Universal Veriness: Parashat Eqev

Torah Sparks Universal Veriness Parashat Ekev

Torah Sparks

Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25

Among the many elements of this lengthy Torah portion we find the text that became the second paragraph of the Sh’ma – Deuteronomy 11:13 – 21. The first paragraph of the Sh’ma is found in last week’s portion (Deut. 6:4-9). The third paragraph is found at Numbers 15:37 – 41. So we see that the Sh’ma is a conglomerate of three separate texts, selected from different places in the Torah.

Without going into the overall structure of the Sh’ma as a whole, we can discern that our text was chosen to be the second paragraph because it is clearly linked to the first paragraph. It is a Biblical midrash – an extensive elaboration and commentary – on the first paragraph. It incorporates every verse and phrase found in the first paragraph and expands upon its meaning. So it is noteworthy that there is one element from the first paragraph that is not elaborated upon but is, rather, eliminated from the expanded, second version. The missing phrase is right at the beginning.

The first sentence of the first paragraph famously reads: “You shall love the Eternal, your Almighty God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might (b’khol m‘odekha).” The midrashic expansion of this verse is at the start of our text. It seeks to explain what the consequences might be if we followed the instructions in paragraph One. So it begins: “And, it shall be, if you really do listen to My commandments that I command you today: to love the Eternal, your Almighty God, with all your hearts and with all your souls...” But look! The third phrase – b’khol m‘odekha – is missing. Why?
Commentators have noticed that there is another important difference between the two paragraphs. The first is addressed to the individual. But the second is written in the plural, addressing groups or the entire people. Perhaps this explains why the phrase b’khol m‘odekha is missing.

But first, what does the phrase mean? The phrase is difficult to translate, though it is usually rendered “with all your might.” The best translation I know of was given by Rabbi Yaaqov Tzvi Mecklenberg, in the 19th century. He linked the word m‘odekha to the word m‘od, which means “very.” This word signals that some quality being described exceeds the norm (e.g., “very high,” “very strong,” etc.). Thus, in our context, we are commanded to love God with all our “veriness” – with all that is within us that makes us special, outside the norm. We are to love God with whatever we have been blessed with that makes us unique and exceptional.

But, while it is important for each individual to seek out her or his own unique qualities and talents and express them, making claims for exceptionalism on a collective scale is dangerous and pernicious. We are each endowed with uniqueness. But groups should never seek to proclaim that they are endowed with some unique quality – intelligence, compassion, taste, etc. This leads to chauvinism and oppression, within and without. We need to guard against making claims – and then seeking to substantiate them – that our people is essentially unique. Historically we have experienced many unique events, undertaken many special challenges, celebrated many extraordinary miracles and endured many exceptional tragedies. Our history and our sense of mission may be exceptional. But we are not. We are God’s children, just as every other human being and every other people and group is.

In a real sense, then, the fact that we are no more exceptional than anyone else makes our past accomplishments so much more exceptional. But if our past is unique, there is no guarantee that our future will also be extraordinary. That depends on the very first phrase of our text – “If you really do listen ...”

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi David Greenstein

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