Moses continues his farewell address to the Israelites in this week’s parasha. As they prepare to enter the land of Israel, he promises that if they fulfill the commandments of the Torah, they will prosper in the Land they are about to conquer and settle, in keeping with G-d’s promise to their forefathers.

Moses tells the Israelites that if they obey these rules and observe them carefully, “The Lord your G-d will maintain faithfully for you the covenant that He made on oath with your fathers. He will favor you and bless you and multiply you” (Deuteronomy 7:12-13).

There are many lessons in Parashat Eikev, but I am drawn to two of them. The first is the relationship between G-d and Israel as one based on love, as stated above, “He will favor you and bless you and multiply you.” The second is one of gratitude. 

Moses instructs the Israelites to be mindful of their relationship with G-d and that the blessings they will enjoy in their new land come not from their own hands, but from a loving G-d. Moses is here preparing the people for life under the Convenant, for the life of Torah and commandments they will inherit in the promised land after wandering in the desert.

The spiritual well-being of the Israelites is paramount to Moses, as they will enter the land of Israel without him. He is concerned they will lose their gratitude to G-d when they have abundant food, possessions, and wealth, as seen in the following verses:

“When you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses to live in, and your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold have increased, and everything you own has prospered, beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the Lord your G-d” (Deuteronomy 8:12-14).

“…and if you say to yourselves, ‘My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me,’ remember that it is the Lord your G-d who gives you the power to get wealth, in fulfillment of the covenant the He made on oath with your fathers, as is still the case” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

I understand these passages to mean that we are to be grateful for what we have and who we have become, but we are not to forget G-d’s commandments. As the Israelites in ancient times prospered and as the modern day Jewish people have the opportunity to prosper, we too must beware that our hearts do not become haughty and that we do not forget G-d and G-d’s commandments. 

Commenting on Moses’ warning, Dr. Deborah Lipstadt has written, “Moses recognizes that there is danger in this bounty: intoxication by plenty. It is the kind of intoxication that will lead them to forget the source of their blessing” (Mishkan Torah.org).

Dr. Amit Sood of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota also advocates the practice of gratitude.  In “The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living” he recommends that one start the day with gratitude. Dr. Sood also says that one should be grateful to those you help, writing, “Feeling cared for and caring for others both activate the brain areas that host happiness (the reward center).”

I don’t think that Moses ever studied the brain to figure out what makes us happy, but here it is in this week’s Torah portion. By practicing gratitude, as we are instructed to do by Moses in this parasha, we in the modern world will also be more content and happy, realizing what bounty we receive every day. 

I believe that many of us on our National Women’s Philanthropy board have already realized that by being grateful and caring for others, we can have happier lives.

The work that we accomplish on behalf of our local Federations, the Jewish Federations of North America, and our overseas partners, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, clearly is fulfilling and makes us happy.  As leaders in our communities, we have the power to lead and to educate others. By participating in missions we are fortunate to experience the power of our collective might.

I remember visiting a young mother and her son in her hot and desolate apartment in Odessa during a CCD mission a few years ago. We accompanied her to the local grocery store, where she was able to buy additional items of precious food because of a debit card provided to her from the local Hesed agency.  I have shared this story and shown the actual plastic card to many others, explaining what power a gift to Federation is. Our donations help put food on tables, not only in our communities, but also in distant communities.

Gratitude helps me to be mindful of all that we have as modern Jews living in a country such as ours, and it brings me such pleasure to be able to enrich and enhance the world we live in by helping others. I am grateful to be doing this work with so many like-minded women on our NWP board.

Shabbat Shalom,

Marsha