To Be Mindful

Torah Thoughts on Parshas Ekev by Rabbi Gershon Schaffel

"וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם וְשָׁמַר ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ לְךָ אֶת הַבְּרִית וְאֶת הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ" דְבָרִים ז':י"ב

“And it will be because of your listening to these ordinances, and your observing and performing them, then God, your Lord, will safeguard for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers.” Devarim 7:12

The parashah begins this week with the famous words "וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן"  –“And it will be because of your listening". Rashi explains that the unique term "עֵקֶב" refers to one’s heel, and references those mitzvos that one normally tramples with his heels. The Torah is telling us that regarding those mitzvos you should specifically "תִּשְׁמְעוּן"– listen to and fulfill them. In other words, the Torah is telling us not to simply pay attention to the “big” and “major” mitzvos. Rather, one should be attentive to fulfill even the “small” and “minor” mitzvos. One may ask, then, why the Torah didn’t just state: “Fulfill all of the mitzvos.” Why does the Torah use the unusual phrase of "עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן"? 

For many of us, the performance of mitzvos is out of habit or rote. We know that we are supposed to perform the mitzvah, but intend to do so to fulfill our obligation, without paying attention to the intent and meaning of the mitzvah. Davening, for example, is often seen as a chore that one must do, but the faster the better, and even while davening, our minds and hearts are elsewhere. We think about the upcoming day and tasks that we must do. That’s what we occasionally or perhaps often do with mitzvos. We may have fulfilled the technical obligation and gone through the motions, but it was somewhat lacking in sincere devotion or worship.

I think this is another layer of meaning to the pasuk. The pasuk is emphasizing that even when doing the mitzvos or davening, we should not trample them by doing them mindlessly. This requires significant effort, since there are many rituals and tefillos that we do and say that we don’t fully understand. But that cannot remain an excuse to continue to do things and say things mindlessly. 

The call of the pasuk is to be mindful as one worships Hashem. Do not remain satisfied with your current understanding of Torah and mitzvos. The more mindful one is as one does them, the more one will appreciate those tasks and prayers. This will certainly deepen one’s relationship with Hashem.

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Gershon Schaffel attended HTC (FYHS 1987, BHL 1990, Semicha 1996) was a member of the HTC Bellows Kollel and teaches at Blitstein Institute. Currently, he is the Rov of Young Israel of Skokie, a Dayan for the Chicago Choshen Mishpat Kollel, a member of the Midwest Bais Horaah, and a dayan for the BHI (Business Halacha Institute).