“And night comes so quiet,
it's close on the heels of the day”
Reb Shlomo Carlebach
on Parshat Eikev
{The Hebrew word Eikev is translated as “And if”, however (it's funny that)
the literal translation of the opening words of Parashat Eikev reads, “And behold if your heel will listen to these laws and keep them” the Mitzvahs you might trample on
There are a lot of things in life that even if I don’t do them, I’m also okay.
Here I want to share something very deep with you.
The truth is that the most important things in life are the things which we don’t really have to do.
The most important things in ..., in serving G-d
are always the things which you can get by without doing them.
The most important things between me, my wife, and my children are always the things I don’t have to do. If I don’t do it it’s also okay,
but gevalt are they important, gevalt are they important.
I can be the best father in the world, I work hard, I give my wife money, she buys food. We have a maid at home, taking care of the children because I don’t have time, I say hello...
So I want to say a gevalt Torah (from the Portion beginning). It says Vehaaya Eikev Tishme’un Es Hamishpatim Ha’eile,
and the greatest joy will be when finally, finally ‘Eikev’ you will mamesh understand what G-d wants of you.
When do I finally understand that which the Master of the World truly wants of me?
Vehaaya Eikev Tishme’un Es Hamishpatim Ha’eile, And it will be when you will finally hear THESE mitzvas’. Which mitzvahs are we talking about?
Rashi says that Eikev is Mitzvas Kalos She’adam dash be’akeivav. We are talking about mitzvahs which I don’t have to do.
Let me ask you something. I see a poor man and I give him ten dollars, do I have to smile at him? I don’t have to. Let me ask you something else,
When I say good Shabbos to a yid, where does it say that I have to be (joyous) -besimcha? It doesn’t say that anywhere.
I see yidden saying ‘Good Shabbos’ (fast and without genuine joy), so what can you do with it? He did everything right, Nebach!
So the Helige (holy) Ishbitzer says the deepest depths, Vehaya Eikev.
It says by "the snake" (see the Adam and Eve story)
‘Vehu Yeshufcha Rosh Ve’aata Teshufenu Akev’, he will bite you in your heel. What does that mean?
The snake doesn’t come to you with something that has to do with your head.
The snake doesn’t tell you to drive your car on Shabbos. The snake doesn’t say to you to go to a non kosher delicatessen and buy ham.
That much a snake knows,
but you know what the snake the snake shows up when it comes to mitzvas you don’t have to do.
Do you know what the snake does? He leaves you with ...⁷ Mamesh, the snake got one thing through to you.
There are things which are not important, you don’t have to do them, you don’t have to do.
You can get away with everything
I bless you and bless me back, that we should do the Mitzvah’s that we don’t have to do,
and we should do them with Joy!
Good Shabbos! Rabbi Shlomo
So to make a long story longer
We are in the middle of a war
And reborn anti semitism
And it may seem hard to deal with everything around us
But do what you do with Joy.
Blessings of Joy and Shabbos
