Friday, July 26, 2013

Torah Portion (Ekev) teaches the essence of Love

Torah Portion (Ekev) teaches the essence of Love

The Torah portion says "It will be as a result (ekev) of your accepting these laws." Then the Torah portion lists many promises of reward and Hashem's protection.

The Rabbi's focus on why the Torah used the word "Ekev"
The Torah could have just said "If you accept these laws"
What is the Torah trying to teach us by using the word "Ekev"?

The Rabbi's teach us that the word "ekev," also means "heel".
The Torah is referring specifically to those laws (mitzvos) that a person tramples "with his heel."

People regard certain laws (mitzvos) as "lightweight," and being not so careful in their observance is like trampling on them "with your heel." Surely every law ( Mitzva) is important -  What is the Torah trying to teach us.?

I think the lesson conveys something about the essence of love. As my Rebbi, Rabbi Noach Orlowek said "love is -what is important to you is important to me".

Certainly we should focus on the most important Mitzvas like keeping Kosher, Shabbat etc - its easy to care about those - the consequences of not doing them could seem obvious but does Hashem really care if I wear a peice of clothing with wool and linen? Does Hashem really care if I want to get red wine stain out of my table cloth on Shabbos? The answer is yes.

The more something seems trivial in my eyes and despite that fact, I am couscous about doing it, for the sake of the relationship,

and I am not doing it because it makes sense to me or I am afraid the consequences if I don't do it - I simply do it because it is important to Hashem -then to the extent that I do it for him is the extent of the love between us. The same with our spouses, kids etc

The more that I do something because it is important to them.....
I always say to Denise "throw out the garbage in a way that it shows that you care about the person (me) who is taking out the garbage - She says use our bathroom like you care about the other person (Denise) who is going to use the bathroom (less details the better- and what women doesn't want their own bathroom without their husband using it?)

Taking out the garbage before she asks me - ..... because my attitude shouldn't be -do the minimum - or unless she asks me
My attitude in a relationship is "if it's important to you it is important to me"

Those things that aren't as important in my eyes (Ekev -trample with the heal) is not what is important - it's what am i doing to make my wife, husband, son, daughter, mother, father to feel good.

Love is all there is

Shabbat Shalom
mike

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