Shabbat Shalom from Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Shabbat Ekev
Torah:
Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25 / Haftarah: Isaiah 49:14 - 51:3
“One Hundred
Blessings”
Dear Friends,
Why do we say the Motzi blessing, which proclaims that God brings forth bread from
the earth? I have never seen nor heard
of a loaf of bread growing from the earth nor emerging from it. Yet, we still
say the blessing!
In this week’s Torah portion, Moses is preparing
the Children of Israel for the time when they will enter the Promised Land and
experience a life of abundance. There will be plenty of food and water. The rocks of the Land will supply metals. The
Land will flow with milk and honey. Yet,
Moses is concerned that the people will take it all for granted and believe
that they are responsible for their comfort.
They will come to forget that all their wealth is a true gift from God.
So, Moses warns them not to eat without thanking God. They are not to enjoy the gifts of the Land
without recognizing God as the source of all.
This is a fundamental Jewish principle, to
recognize that God is the source of all blessing and abundance. That’s why our tradition tells us to say at
least one hundred blessings every day.
So think about it, are there one hundred things in your life each day
for which you can show your appreciation and give thanks? Start with waking up in the morning,
breathing, standing, walking, seeing, and being free. Then add your appreciation for wonderful
clothing, food, work, comfortable homes, and of course bread. You get the idea.
Your challenge this week: One hundred blessings
every day.
Shabbat Shalom,
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