1. Introduction and First Source
The book of Deuteronomy begins with a speech that Moses gives to his people at the end of the 40 year journey through the desert and before they enter the Land of Canaan without him. Like parents sending their children off to camp or a sleepover, Moses gives them a list of instructions for how to behave when he's not there to instruct them. (Think "brush your teeth", "change your underwear", "say please and thank you")
Read the following verses and answer the questions below.
(יא) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃ (יב) פֶּן־תֹּאכַ֖ל וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבָתִּ֥ים טוֹבִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃ (יג) וּבְקָֽרְךָ֤ וְצֹֽאנְךָ֙ יִרְבְּיֻ֔ן וְכֶ֥סֶף וְזָהָ֖ב יִרְבֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ֖ יִרְבֶּֽה׃ (יד) וְרָ֖ם לְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ֛ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃ ... (יז) וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ כֹּחִי֙ וְעֹ֣צֶם יָדִ֔י עָ֥שָׂה לִ֖י אֶת־הַחַ֥יִל הַזֶּֽה׃ (יח) וְזָֽכַרְתָּ֙ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֔יךָ כִּ֣י ה֗וּא הַנֹּתֵ֥ן לְךָ֛ כֹּ֖חַ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת חָ֑יִל לְמַ֨עַן הָקִ֧ים אֶת־בְּרִית֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ (פ)
(11) Take care lest you forget the LORD your God and fail to keep His commandments, His rules, and His laws, which I enjoin upon you today. (12) When you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses to live in, (13) and your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold have increased, and everything you own has prospered, (14) beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the LORD your God—who freed you from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage ... (17) and you say to yourselves, “My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me.” (18) Remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to get wealth, in fulfillment of the covenant that He made on oath with your fathers, as is still the case.
- What is the living situation that Moses describes in the beginning of the paragraph?
- Who does Moses think that the people will attribute their success to?
- According to Moses, who caused the people to be wealthy and successful?
2. All By Myself - A Modern Perspective
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out that when times are good, when we have everything we want, we are tempted to forget God and to think that we did it all ourselves.
Good things, says Moses, will happen to you. Everything, however, will depend on how you respond. Either you will eat and be satisfied and bless God, remembering that all things come from Him – or you will eat and be satisfied and forget to whom you owe all this. You will think it comes entirely from your own efforts: “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” Although this may seem a small difference, it will, says Moses, make all the difference. This alone will turn your future as a nation in its own land.
Moses’ argument is brilliant and counter-intuitive. You may think, he says, that the hard times are behind you. You have wandered for forty years without a home. There were times when you had no water, no food. You were exposed to the elements. You were attacked by your enemies. You may think this was the test of your strength. It was not. The real challenge is not poverty but affluence, not slavery but freedom, not homelessness but home.
Rabbi Sacks "The Politics of Memory" http://rabbisacks.org/the-politics-of-memory-eikev-5779/
- According to Moses and Rabbi Sacks, what is the challenge of affluence?
- Why might someone who has little be more grateful than someone who has a lot?
3. 100 Blessings a Day
The Mishneh Torah, written by Rambam (Maimonides) in the 12th century explains that each person should say 100 blessings each day.
חַיָּב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ מֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת בֵּין הַיּוֹם וְהַלַּיְלָה. וּמַה הֵן מֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת אֵלּוּ. כ״ג בְּרָכוֹת שֶׁמָּנִינוּ בְּפֶרֶק זֶה. וְשֶׁבַע בְּרָכוֹת שֶׁל קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית וְעַרְבִית לְפָנֶיהָ וּלְאַחֲרֶיהָ ... וְשָׁלֹשׁ תְּפִלּוֹת שֶׁבְּכָל תְּפִלָּה מֵהֶן שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה בְּרָכוֹת הֲרֵי שְׁמוֹנִים וְשֵׁשׁ בְּרָכוֹת. וּכְשֶׁהוּא אוֹכֵל שְׁתֵּי סְעֵדּוֹת שֶׁל יוֹם וְהַלַּיְלָה מְבָרֵךְ אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה בְּרָכוֹת. שֶׁבַע בְּכָל סְעֻדָּה. אַחַת כְּשֶׁיִּטּל יָדָיו תְּחִלָּה. וְעַל הַמָּזוֹן אַחַת בַּתְּחִלָּה וְשָׁלֹשׁ בַּסּוֹף וְעַל הַיַּיִן לְפָנָיו וּלְאַחֲרָיו הֲרֵי שֶׁבַע בְּרָכוֹת הֲרֵי מֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת בֵּין הַכּל:
A person is in duty bound to recite every complete day one hundred blessings. How are these hundred blessings made up? There are twenty-three blessing which we have enumerated in this chapter; and seven blessings before and after the morning and evening recital of the Shema ... All these, together with the three daily Services, each consisting of eighteen benedictions, make up eighty-six blessings. When two meals are taken each day, fourteen blessings are recited, seven at each meal, as follows; one blessing on washing the hands, one for the meal, three after its conclusion, one blessing before taking a drink and one after, making seven blessings for each meal.
4. Meaningful Blessings
The text that you just read mentioned several types of blessings that are said during the day. Some are found in the morning prayers and amidahs, some are said before and after meals, and some are said on special occasions.
- From the list above, which types of blessings are the most meaningful to you?
- The Mishneh Torah tells people to say a blessing of thanks whether they want to or not. Sometimes parents or teachers also tell us to say "thank you". Is the "thank you" still meaningful if we were told to say it? Why or why not?
5. Putting it All Together
- How do you think that saying 100 blessings each day helps to remind us of God's role in our lives?
- What else do you think we learn from being in the habit of saying many blessings a day?
- There are other people who have helped each of us to succeed. How do you express your gratitude to them? Is there a specific time for thanking them?