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Eikev (2026)

Shabbat Eikev

Dvar Torah – Blessing our Opportunity for Impact
In this week’s Torah portion, Eikev, we encounter the source for the Mitzvah of reciting grace after meals, telling us that we shall eat, be satisfied, and bless G-d specifically for "the goodly land" He gave us (Deu. 8:10).

Why focus on the land rather than the food on our plate?

This obligation touches on a core theological question of how we balance G-d’s ultimate control against our own will and creativity. One direction for understanding this is through the lens of mankind being G-d’s partner in creation.

Consider a simple loaf of bread. G-d creates the fertile soil, rain, and natural laws that make growth possible. But He doesn't drop finished bread from the sky. Humans must plow, harvest, grind, and bake. G-d provides the canvas, but expects us to build, discover, and work.

This idea is woven into the human story from the very beginning. In Genesis, G-d places Adam in the Garden of Eden with a clear directive "to work it and to preserve it" (Gen 2:15). Human purpose from the get-go has always involved continuing in G-d’s footsteps through work.

The Talmud (Berachot 35a) highlights this balance through two contrasting verses in Psalms. One claims, "The earth and everything in it belong to Hashem" (Psalms 24:1) while the other states, "The earth He has given to mankind" (Psalms 115:16)

How do both hold true? The Talmud explains that through a blessing, we acknowledge G-d as the ultimate owner, which in turn gives us license to enjoy and transform the world.

Blessing G-d for the land reminds us of our dual role: we have the privilege to toil and create, grounded by gratitude to the Source who makes that work possible.

Shabbat in/out times
Yerushalayim 18:57/20:16
Tel-Aviv 19:17/20:18
Milan 20:35/21:43
Paris 21:13/22:26
NYC 19:54/20:57
Miami 19:49/20:44

Shabbat Shalom!




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