Moshe continues his final message to the Jewish People in this week’s Torah portion, Eikev, elaborating upon the material rewards the Jews will receive if they adhere to the Torah and its commandments. They will be rewarded with riches. They will be spared from all pain and suffering. Other nations will respect their way of life and will let them live in peace.

Moshe reminds the Jewish People how G-d miraculously took care of them during their forty-year odyssey in the desert. He gave them everything they needed: Food called manna fell from the sky, clothing didn’t wear out, but rather grew with them, and they were sheltered with “protective clouds.” Now that they were to enter the Land of Israel where they would live under normal conditions, Moshe urges them to always bear in mind that it is the Creator who provides for them. In today’s day and age, we thank G-d for giving us food to eat, and the means with which to pay for it by reciting blessings before and after eating.

Moshe then retells the sin of the Golden Calf. The Jews had sinned by erecting a golden statue and worshipping it. At that time Moshe broke the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were inscribed.  

The Torah portion ends by describing the bounty of the Land of Israel, a land of beautiful mountain peaks and valleys, a great fertile land. The middle portion of the Shema is then discussed, which highlights the concept of reward and punishment. a.h/36