Live on Bread, But Not on Bread Alone

I greatly appreciate Cantor Elizabeth Sacks’ close reading of the text, which brings out that Parashat Eikev, “subtly reminds us that we not only must engage our tradition intellectually and spiritually, but also we must literally embody our connection.” What a wonderful insight.

I want to draw the reader’s attention to yet another part of this parashah as I reflect on the question of how a belief in God can change our lives. Moses warns:

“Take care lest you forget the Eternal your God and fail to keep the divine commandments, rules and laws, which I enjoin upon you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses to live in, and your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold have increased, and everything you own has prospered, beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the Eternal your God…and you say to yourselves, ‘My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me’… If you do forget the Eternal your God and follow other gods to serve them or bow down to them, I warn you this day that you shall certainly perish.’” (Deut. 8:11-19)

The older I have gotten the more aware I am of the way my theology affects my inner landscape. In my teens and 20s, I thought the question of God’s existence and involvement in the world was mostly an intellectual pursuit. One could reason one’s way to the theological answers, and once one had done so, it would not necessarily greatly affect one’s outlook on life or sense of well-being.

But as time went on, I have not found that to be the case. In actuality, I have seen that when I assume and internalize a belief in God it gives me a much greater sense of purpose. I also find that connecting with a higher power fills me with more energy, compassion, joy, love, hope, and peace. I have come to realize that my soul (and I think this is true for most people) thrives on this connection to God, even while I cannot prove that God is real or understand God’s ways. I guess you could say that my theology has become less based on verifiable reasoning (since we can neither prove nor disprove God), and more determined by what resonates as meaningful and true at the core of my being.

In these verses from Torah that I have quoted here, we are told to make sure to remember our connection to God even when our lives become easier. Verse 19 warns that if we do not remember, we will perish. We can understand this verse as suggesting that God will perform some supernatural act to destroy the people of Israel, and perhaps that is what the text originally meant. However, I see now that this verse can be understood as pointing to a deeper, more spiritual lesson. We need to feel gratitude and a connection to God to flourish.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once wrote in a commentary on these verses:

“Though you don’t have to be religious to be grateful, there is something about belief in God as creator of the universe, shaper of history and author of the laws of life that directs and facilitates our gratitude. It is hard to feel grateful to a universe that came into existence for no reason and is blind to us and our fate. It is precisely our faith in a personal God that gives force and focus to our thanks.” (Covenant & Conversation, The Power of Gratitude [Ekev 5775]),

The difference between the gratitude we feel when we believe in God versus the challenge of feeling deep gratitude without such a belief is one powerful example of how our life changes based on spiritual beliefs.

Parashat Eikev goes on to say:

“And now, O Israel, what does the Eternal your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the Eternal your God, to walk only in divine paths, to love and serve the Eternal your God with all your heart and soul, keeping the Eternal’s commandments and laws, which I enjoin upon you today for your good.” (Deut.10:12-13) 

I think the mystics understood a long time ago the power of being in relationship with God. Noam Elimelech, written by the 18th century chasidic leader, Elimelech Weisbaum of Lizhensk, reads these verses as suggesting that when we follow the mitzvot and try to love and serve God, we become a vessel for God’s holiness (Arthur Green, Speaking Torah: Spiritual Teachings form Around the Maggid’s Table [Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights, 2013], p. 102). It may sound arrogant to suggest a greater holiness for those who follow a theistic path, but I don’t think this is meant in a “holier-than-thou” judgmental way. Rather, Noam Elimelech is saying that any of us can be mindful of being a vessel for God’s holiness and that this perspective gives our lives a sense of divine purpose. This mindset can be an incredible anchor in life and lead us to be more caring and beneficent. When we follow God’s commandments and focus on loving God and God’s creatures, this way of life affects us and our world, in the words of the parashah “for your good.”

Rabbi Debbie Stiel has served congregations in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. She is currently the rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, Kansas. She is the past president of the Midwest Association of Reform Rabbis. She is involved in local interfaith work and social justice efforts and is an active participant in the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s clergy program. She is a co-founder of Topeka’s Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom group. Rabbi Stiel is married and has 2 sons.