Monday, July 26, 2010

Daily Aliya for Ekev, Sheni (2nd Aliya)

Aliya Summary: Moshe admonishes the Israelites that the new-found fortune which will be their lot once they enter the Promised Land should not lead them to forget the One who provided them with the wealth. Such a blunder would lead to their destruction and ruin.

The warning against getting caught up in wealth and success (verse 15) describes how one might forget the snakes, vipers, scorpions and drought that was solved by having water flow out of a rock, all items that have a strikingly earthy denominator. The very next Passuk reminds us of the Mann that fell from the sky, a stark contrast to the previous earthy items. But the Jews didn't have the Mann fall on them as they looked up to the sky, the Mann waited for them when they woke up. Why? It could be that the Mann was the ultimate bridge between the earthy elements and the source from which they came, so we'd need to see the Mann on the ground and realize that it came from above. If we realized that our wealth and sustenance came from G-d, then we'd realize that the snakes, challenges and troubles came from G-d as well, and are there to help strengthen and empower us to succeed in life.

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