Parashat Ekev

B"H

Last week's Parasha Va' etchanan ended with the Shema. Now, Moshe is telling us that if we keep the Mitzwot then G - d will keep His covenant with us and make us a fruitful and successful nation.
Once I went to a Shiur where the Rabbi spoke about the Jews being a great nation, keeping Mitzwot and all the Gentile nations looked up on us. The Rabbi' s words were: "Believe it or not, once we were respected by the nations". The people in class were starring at him and couldn't believe his words. Wow, we were respected.
Historically, it is a fact that we were; especially at the times of Shlomo HaMelech.

Israel is the only country in the world being completely dependent upon G - d. If the Jews keep the Mitzwot then Israel will be successful, if not, then we have to face the consequences. For everything we need to pray and nothing should be taken for granted. In the Shema and the Amidah (during the winter), we even pray for rain. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch wrote that our whole existence and well - being depends on the Mitzwot. Our mission is getting closer to G - d, as He and the Jews have a special eternal relationship with each other.

In Judaism, we always thank G - d for everything. Especially in the early morning prayer with all the Berachot. However, we do not even take food for granted. We say Berachot before and after the meal. Saying a special Bracha over food before a meal is very easy. You are hungry, you want to eat, so you say a quick Bracha. But afterwards when you are full, you also tend to forget G - d very easily and it is much harder saying a blessing when you do not have a desire any more.
The Talmud in Sotah 5a warns us to become arrogant. Never forget your Creator you depend on. In Sotah, a Mashal is given for the reward of not being arrogant. Why did G - d give the Torah to the Jews at the small mountain Har Sinai ? Why not at a impressive huge mountain somewhere else ?
The Gemara answers that before Matan Torah, all the mountains were arguing about which of them should be worthy enough of giving the Torah to the Jews. Har Sinai kept quiet and, therefore, received the big reward from G - d of being worthy.
Why does G - d hate arrogant people ? Because when they sin they do not regret anything. They even complain about the G - dly punishment and feel injustice.

For many outsiders or non - religious Jews it is disturbing that there is such a long halachic procedure for eating bread. First washing the hands in a certain way and afterwards saying the long Bircat HaMazon prayer. For them it seems like taking ages. According to my own experience I can tell you that once you start doing it, you just get used to it and it doesn't bother you any more.
The Bircat HaMazon you can find in any Sidur or Bensher and it can be said in any language (see Shulchan Aruch - Orach Chaim 185:1). It includes three Biblical blessings such as Birkat HaZan, Birkat HaAretz and Birkat Yerushalaim (Shulchan Aruch - Orach Chaim 192:1). In case that there are three men at the table, it is customary to say Bircat HaZimun first (Mishna in Berachot 51b).

In Judaism there is no meal without a Bracha. It doesn't matter if you eat an ice - cream or drink a coke. For everything there is a blessing. The Berachot are one of the first things you learn in Yeshiva and if you grew up frum, so you know them anyway. I am always amazed when I see three - year - old kids saying the Berachot.
In the blessings we always recognize G - d as the Creator of everything and thank Him for the Land.

How important the Land of Israel is showed me a chassidic story told by Rebbitzen Henny Machlis, the wife of Rabbi Mordechai Machlis from Jerusalem:
Once, a man who had just been to Eretz Israel came to a famous Rebbe. He told the Rebbe that in Israel the streets are of marble and that there are diamonds everywhere you look. The Rebbe was so impressed that he went to see the great beauty of the Land. But all he saw was just garbage in the streets and smelly gutters. Disappointed he went back to his country and complaint to the man who had told him the opposite. The man couldn't believe it and said: "What, you didn't see it" ?
The Rebbe was shocked and ran into his study to meditate for a few weeks. How could it be that a regular guy was able to see the spiritual beauty of Eretz Israel and he wasn't ?

This should teach us that we also have to look into things on a deeper basis and not just concentrate on the artificial surface. Hopefully we will all recognize the spiritual beauty of Israel and the whole world.

Shabbat Shalom