Parsha Eikev continues the theme of remembering the journeys of Israel and all that the Lord did for them. Moshe wants to make certain that the people understand the magnitude of what has been done for them and through them.
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Devarim 8:3. And He afflicted you and let you go hungry, and then fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your forefathers know, so that He would make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but rather by, whatever comes forth from the mouth of the Lord does man live. …
It is the connection above that Moshe is speaking of; that subtle opening within whereby man may act as the instrument and servant of Hashem. The point here is that there is nothing that happens unless it happens through Hashem. Events are completely within the hands of above. Because of this our connection to this prime mover is literally a matter of life and death. The causeless cause promotes this world and the next endlessly. The ultimate in our service above is to be open for Hashem to come through you. This happens when we listen to Hashem, do mitvzos, tzedekah and follow all the commandments we have been given.
Devraim 10:12. And now, O Israel, what does the Lord, your God, demand of you? Only to fear the Lord, your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to worship the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul. 13. to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes, which I command you this day, for your good.
All of our actions have to be centered in Hashem. This is what is asked of us. The first thing here is ‘fear the Lord.’ What this means is that we are to be mindful that our life depends upon Hashem each moment as we experience the reflections of that continuous Creation that is taking place. This fear is twofold in nature.
One aspect of fear is to think about the consequences of every action and whether or not it is inspired by a good impulse or a negative impulse. The reason why we have to pay attention to this is because we must live out the consequences of every action. Common sense simply lets us determine our course by deciding upon good actions producing good results.
The second aspect of fear is awe meaning our reverence and recognition of the omnipotent of Hashem. This aspect of awe is where we let go into the holiness above and allow it to guide our lives for good.
Once our thoughts are directed on high then by definition we ‘walk in all His ways,’ and ‘love Him’ since that love is our love for life and all the wonderful things Hashem brings to us with each breath. Our worship is all encompassing; ‘with all love with your heart,’ as you would the most precious part of your life analogous to a parent who loves their children unconditionally.
Moshe goes over the commandments numerous times throughout the final three books of Torah. These statutes are rules for life and their inner connection has a direct correlation to Consciousness. When we recognize that our thoughts are subject to scrutiny in terms of where we are in mind at all times then we proceed accordingly with every correction meant to align ourselves with Hashem continuously through our thinking and our actions that follow.
The bottom line is Hashem is everywhere including right here and now. This is something that is the ‘numero uno’ cogent point of Torah. B”H
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