IDF VICTORIES= BENTCHING= G-D'S RIGHTEOUSNESS- Parshat Ekev

Every time we say Birkat HaMazon and Al HaMichya, we appreciate Hashem's giving us the State of Israel, the IDF victories, and the Gathereing of the Exiles. When my relatives in Williamsburg & Meah Shearim deny and don't thank Hashem for Zionism and our modern national State & return to Eretz Yisrael, they are that much less religious, and that much less praising Hashem and recognizing that He , not the UN, runs the world, and that "He is righteous"! This short article brings many psukim which we say all the time in davening which are basically religious-Zionism in a nutshell. ‪Shabbat Shalom!

At a Loss for Words?

For Love of the Holy Tongue

Do Not Fear Them!

The Spirituality of Listening

Meant To Be

What to Do with Great Successes – More on Spirituality and Materialism

What Were the Differences Between the 1st & 2nd Luchot?

Choose It or Lose It!

If you were given one, last opportunity before you died to speak to your family, your friends or your community, what legacy, what lasting message would you impart to them?

The Mitzvah of Learning Hebrew

"...In his commentary on the Mishna, Maimonides attributes equal weight to the study of Hebrew and to the joy we must feel on the Festivals - and even to the mitzvah of circumcision..."

Cry Me a River

Our Sedra is famously known as "Parshat Eretz Yisrael." While virtually every Sedra in the Torah stresses the centrality of Israel, Ekev makes it crystal clear that G-d, Torah & Eretz Yisrael form the 3-legged stool upon which the Jewish People eternally rests.

What Is the Deeper Significance of the "7 Species"?

How much must I Bensch?

I mistakenly recited al hamichyah, when I was required to bensch. Am I now required to bensch?

To Lead is to Listen

“If only you would listen to these laws …” (Deut. 7:12). These words with which our Parsha begins contain a verb that is a fundamental motif of the book of Devarim. In fact, this verb appears no less than 92 times in Devarim as a whole.

Formula for Jewish Life

In this week's portion, the Torah indicates that there is a simple formula for Jewish life. If we follow the commandments of God and observe the laws of the Torah, the Jewish people will be showered with blessings.

The Right Time for Calculations

based on Siach Shaul p. 496-497

Moshe asked: "What does Hashem ask from you but to fear Him?" The Gemara points out that unlike for most people, this was a trivial task for Moshe. Actually, the purpose of the giving of the Torah is fear of Hashem.

What is the Significance of the "Sheva Minim" - the 7 Species?

Heels and Ordeals

Is the Diaspora Just For Practice?

Israel National Torah

A look at commentaries on the second paragraph of the Shema found in this week's Torah reading Ekev to discover that Mitzvot (commandments) mean more when they are performed in the Land of Israel.

Who Should We Console and Care for?