PARSHA SUMMARY

In this week’s Torah portion, Eikev, Moshe continues his final discussion with the Jewish People by elaborating upon the material benefits the Jews will receive if they adhere to the Torah and its commandments. They will be rewarded with riches. They will be spared from all pain and suffering. Other nations will respect their way of life and will let them live in peace.

Moshe reminds the Jewish People how G-d miraculously took care of them during their forty-year odyssey in the desert. He gave them everything they needed: food called manna fell from the sky, clothing grew with them instead of wearing out, and they were sheltered with “protective clouds,” Now that they were about to enter the Land of Israel where they would live under normal conditions, Moshe cautions them to always bear in mind that it is the Creator who provides for their needs. In today’s day and age, we thank G-d for giving us food to eat, and the means with which to pay for it, through the blessings we say before and after eating.

Moshe then retells the sin of the Golden Calf. The Jews had sinned by erecting a golden statue and worshipping it. At that time, Moshe broke the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were inscribed.  

The Torah portion ends by describing the bounty of the Land of Israel, a land of beautiful mountain peaks and valleys, and great fertile land. The parsha then sets forth the middle portion of the Shema , which highlights the concept of reward and punishment.

The Manna and Today’s Economy

Economists and politicians can debate if we’re actually in a recession or not, but it doesn’t make a difference to average citizens. They’re feeling the pinch in every way. From rising gas prices, which cause a ripple effect of increased cost for everything in the supply chain, to stagnant employment numbers and little room for income raises, the homeowner feels squeezed.

This week’s Torah portion provides an enlightening insight. Moshe tells the Jewish Nation that Hashem provided the manna for them during their forty-year odyssey in the desert for one reason: to demonstrate that one doesn’t live by bread alone, but on the word of G-d. The barren desert is surely no place to lead a nation of over one million souls plus livestock, and provide them with ample food and water, but that’s exactly what G-d did. Through the heavenly manna and the well that miraculously traveled with them, the Jews were sustained throughout their desert travels. Moshe was trying to impress upon the Jewish Nation that although they were about to enter the Land of Israel where they would once again be sustained through more conventional means, they shouldn’t forget the lesson of the desert. It’s G-d who provides for everyone.

People work hard to support their families, putting in long hours at the office and being on call at all times to make sure not to miss that one important phone call or email. The Torah teaches us, however, that, ultimately it’s the will of G-d that provides for us all.

A quick look at the confluence of factors that has caused the current downturn confirms the Torah’s perspective. A bubble-bursting real estate market, which dooms banks and credit companies; rising commodity prices; a falling dollar and other secondary factors have all crimped the global economy, putting a strain on everybody, everywhere.

While there’s legitimate cause for concern, the Torah shows us how to deal with it. We have to put in our best effort, but ultimately remember that it’s G-d who provides for us.

This week’s parsha also introduces the mitzvah of bentching, saying Grace After Meals, thanking G-d for the wonderful food He has provided for us. The first blessing says it all. We thank G-d for sustaining the world with “chen, charm, beneficence and benevolence. He provides for every living being, since His chessed is everlasting and with His great Goodness, He will never forsake anybody forever.” We have just partaken of a nourishing and fulfilling meal. Let’s remember Who to thank and Who to look to for another meal down the line.

Perhaps we can draw strength from reciting bentching with extra care, since its words always speak to us, certainly in hard economic times. If we are conscious of G-d pulling the strings behind rising prices, we can certainly develop trust that He’ll figure out a way to get us the extra money to pay for our needs.

We all wish manna would fall from the sky so we wouldn’t have to concern ourselves with rising food costs. In a sense, though, G-d provides for us just as He did for the Jews in the desert, albeit in a more conventional fashion today.

May we all weather the economic storm by turning our eyes upward to our Father in Heaven for assistance, and may He, in turn, continue to provide us with all our physical and spiritual needs.

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