Rashi makes an interesting insight into the first verse in this week’s parsha. The verse states “It will be as a consequence of your listening to the laws and guarding and doing them, Hashem your G-d will guard for you the covenant and the kindness that He swore to your forefathers”. The word for consequence in Hebrew is Eikev, which has the same root letters as the word “heel”. Therefore, Rashi comments that this promise from Hashem even goes for those smaller mitzvos that you tread on with your “heels”. If you heed these smaller mitzvos, Hashem will keep his promise to you.

Let’s first bring a few examples of these smaller mitzvos. They’re the simple mitzvos that do not cost anything. For example, smiling at other people. Another example could be saying “thank you”. There are many, many more examples that we all could think of.

So the question is obvious. Are these mitzvos really that important? Sure, they are good to do, but shouldn’t we focus on the bigger mitzvos like Shabbos and eating kosher?

Listen to the words of Dayan Donner, a great rabbi from London.

In the Gemara, the Tractate of Gittin, we read a very sad story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza (it is customary to read this around the time of Tisha B’Av). To make this story very short, a host wanted to invite his good friend Kamtza but his servant invited on accident the host’s enemy Bar Kamtza. The host and Bar Kamtza got into a disagreement and the host angrily threw Bar Kamtza out of his house. Bar Kamtza was so upset that he told the Romans that the Jews were rebelling and this event led to the destruction of the Second Bais HaMikdash, our holy Temple that stood in Jerusalem.

Dayan Donner tells us to look closely at this story. One small act of anger led to the destruction of the Temple and began for us this exile that we have been in for almost 2,000 years! But, he also says, that just as one small act of anger began this exile, one small act of kindness could end it. One small act of kindness can rebuild the Temple and bring peace to the world.

Is this actually true though? How can one small act have so much power?

Think of a penny. How much is it worth? Not really much. It is thrown away. If we see it on the ground, we step right by it. But if that penny is a rare penny, it could be worth thousands, maybe even millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, in our generation, there are many small mitzvos that are ignored by large majorities of people. People sometimes forget to greet others with a smile and say thank you. These mitzvos look like they are only pennies, but they are actually rare pennies that could be worth much, much more than we could imagine. They can begin the chain of events to rebuild Jerusalem and end all violence and worries!

Have a good Shabbos!

-yes

Any questions or comments can be sent to me at [email protected]. Thank you!

By Rabbi Yaacov Seltzer
[email protected]
(305) 652-0186