Dvar Torah - Mathew Mosbach
DVAR TORAH
MY PORTION IS called Eikev, from the book of D’varim, THE FIFTH AND LAST BOOK OF THE TORAH.
THE PARESHAH TELLS US OF THE BLESSINGS YOU WILL RECEIVE IF YOU FOLLOW HASHEMS WAY AS WELL AS THE DANGERS YOU FACE IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW HASHEMS DIRECTION IN LIFE .
THE PARASHAH ALSO TEACHES US THAT HASHEM WILL HELP US OVERCOME ALL EVIL AND FEAR BY FOLLOWING A BALANCED SPIRITUAL LIFE .
THE PARASHAH FOCUSES ON MOSES SENDING A WARNING TO AND REMINDING THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL , THAT THE SINS OF OUR PREVIOUS GENERATION IN WORSHIPING THE GOLDEN CALF AND REBELLING AGAINST HASHEM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED .
MOSES DESTROYED THE 10 COMMANDMENTS ON TOP OF MOUNT SINAI WHEN HE SAW THE JEWISH PEOPLE PRAYING TO THE GOLDEN CALF.
HASHEM WILL FORGIVE YOU OF YOUR SINS IF YOU FOLLOW HIS WAY .
HASHEM REFERRED TO THE ISRAELITES 40 YEARS IN THE DESERT AS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS .
MOSES DESCRIBED THE LAND THEY ARE ENTERING AS FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY .MOSES HOWEVER FIRST COMMANDED THE ISRAELITES TO DESTROY THE IDOLS IN THE LAND OF THEIR FORMER MASTERS .
IN THE PARASHAH each of the tribes GOT THEIR OWN PIECE OF LAND, BUT NOT THE THE LEVITES .THE LEVITES BECAME the priests ,DEDICATED TO SERVING HASHEM IN THE SANCTUARY .
THE PORTION OF EIKEV HAS REMINDED ME THAT ONE HAS TO LEAD A LIFE THAT HAS A BALANCE BETWEEN MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS.WHILE WE ALL HAVE THE DESIRE TO HAVE THE BEST MATERIAL ITEMS-LIKE XBOX 1 AND OVERSEAS HOLIDAYS , I HAVE LEARNT FROM STUDYING MY PORTION , THAT THIS IS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH LEADING A SPIRITUAL JEWISH WAY OF LIFE .
MY PARENTS HAVE ALWAYS TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF TREATING ALL INDIVIDUALS EQUALLY, NO MATTER THEIR BACKGROUND.
GOING TO A JEWISH DAY SCHOOL HAS TAUGHT ME THESE VALUES AS WELL, HOWEVER AS A MAN IT IS NOW MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THIS PATH AND ENCOURAGE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO DO SO AS WELL.
IN CONCLUSION , I will strive TO MY UTMOST TO OBEY THE 10 COMMANDMENTS , TO FOLLOW HASHEMS WAY AND CREATE A SPIRITUAL BALANCE IN MY LIFE FOR THE REST OF MY ADULT LIFE .
Shabbat Shalom
