Devarim: 7: 12. And it will be, because you will heed these ordinances and keep them and perform, that the Lord, your God, will keep for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.
So begins Parsha Eikev. Moshe continues this week to remind Israel of the wonders Hashem has performed on their behalf despite their intransigence along the way. They are about to fulfill promise made to Abraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov entering Canaan and living there as Hashem's people. Moshe admonishes them to keep listening lest they turn aside and lose their connection with Hashem.
You would think with such a common theme being repeated time and again that klal Israel would have taken on this adjuration as their and then that would be the end of it. We know from the historical context in Judges and Kings and later with the destruction of both the first and second temples that it was not so easy to follow Hashem in all he wants them to do.
It takes time to pay attention and requires a certain degree of listening for those subtle cues that let you know that everything that takes place is by divine plan or Hashgacha Pratis.
Tehilim 119: 12 Blessed art Thou, O LORD; teach me Thy statutes.
The above Tehilim shows the basic format for all of our connections with Hashem. We have to be open to receive and also ready to give that which we would like to receive. That is why we are always blessing Hashem. It is kind of like paying it forward.
Tehilim 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man keep his way pure? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.
We place ourselves right in the middle of Hashgacha Pratis by listening for Hashem at every step. In this manner the way does indeed remain pure.
Tehilim 119: 15 I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways.
The key to all of this is to figure what is going on around you in response to what is going on inside of you. That is why we meditate on Torah and listen for the way of Hashem. How do we listen for Hashem? By doing the mitzvoth he commands in the way in which he commands.
Tehilim 119: 18 Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.
It is in those moments when things go perfectly right that we know we are being guided by Hashem. We feel connection. It is this feeling of connection that is known as the Shechinah (the divine presence). Moshe tells Israel to maintain that connection above all else and then everything will be added to them.
The way of Hashem is to be always there. The way of man is to always aware connecting at every moment through prayer, mitzvoth and tzedakah. B"H
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