Shabbat Parashat Eikev - 5782

Shabbat Parashat Eikev - 5782

Rabbi Hal Miller

All the commandment that I command you today you shall observe to perform

so that you may live and increase and come and take possession of the land

that God swore to your forefathers. [Devarim 8:1]

What is Moshe discussing here? The last part, from "so that you may live" is the

return one gets from what the first part says, but what is it that a Jew has to do?

Rashi sees the word commandment, written in the singular, and explains that "if

you have begun a commandment, complete it." But we know from other places

that we should start to do a commandment that is before us even if we know we

will not be able to complete it, so this seems strange.

Ramban, Saadiah Gaon and others understand the Torah to mean here the whole

body of the commandments, so they pluralize the word. Thus one must follow all

of them to receive this reward. Ramban adds that our verse is a follow-on to 7:12,

where there we were commanded about judgments, and here about the rest of

the commandments, that we need to do both equally.

Onkelos keeps the word singular and says it refers to the command to remain

steadfast with God.

Malbim has a completely different approach. The commandments were given to us

to enable us to reach the highest level of perfection we were designed to reach. One

who is supposed to observe the seven laws of Noach and does so reaches a level of

perfection, but it is not the same level of perfection as attained by one who is required

to keep and does keep the 613. Some commandments apply in the diaspora as well

as in the land. One living in exile who keeps those reaches a higher level of perfection

than does one merely keeping the seven. But one who lives in the land has to keep

all 613, and by doing so reaches a far greater level of that perfection. Our verse is

saying that one should live in the land and keep all of the Torah.