we deserve the extra the extra success. But guess what? The same thing works in the other direction. So too in the other direction. If God forbid the Jewish people would be sinners, the God forbid that Hashem would send the curses that he promised. We don't going to complain about now. They always complain. What did Hashem do with this land? Like for what? Why did you make and this special land? It's it's empty, right? The Jewish people were supposed to have it. Now they're in exile. So God would respond back. The answer is because the Jewish people themselves were not perfect with Hashem. They weren't walking in the proper direction. They weren't keeping the commandments. That's what it means in our verse, right? To test you. So too and it says Abraham. If you look in in Genesis verse1 Abraham was tested by God and the same word appears and it happened after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him Abraham he replied he here I am. So you have the same thing over there can be explained the same way. Abraham merited the land through being tested and passing al and as to testify upon this as proof of this you know what it says over here in our verse God wants to know if they're guarding keeping observing or not it's what is understood that all of this testing was not for God to know, but for God to show the entire world what is in the heart of the Jewish people if they are guarding the Torah or not. You know, you can have all the externals, you can have all the outward appearances, but what's really in your heart and that will be the results you'll see as braha oral, right? either the bruff is will come as a result of the Jews doing the right thing or and I'm pleading to whoever is watching this, you know, this is a a group effort and if you're not in it, we can't um we we all suffer as we said and if you do one more mitzvah, we all gain. So then with that, I'll say shalom and