What Does God Want from Us?
Dvar Torah for Parshat Eikev
BY Evan Weiner | June 9, 2024 | 5 Minute Read
Seeking Clarity in God’s Expectations of Us
As a Jew, there is so much to focus on if we want to live up to God’s expectations. There’s doing mitzvot. There’s learning Torah. There’s davening. There’s trying to be a good person. It feels easy to lose focus with so many different expectations all flying at us at once. Wouldn’t it be extremely helpful if there were a really super clear statement about what God expects of us? Who wouldn’t appreciate some easy guiding principles to know how to lead their life?
Moshe’s concise summary
In Parshat Eikev, Moshe actually gives us exactly that – a handy-dandy, concise list of what God wants from us. Having the prophet of all prophets compose a synthesis of God’s expectations like this could really offer clarity in how to live one’s life. Here’s what Moshe says:
מָה יְקוָה אֱלֹקיךָ שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אִם־לְיִרְאָה אֶת־יְקוָה אֱלֹקיךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכׇל־דְּרָכָיו וּלְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ וְלַעֲבֹד אֶת־יְקוָה אֱלֹקיךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־מִצְוֺת יְקוָה וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְטוֹב לָךְ׃
What does your God demand of you? Only this: to revere your God, to walk in His way, to love and to serve your God with all your heart and soul, and to keep God’s commandments and laws, which I have commanded you today, for your good.
(Deuteronomy 10:12-13)
This is really great: Moshe has boiled down God’s demands for us into just one to two sentences to focus on.
However, if we’re really seeking clarity about guiding principles for what God wants from us, there’s a problem…because Moshe is not the only prophet to put out a Cliff Notes list of God’s demands for humanity.
A competing summary
Centuries later, the prophet Micah also gives us a pithy list of what God wants of us, and here’s the trouble: It’s a totally different list. Here’s Micah’s version:
וּמָה־יְקוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ כִּי אִם־עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם־אֱלֹקיךָ׃
What does God require of you? Only to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk modestly with your God.
(Micah 6:8)
Is Micah adding onto Moshe’s list or is he arguing with Moshe? It seems strange to say that a later, minor prophet would argue with Moshe Rabeinu (our teacher) about what God expects from us, because, after all, Moshe was unparalleled in his level of prophecy. So one question is, how does Micah want us to understand how his words jive with Moshe's words?
But more importantly, now we’re left with two competing lists of what God wants from us, and that’s almost as bad as having none. I mean, if the prophets can’t even agree on what God wants from us, how are we supposed to gain that clarity?
Check out this video series in which Rabbi David Fohrman explores these two prophets’ statements and discovers a way to resolve the seeming argument. His conclusion will leave you feeling inspired and confident with how to focus on what God truly wants from you. Subscribe now.
Parshat Eikev in a Nutshell
Parshat Eikev is the continuation of Moshe’s farewell speech. In this parsha, Moshe encourages the nation with the promise of reward for keeping the commandments and reassures the people that God will help them conquer the Land of Israel. He extols the land for its special produce and gives the mitzvah to recite Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals). Moshe warns the people to not be led astray by prosperity and cautions them to remember all their misdeeds during their journey through the wilderness. Parshat Eikev recounts the story of Aharon’s death and the selection of the Levites. Moshe reminds the people of all the miracles they witnessed first-hand. Then the parsha concludes with the second passage of Shema: וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹעַ (V’haya im sh’mo’a).
More Parshat Eikev Videos
Why God Chose The Israelites For The Promised Land
Video • 14 min
Rabbi David Block asks an interesting question: why do the Israelites get to go into the land of Israel? Was it because of merit? Or because it was promised to our ancestors? Or, as the parsha suggests, because of the evil of the other nations? In this video, we analyze these reasons and suggest that they all work together to fulfill our covenant with God – to be a model nation for the world.
Why God Wants Us To Thank Him
Video • 16 min
God afflicted the nation of Israel through the past 40 years of the desert, withholding food and water from them...on purpose? How can we have a relationship with a God like that? Why should we be thankful to God for everything He has done?
Is This Another Akeidah?
Audio • 31 min
In Parshat Eikev, Moshe is gearing up the people to enter the land of Israel. He’s laying out conditions of what God will expect, and what they can expect in return. But strangely, peppered throughout Moshe's talk are echoes and references to Akeidat Yitzchak. What is Moshe communicating by comparing entering Israel to the story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac? Join Ami Silver and Daniel Loewenstein as they re-examine Akeidat Yitzchak and learn the significance of Abraham's ultimate test, and its continued relevance to the Israelites.
More Parshat Eikev Printable Learning Guides
Eikev: What Does It Mean To Be A Good Person
Printable Guide
A printable parsha guide for our Eikev video, "What Does It Mean To Be A Good Person."
Eikev: Why Does The Nation Of Israel Merit The Land?
Printable Guide
A printable parsha guide for our Eikev video, "Why Does The Nation Of Israel Merit The Land?"