A Thought on Parshas Ekev

"...Hi'shamer lecha pen tishkach es HaShem..." (8:11) "...Be careful not to forget HaShem by not keeping His mitzvos..." Chazal have reminded us that "all things are in the 'hands of Heaven' except the fear of Heaven." This adage is well known in Torah circles yet has been given many varied interpretations and understandings. ibn Shu'aib quotes the Ra'A'Vad (Rabbeinu Avraham Ben Dovid, a very famous scholar of 12th century Provence, whom Ibn Shu'aib has already told us was purported to have had ruach ha'kodesh - see A Thought on Parshas Ekev). The Ra'A'Vad's take on the saying is that it means that all mitzvah fulfillment is determined by HaShem: if HaShem does not bless me with a house, then I cannot place a ma'akeh or a mezuzah on it. If HaShem has not blessed me with the means to acquire a garment, then I cannot place tzitzis on it. If He has not blessed me with wealth, then I cannot purchase a lulav, or a shofar, or give charity. What is the exception to this general principle? Fear of heaven, in contrast with all other commandments, can and must be attainable by a person whether or not he has material goods. The task is given over to each person, and it is thus not in the hands of heaven whether or not I will actualize myself by developing true fear of G-d. Aleinu l'sha'bae'ach - it is up to each of us to work on our reverence for G-d. Although ibn Shu'aib declares that he prefers a different interpretation than this approach of the Ra'A'Vad, he does develop the theme of how intimate our bond is with HaShem through our readiness to perform His mitzvos. He stresses that this is particularly important in galus - when we live in the diaspora - where our hope can fade and our consciousness of HaShem can diminish as our Jewish identity falters. He cites an allegorical tale of a a prince who was ordered by the king to leave the palace for travel. The son worried and asked his father what would happen to him, and to the king, when people saw him far away from home. They might say that the king had forgotten him, or that he had been sold into captivity, never to return, all of which would affect the king's own reputation and grandeur. The king consoled the son, saying that "wherever you might travel, my royal seal is with you." You will never forget who you are, I shall never forget you, and the people whom you encounter will always know that you are my son. ibn Shu'aib observes that we Jews still do stand out. We don tzitzis, we bind tefillin, we place a mezuzah, we reside in a sukkah, we blow shofar, wave lulav, we arise and we later return, day and night, to our houses of worship and our houses of Torah study. All of that allegiance to Torah and to Halacha constitutes our "wearing the royal uniform" of our King. This is our Divinely designated seal which indicates that we remain His children, and are not forsaken or forgotten. It also is visible and apparent to the nations around us that we are still different, and remain loyal to Avinu Malkeinu. This helps remind us not to forget or forsake Him, which is the key to reviving Divine compassion so that we will return, speedily, to the palace of our King. Good Shabbos. D Fox