Eikev (Because)
(Sefer Devarim) Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25

7:12- “Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the
YHVH thy Elohim shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He swore unto thy fathers:
13- And He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: He will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and
the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of
thy sheep, in the land which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee.
8:1- All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and
multiply, and go in and possess the land which YHVH swore unto your fathers.
2- And thou shall remember all the way which YHVH thy Elohim led thee these forty years in the
wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou would
keep His commandments, or no.
6- And thou shall keep the commandments of YHVH thy Elohim, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.
7- For YHVH thy Elohim brings thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths
that spring out of valleys and hills;
8- A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;
18- But thou shall remember YHVH thy Elohim : for it is He that gives thee power to get wealth, that He
may establish His covenant which He swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
9:3- Understand therefore this day, that YHVH thy Elohim is He which goes over before thee; as a
consuming fire He shall destroy them, and He shall bring them down before thy face: so shall thou
drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as YHVH has said unto thee.
4- Speak not thou in thine heart, after that YHVH thy Elohim has cast them out from before thee, saying,
For my righteousness YHVH has brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these
nations YHVH does drive them out from before thee.
5- Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, does thou go to possess their land:
but for the wickedness of these nations YHVH thy Elohim does drive them out from before thee, and
that He may perform the word which YHVH swore unto thy fathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.
11:7- But your eyes have seen all the great acts of YHVH which He did.
8- Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong,
and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;
9- And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which YHVH swore unto your fathers to give unto
them and to their seed, a land that flows with milk and honey.
10- For the land, whither thou goes in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came
out, where thou sows thy seed, and waters it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:
11- But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinks water of the rain
of heaven:
12- A land which YHVH thy Elohim cares for: the eyes of YHVH thy Elohim are always upon it, from the
beginning of the year even unto the end of the year."

“Gold comes out of the North: with Elohim is terrible majesty. Touching the Almighty, we cannot
find him out: he is excellent in power and in judgment and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict
Men do therefore fear him: he respects not any that are wise of heart."
(Job 37:22-24)

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Elohim also has set the
one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him."
(Ecclesiastes 7:14)

“Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? for the
ways of YHVH are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors stumble on them."
(Hosea 14:9)

“Behold, the whirlwind of YHVH goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with
pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of YHVH shall not return, until he have done
it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it."
(Jeremiah 30:23-24)

“Now consider this, ye that forget Elohim, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
Whoso offers praise glorifies me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show
the salvation of Elohim."
(Psalms 50:22-23)

“Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me."
(Job 23:6)

“I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me:
but I will consider thy testimonies."
(Psalms 119:94-95)
 

Eikev - Summary:
1. Taking back the Neighborhood in the Strength of Covenant:
With momentum increasing as the children of Yisrael prepare to enter the good land, parasha Eikev provides the people with a reality check behind their mission: They are to go up unto a bountiful land, find their strength in HaShem’s ways, and dispossess those nations dwelling there in wickedness. With primary intent that He might perform the word regarding the Covenant with the Patriarchs, this week’s sedra gives purpose to why in spite of much rebellion yet gave rise to a plan, whereby a nation that began with seventy would become a numerous army equipped to conquer. Remembering that verdict upon Pharaoh in Exodus 9:16, a reluctant people would themselves be subjected to the enduring will of the Netzach Netzachim, namely:  “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee My power; and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth.” Indeed, this great multitude was called to establish righteousness in the gates. Commissioned to clean up the neighborhood, the children of Yisrael have always been a people called with purpose. Unable to simply exchange or abort one’s calling, the fulfillment of the Covenant is chief along the order of this present world. With the sons of Yaakov caught between the global frustration over the land and the duty to keep the terms of the Covenant, pursuing its fruition is to be regarded as the most pressing, restoring righteousness to the streets so that overflowing blessings will appear throughout the valley and hills. With the ultimate expectation, a full restoration of the Davidic Tabernacle and Elohim’s returning Shechinah, there is a pattern found in Haggai 1:6-8;  even as our success was predicated upon the pursuit of the pleasures of the Elohim of our Fathers, so must the objective remain the same. He must be sanctified in our midst. We must exalt his name in our deeds and in our words. We are called to suggest His preeminence in our lives. We must not forget Him in our affluence.

     We are to build him a Sanctuary, as it is written:  “Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earns wages earns wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus says YHVH of hosts, Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, says YHVH.”  Apart from declaring this statement, the task remains incomplete. Beyond the victory of a once wicked  presence in our lives and in our land, an ambition of resurrected worship to HaShem is the goal. Rejoicing in His judgments, submitting to His statutes, and observing His ordinances reflect the determination needed to dispossess our enemies from carrying on their ways, with it behavior contrary to the revelation of Torah. Despite our best intentions to dedicate ourselves to higher purposes, we must continue to refuse pride its propensity of pulling us from the holy command. With Exodus 23:32-33 in mind, we consider the enemy: “Thou shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against Me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.”
 

2. Appointed for Battle, Resolved to Return in Readiness:

After centuries of a witness of HaShem’s faithfulness, bringing His Covenant sons and daughters from afar and planting them in the land, His expectation for us is to flourish. Isaiah 41:18-22 declares His plan: “ I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of YHVH has done this, and the Holy One of Yisrael has created it. Produce your cause, says YHVH; bring forth your strong reasons, says the King of Yaakov.”  Like many variations with the influence of the diaspora, the children of Yisrael have been brought back and replanted with a promising view. However, notwithstanding the subtle assimilation after the conduct of the other nations, there will be a remnant that will fulfill Elohim’s Eternal purpose; our return back to the land does include an appointment with the battle. Joel 3:2 gives clue to that coming day, as the prophet declares: “I will also gather all nations and will bring them down into the valley of Yehoshephat, and will plead with them there for My people and for My heritage Yisrael whom they have scattered among the nations.”