Welcome to the short, practical Lelamed Weekly Dvar (and Daily Aliya). Please consider forwarding this to others, and I hope you enjoy... Shabbat Shalom. _______________________________________________ Dvar Torah for Ekev 2nd Aliya Moshe warns the people to beware to not forget G-d and not keep His commandments because G-d took us out of Egypt and cared for us in the desert (8:11,14–15). Moshe warns that the very thought that the might of our hands is what accumulated our wealth will lead to forgetting G-d and then following and worshipping other gods (8:19). First, why is there dual language to (1) beware and (2) not forget G-d? Second, if the strength of our hands is, in fact, what helps us accumulate wealth, are we to discount that possibility? The Ohr Hachaim points out that our responsibility is to always maintain an appreciation and gratitude for all we have. Therefore, listening to G-d’s laws needs to include an appreciation of the context of those actions. And should we find ourselves accomplishing something great, we need to acknowledge the deeds and sacrifices of those before us, including G-d’s deeds, in putting us in a position to be successful. It is this intentional gratitude that will enable us to fully live in the present and appreciate the beauty of our role in life and in our successes. Shlomo Ressler _____________________________________________ Quotation of the week: "Bring gratitude to your experiences instead of waiting for a positive experience to feel grateful."