Eikev for Chanting 2025 Deut. 8:7-11 Plaut p. 1230
Source Sheet by Yair Robinson
|
(7) For your God יהוה is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill;(8) a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey;(9) a land where you may eat food without stint, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you can mine copper.(10) When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to your God יהוה for the good land given to you.(11) Take care lest you forget your God יהוה and fail to keep the divine commandments, rules, and laws which I enjoin upon you today.
|
דברים ח׳:ז׳-י״א
(ז) כִּ֚י יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ מְבִֽיאֲךָ֖ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ טוֹבָ֑ה אֶ֚רֶץ נַ֣חֲלֵי מָ֔יִם עֲיָנֹת֙ וּתְהֹמֹ֔ת יֹצְאִ֥ים בַּבִּקְעָ֖ה וּבָהָֽר׃(ח) אֶ֤רֶץ חִטָּה֙ וּשְׂעֹרָ֔ה וְגֶ֥פֶן וּתְאֵנָ֖ה וְרִמּ֑וֹן אֶֽרֶץ־זֵ֥ית שֶׁ֖מֶן וּדְבָֽשׁ׃(ט) אֶ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹ֤א בְמִסְכֵּנֻת֙ תֹּֽאכַל־בָּ֣הּ לֶ֔חֶם לֹֽא־תֶחְסַ֥ר כֹּ֖ל בָּ֑הּ אֶ֚רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲבָנֶ֣יהָ בַרְזֶ֔ל וּמֵהֲרָרֶ֖יהָ תַּחְצֹ֥ב נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (י) וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃(יא) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
|
Eikev for Chanting 2025 Deut. 8:7-11 Plaut p. 1230
Source Sheet by Yair Robinson
When is enough, enough? As you may be aware, there’s been a lot of stuff out there about the 10th anniversary of the show Hamilton, which is sort of amazing to think back to that era. One of the enduring questions that gets asked over and again, a kind of leitmotif of the show, is a question of what it means to be satisfied. Indeed, Alexander Hamilton, despite the words of his teachers, mentors, friends and lovers, describes himself as never being satisfied. It is never enough.
In many ways, Hamilton reflects the human condition, or at least the Western condition: we are always striving for more. More money, more time, more wins, just more. But the pursuit of more is not actually leading us to better and more meaningful lives. We constantly compare ourselves to someone who seems to be living their best lives, at least online, with more money or more prestige, while we use up our natural resources, our time, and our capabilities in the endless pursuit of some idea of success that is always over the horizon. We are never satisfied. Even for those of us trying to make a difference in the world, more is the name of the game. The work, the anxiety, the anger, the stress about the state of the world is never ending. We can never let our guard down, we can never stop, for to do so is to abandon our posts.
And then comes our text, the basis for the grace after meals, or birkat hamazon. We are commanded that when we eat and are satisfied, we should bless. We might derive that we should–could–never utter a blessing. But for the tradition, this is actually meant as a salve. Who is rich, after all, according to the rabbis, but the person satisfied with their lot.
That doesn’t mean the work ceases, or that we should refrain from our tasks, sacred and otherwise. But to see the world not from a place of want but a place of plenty. So our tradition teaches livracha v’lo l’klala, l’sova v’lo l’razon, l’chaim v’lo l’mavet. For blessing and not of curse, plenty and not want, for life and not death, and especially o see ourselves as being enough: that is worthy of blessing.
As we hear these words inviting us to bless, let us reflect on what ways we are enough, and be satisfied, so that we can make the difference in the world we need to make. Amen.