Eikev: From Head To Heel (Text Version)
Jul 29th, 2010 by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Portion of the Week
In response to the numerous requests for the written version: The opening verse in this week’s portion reads: “This shall be the reward when you hearken to these ordinances.” Rashi comments: If you hear even those commandments that people “tread on them with their heels, meaning, the Mitzvot that do not seem so important, God will reward you with the following blessings.
As we study the portion we will find the word “Shema” to hear, or hearken, and Shimor, to guard.
Perhaps Rashi is teaching us the accurate meaning of the word “Shema” and all that it entails.
As the Ramban points out: Head is always used as a beginning, and heel as the end.
Rashi is telling us that although we may observe all the Mitzvot, even those we believe less important, that may only be with our heads – We know what to do and we do it.
The heel represents a Mitzvah that has flowed through the entire body from head to heel – from beginning to end – To Hear is to allow the Mitzvah to connect with all our being, so that it is expressed in the way we walk – or, move forward.
Rashi is teaching us that this verse does not refer to observance of the Mitzvot – but the care that allows each Mitzvah to flow through our being so that each Mitzvah we observe is an expression of our being.
Author Info:
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Some years ago there was this neat contraption that you wore as a scarf, but had a mini radio receiver and some wires woven into the scarf with NO speaker or headphones. Its name was the FoneBone (no connection to MAD magazine)
Purportedly,the way it works is based on sound transference via vibrations.The receiver picks the signal and sends it onto the attached wires which in turn send the vibrations into the shoulder or other contact point of the ‘listener’who will ‘hear’the broadcast someplace inside his head, thru the resonance within his body.
So, the Torah,according to RaShI,is enjoining each one of us to allow the Mitzvot and the Holy Teachings to resonate in our entire being (Sh’ma) so that we become holy sounding boards and tuning forks in our service to G-d.
If we can achieve this,we, in turn,will broadcast this ‘frequency of holiness’ thru our actions.