Family Parshah
Eikev Q & A

"And you may say in your heart, 'My strength and the might of my hand made me all this wealth.'" (8:17)

Question: Since the verse already says "my strength" what is the purpose of the words "and the might of my hand (veotzem yadi)"?

Answer: When a person is blessed with affluence, the Torah expects him to give charity and share his wealth with the needy. Sometimes there are wealthy people who are "tight-fisted" and refrain from giving charity, thinking erroneously that what they give away will reduce their assets. The word "otzem" in Hebrew can also be interpreted as "closing up."1 To dispel the illusion of some wealthy people regarding sharing wealth with the less fortunate, the Torah says, "Do not think that 'my strength' and 'my closed-up hand' made me all this wealth." On the contrary, open your hand, and then you will be blessed with even more.

Carve for yourself two stone tablets. (10:1)

Question: From the word "for yourself" which seems superfluous, the Talmud2 deduces that Moshe was permitted to keep the chips of the tablets, which made him very wealthy. Why is it important to know how he became wealthy?

Answer: Many businesses have major expense accounts and also a petty cash fund for small expenditures. Careful watch over the small expenditures is crucial to the overall success of the business, and negligence regarding the petty cash fund can sometimes run the company into serious financial difficulties.

The tablets contained the Ten Commandments, which in reality represent the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the Torah.3 Among the precepts of the Torah there are those which people consider important, and others which they consider trivial. They compare some of the precepts to precious stones, and regard others as mere "chips," which are much less valuable. The chips of the tablets are symbolic of often-neglected precepts.

The Talmud is not merely telling us the source of Moses' material affluence, but also describing his spiritual wealth, which, according to our sages, derived from his careful observance of every mitzvah, even those some people consider to be merely "chips."

You shall teach them to your children to discuss them, while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise. (11:19)

Question: Why does the Torah have to specify all the conditions under which a parent should teach his children, instead of simply saying "teach them at all times"?

Answer: Often children, out of respect or fear, fulfill the wishes and desires of their parents. However, once that motivation no longer exists, the children do as they wish. For instance, many children observe the correct path of righteousness while their parents are alive in order to please them, but not after their parents' demise. True education consists of molding a person's way of life and thinking so that the principles instilled in him remain imbedded forever.

The Torah is not only instructing us when to teach children, but also specifying the kind of education to give them. The goal should be to permeate the children with Torah and firmly impress on them the importance of its observance. Thus, they will study and observe not only when the father is home with them, but even when he "walks on his way": when he does not have any further physical contact with them, they will continue to be righteous individuals on their own.