Eikev: On Blessings Undeserved

(1) Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to be involved with words of Torah.

(1) Hear, O Israel! You are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and more populous than you: great cities with walls sky-high;(2) a people great and tall, the Anakites, of whom you have knowledge; for you have heard it said, “Who can stand up to the children of Anak?”(3) Know then this day that none other than Hashem your God is crossing at your head, a devouring fire; it is [God] who will wipe them out. [God] will subdue them before you, that you may quickly dispossess and destroy them, as Hashem promised you.(4) And when Hashem your God has thrust them from your path, say not to yourselves, “Hashem has enabled us to possess this land because of our virtues”; it is rather because of the wickedness of those nations that the LORD is dispossessing them before you.(5) It is not because of your virtues and your rectitude that you will be able to possess their country; but it is because of their wickedness that Hashem your God is dispossessing those nations before you, and in order to fulfill the oath that Hashem made to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.(6) Know, then, that it is not for any virtue of yours that Hashem your God is giving you this good land to possess; for you are a stiffnecked people.(7) Remember, never forget, how you provoked Hashem your God to anger in the wilderness: from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have continued defiant toward Hashem.(8) At Horeb you so provoked Hashem that Hashem was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.

(1) כי עם קשה עורף אתה, being stiff-necked and righteous simultaneously is a non starter, as these two character qualities are mutually exclusive. Being stiff-necked means to follow the dictates of one’s own heart, one’s own opinions instead of accepting the yoke of the Creator’s commandments as being supreme. Such a person will reject even theories which have been proven beyond doubt if they conflict with what he deems good or convenient for himself. The simile of a “stiff-necked” person or people described someone who appears unable to turn around and face his teacher, as his neck is too stiff.(1) זכור אל תשכח, Moses adds proof to his characterising the Jewish people as being stiff-necked by reminding them of how many times during his stewardship of the nation they had angered G’d, so that it reminds one of a dog which returns to his own excrement finding it attractive. This happened again and again although each time they had been subjected to disciplining by G’d, and they learned more about His greatness on each occasion.

(1) Moshe warned them excessively to remove two mistaken ideas from their minds. 1. Do not trust yourselves that you will not stumble and sin with idolatry. This is the warning of the Sages, “Do not trust in yourselves” (Avos 2:4). This belief itself and lead a person to be careless with things close to idolatry which can cause him to stumble and lead him to sin… 2. They should not rely on Hashem that He will not destroy the land and lay it waste under any circumstances, even if they worship idols. Do not think that Hashem desires that the Jewish people should live in the land of Israel… and He trusts me that I will not sin. (2)Because of the wickedness of these nations. Do not think that Hashem so greatly desires that the Land be settled, that despite all of the wickedness of the nations until now, He did not expel them from the land and leave the land of Israel desolate… Do not think that even if you sin with idolatry, Hashem will not find another nation better than you. For this reason Moshe warned them that both of these ideas are mistaken.

(1)לא בצדקתך, "Not because of your righteousness, etc." Moses meant that the Israelites' righteousness was not a reason for allowing them to dispossess other nations. This did not mean, however, that they were not a spiritually upright generation. Moses said something similar to the people in Deut. 4,4 when he attributed their being alive to their having cleaved to G'd. Such conduct does not, however, mean that other nations were to be killed on account of the Israelites' goodness. Had there not been a covenant with the patriarchs, G'd could not have justified expelling and killing the Canaanites on account of the Israelites. At the same time, the oath sworn by G'd to the patriarchs by itself would also not have resulted in the Israelites' victory over the Canaanites if they had not been wicked. We have a Mishnah in Eydiot 2,9 which states that "although a father confers upon his son certain attributes (genes) such as handsome appearance, intelligence, etc. etc., there is a limit to the effectiveness of such transfer of parental genes after a number of generations. The Mishnah bases this statement on Isaiah 41,4 קורא הדורות מראש, "He (G'd) determines ahead of time for how long the father can transmit his genes to successive generations." Raavad comments as follows on this statement. "G'd foresees whether a generation is deserving, and if so He allows these genes to be transmitted from father to son until a deserving generation arises such as the generation of Joshua. Thus far Raavad. From this we learn that in addition to G'd's promise to the fathers it is also essential that their descendants be worthy of that promise. Accordingly, Moses told the people that their righteousness was not enough by itself to bring about their conquest of the Holy Land. In fact their righteousness did not even help the oath to Abraham to be fulfilled. The only thing it was good for was to ensure that their conduct was no impediment to the good that G'd had promised being fulfilled now.(2)בי ברשעת הגוים…ולמען הקים…אשר נשבע, "for due to the wickedness of those nations…and in order to keep the oath which G'd swore, etc." None of these reasons would have sufficed by itself. Had the Canaanite nations not been wicked G'd would not have had a legal excuse to dispossess them. Their wickedness by itself was not reason enough to give their land to the Israelites unless the Israelites had also proved worthy to take that land. It is also possible that the meaning of the word מורישם is "He destroys them." If that is so, these people certainly had to be wicked as G'd would not decree upon them what He did in Deut. 20,16: "you must not allow a soul of theirs to remain alive."(1)וידעת כי לא בצדקתך….זכור אל תשכח, "Know therefore that not because of your righteousness …Remember and do not forget!" What did Moses hope to accomplish by admonishing the Israelites about their having had stiff-necked wicked people amongst them in the past? Perhaps their present righteousness would suffice to let them inherit the land and even to be able to point to their righteousness as the reason for this. Moses' reason may have been that the people reflected that even at the times they had been rebellious this did not result in their march towards the Holy Land coming to a halt. They had explained this anomaly to themselves by reasoning that G'd had to fulfil His oath to the patriarchs. Moses therefore wanted to make it plain that their own righteousness was essential in bringing about fulfilment of that oath. If they were to backslide they could still forfeit the promise to inherit the land.

(1) . לא בצדקתך וביושר לבבך וגו'...כי ברשעת הגוים האלה, “not due to your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart, etc.,...but due to the wickedness of these nations, etc.” This verse causes us to think that if only the Canaanites had been righteous they would not have been dispossessed, would not have been driven out of the land of Canaan. In that event, what would have happened to G’d’s oath to our patriarchs? The situation is as follows: seeing that these nations are wicked they deserve to be exiled from that land. Even if they had been righteous they would not have been allowed to remain in that land seeing the land had been assigned to them only as a פקדון, an object to be held in trust for the real owners. Ever since the time of the patriarchs the “real” owners are their descendants the Jewish people. G’d, however, is able to give these people some other land seeing that the whole earth belongs to Him. This particular land they could not hold on to seeing G’d had already promised it to someone else. Therefore, regardless of the righteousness of the inhabitants of that land they would have to be transferred elsewhere.

(2) Among this group of twenty-four are five transgressions which block the way of repentance against the sinners, they are: (1) he who secedes from the community, for he would be absent at the time they repent and could not acquire aught in their virtuous performance; (2) He who opposes the decisions of the sages, for his opposition to them brings about his own separation from them, and he knows not the path leading to repentance; (3) he who disdains the precepts, for as they appear debased to him he does not pursue after them nor perform them, and without performance what virtue can he attain? (4) he who insults his masters, for such conduct brings about his displacement and repudiation, even as it happened to Gehazi²See II. Kings, 4.1G., and being repudiated he will not find a teacher to guide him to the path of truth; (5) He who despises criticism for he, indeed, left no path open for repentance, as it is criticism that begets repentance. Forsooth, when a man is informed that his sins are known, and that he should be ashamed of himself for his wrongdoings, he does repent. For example: it written in the Torah: "Remember, forget thou not, how thou didst make the Lord thy God wroth in the wilderness; from the day that thou didst go forth out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord" (Deut. 9.7), and: "But the Lord hath not given you a heart to know" (Ibid. 29.3), and: "A foolish people and unwise" (Ibid. 32.6); and Isaiah, likewise, rebuked Israel and exclaimed: "Ah sinful nation!" (Is. 1.4) and, "The ox knoweth his owner" (Ibid. –3), and, "Because I knew that thou are obstinate" (Ibid. 48.4). Almighty, too, charged him to rebuke the sinners, saying: "Cry aloud, spare not" (Is. 58. 1). In like manner did all of the prophets criticise Israel until they turned in repentance. It is, therefore, necessary to appoint over each and every community in Israel a great scholar of mature age, God-fearing since his early youth, and loved by them, people, to preach to the public and turn them to repentance. But he who despises criticism does not come to hear the preacher and does not pay attention to his words, he, therefore, holds on to his sins, which to his eyes appear to be good.³Alfasi, Yoma, Chapter 8. 7a. G.

(1)According to some authorities it is a mitzvah to recite these six verses of remembrance every day. Those who do so are assured of a share in the World-to-Come.(2)The Exodus(3) ...in order that you remember the day you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.¹Deuteronomy 16:3.(4)The Revelation at Mount Sinai(5) Only beware, and guard you soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen; lest they be removed from your heart all the days of your life; and make them known to your children and to your children's children. [That what you witnessed] the day you stood before Adonoy your God at Chorev.²Deuteronomy 4:9-10.(6)The Attack of Amalek(7) Remember what Amalek did to you on the way, as you came out of Egypt! How he encountered you on the way, and he cut off all the weak ones [who were straggling] behind you, when you were weary and exhausted; and he did not fear God.³Other commentators say that these words refer to the Jewish people, who did not fear God. When Adonoy, Your God, will relieve you from all your enemies around you, in the land which Adonoy, your God, gives you as a possession to inherit; you shall eradicate the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens. Do not forget.⁴Deuteronomy 25:17-19.(8)The Sin of the Golden Calf(9) Remember, do not forget, how you provoked Adonoy, Your God, in the desert.⁵Deuteronomy 9:7.(10)What Happened to Miriam(11) Remember what Adonoy, your God, did to Miriam on the way, when you came out of Egypt.⁶Deuteronomy 24:9.(12)The Sabbath(13) Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it.⁷Exodus 20:8.

(12) And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the LORD your God, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and soul,(13) keeping the LORD’s commandments and laws, which I enjoin upon you today, for your good.(14) Mark, the heavens to their uttermost reaches belong to the LORD your God, the earth and all that is on it!(15) Yet it was to your fathers that the LORD was drawn in His love for them, so that He chose you, their lineal descendants, from among all peoples—as is now the case.(16) Cut away, therefore, the thickening about your hearts and stiffen your necks no more.(17) For the LORD your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe,(18) but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing.—(19) You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.(20) You must revere the LORD your God: only Him shall you worship, to Him shall you hold fast, and by His name shall you swear.(21) He is your glory and He is your God, who wrought for you those marvelous, awesome deeds that you saw with your own eyes.