Eikev: 5783 - Rabbi Shimon Zonnenfeld with this week's insight: It is written in the Gemara that "Avraham Avinu fulfilled the entire Torah, as it says: 'Because he listened...' He even fulfilled the eiruvei…

00:01 Speaker 1 “And it shall be, because you listen to all these ordinances.” There are many interpretations of the word “eikev” here; all the Torah commentators discuss it. First, a question arises. The verse says, “And it shall be, because you listen to all these ordinances,” and then promises that Hashem will keep His covenant and kindness, bless you and multiply you, and bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land—all these blessings. But isn’t it written, “Today is the time to do them, and tomorrow is the time to receive their reward”? There is no reward for mitzvos in this world. Yet here Moshe Rabbeinu tells the Jewish people that if they keep the mitzvos, they are promised all these blessings and rewards. One answer is in the words “and it shall be, because you listen.” The word vehayah, “and it shall be,” always expresses joy, while vayehi expresses sorrow, as in “And it was in the days of Achashverosh.” When a Jew performs mitzvos with joy, he receives reward both in this world and in the World to Come. That is the special quality of performing mitzvos with joy. There is another interesting interpretation, also brought by the Baal HaTurim: the numerical value of eikev is 172. There are 172 words in the Ten Commandments, and that is what the verse means: “And it shall be, because you listen.” If you keep all the mitzvos—all the mitzvos are alluded to in the Ten Commandments. Rabbi Saadiah Gaon explains how all 613 mitzvos are alluded to there. That is the meaning of “And it shall be, because you listen to all these ordinances”: if you keep all the mitzvos, Hakadosh Boruch Hu, through Moshe Rabbeinu, promises you all these good things and all this reward. We find this with Avraham Avinu as well. The Gemara in Tractate Yoma says that Avraham Avinu observed the entire Torah. How do we learn that? From the verse, “Because Avraham listened to My voice.” The Gemara says he observed even eruv tavshilin. But if eikev is—

02:15 Speaker 1 the 172 letters—the words—in the Ten Commandments, that is how we learn that he observed the entire Torah. And how do we learn that he observed even eruv tavshilin? The initials of eikev tishme’un are also the initials of eruv tavshilin. From this we learn that he observed even eruv tavshilin. The Rebbe explains in Likkutei Sichos what “and it shall be, because you listen” means: it refers to the period just before Moshiach’s coming, when the Torah promises that the Jewish people will do teshuvah and immediately be redeemed. That is the meaning of “and it shall be, eikev”: in the period just before Moshiach’s coming, “you will listen”—you will observe the mitzvos. And that is what we see today. The spread of Judaism and of the wellsprings of Chassidus is unprecedented; it has never happened on such a large scale. That is what the verse means by “and it shall be, because you listen.” With Hashem’s help, may we soon merit the fulfillment of “you will listen,” and then Hakadosh Boruch Hu will give us all the reward and everything we need.

03:14 Speaker 2 Amen, may it be so.