Divrei Torah on the weekly portions

Devarim: Ekev

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“If you are careful to obey My commandments that I prescribe you today, to love God and serve him with all your heart … then you will gather your grain (VeAsafta Deganecha) and your wine and oil harvests” (Devarim 11:13-14).

The Gemara (Berachot 35b) queries how to reconcile this verse, which implies one should have a worldly occupation, with the verse in Joshua (1:8): “Do not let the Torah depart (Lo Yamush) from your mouth” which implies one should study Torahfull time?

Rabbi Yishmael teaches that God does not expect us to live like angels, but to study Torahat the appropriate time, and to tend to our harvest when the time falls due. Consequently, “VeAsafta Deganecha” should be taken literally, and “Lo Yamush” refers to when we are not busy with our livelihood. One should utilise one’s time to study Torah, but when one needs to spend time earning a living then one should certainly go to work. Even then, while one is involved in worldly pursuits, it is important to think about Torah (Nefesh HaChaim 1:8).

According to Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai however, “Lo Yamush” should be taken literally. If we perform God’s will completely (BiZman SheYisrael Ossin Retzono Shel Makom), then others will gather our grain, and we will be able to fulfil the verse “Lo Yamush”. As for “VeAsafta Deganecha” , that speaks about when the Jews are not performing God’s will to their fullest extent (BiZman She’Ein Yisrael Ossin Retzono Shel Makom), so that they do not deserve God’s full blessing, and will need to gather their own grain.

Looking at the context of the verse it is very difficult to understand how Rabbi Shimon can possibly interpret the verse in this manner! The paragraph begins: “If you are careful to obey My commandments that I prescribe you today, to love God and serve him with all your heart …”. How can the continuation of this paragraph possibly be taken as a reference to people who are not properly fulfilling God’s words?

Kohelet Yitzchak elucidates with a parable about a man who made a big party to honour his father who had come from afar to visit. After hors d’oeuvres, the father said: “My dear son! I’m very thirsty. Please ask your servant to bring us some beer from your cellar.” The son instead instructed his servant: “Please bring my father a bottle of my finest vintage wine!” The guests asked their host why he had requested vintage wine when his father had asked for beer? He replied: “I was able to understand from my father’s expression that he really wants wine, but just doesn’t want to impose. From my perspective, I want to give him what he really desires.”

In a similar vein, Rabbi Shimon insists that even though God permits us to have a worldly occupation in accordance with Torah law, i.e. according to God’s instructions, nevertheless that is not God’s real will. Rather, Rabbi Shimon believes that God’s real will is that we study Torah full time. In his own words, BiZman SheYisrael Ossin Retzono Shel Makom, i.e. when the Jews act according to God’s will, and not just in accordance with His commandments, and fulfil Lo Yamush literally, then others will do their work for them! However, BiZman She’Ein Yisrael Ossin Retzono Shel Makom, i.e. when the Jews do not follow God’s will, even though they righteously follow His commandments - hence “If you are careful to obey My commandments that I prescribe you today, to love God and serve him with all your heart …” - then they will have to gather their own grain (VeAsafta Deganecha).

Abaye, however, has cautioned (GemaraBerachot 35b) that there are many who succeeded in doing like Rabbi Yishmael, but most of those who attempted to do like Rabbi Shimon failed.