Eikev

5 Facts About Parshat Eikev that You (Maybe) Didn’t Know

Published on Friday October 1st, 2021

Discover and learn every week, "5 Facts" written on the weekly Parshah that you can share at your Shabbos table.

הַמַּסֹּ֨תהַגְּדֹלֹ֜תאֲשֶׁר־רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְהָאֹתֹ֤תוְהַמֹּֽפְתִים֙ וְהַיָּ֤דהַחֲזָקָה֙ וְהַזְּרֹ֣עַ הַנְּטוּיָ֔האֲשֶׁ֥רהוֹצִֽאֲךָ֖ יְ אֱלֹ---הֶ֑יךָ כֵּֽן־יַעֲשֶׂ֞היְ אֱלֹ---הֶ֙יךָ֙ לְכָל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔יםאֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥היָרֵ֖אמִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ (7:19)

The wondrous acts that you saw with your own eyes, the signs and the portents, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm by which the LORD your God liberated you. Thus will the LORD your God do to all the peoples you now fear.

1. When did the Egyptians revolt against their own parents?

“The outstretched arm” alludes to Hashem’s “sword.” It is a reference to a battle between the firstborns and their fathers after Moshe’s warning of the plague of the firstborn. The firstborns, of course, wanted the Jews to be freed so that they would not die yet the Egyptians still stubbornly refused to let them go. (Meam Loez Vol. 17 p.8: Midrash on Parshat Bo)

שִׂמְלָ֨תְךָ֜ לֹ֤אבָֽלְתָה֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְרַגְלְךָ֖ לֹ֣אבָצֵ֑קָהזֶ֖האַרְבָּעִ֥יםשָׁנָֽה׃ (8:4)

The clothes upon you did not wear out, nor did your feet swell these forty years.

2. How did they clean their clothes in the desert?

Among the miracles in the desert was that throughout the 40 years the peoples’ clothes didn’t get dirty, sweaty, smelly, nor did they ever wear out. Additionally, as the children would grow, so would their clothes (Rashi, Ramban)

וָאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ בִּשְׁנֵ֣יהַלֻּחֹ֔תוָֽאַשְׁלִכֵ֔םמֵעַ֖לשְׁתֵּ֣ייָדָ֑יוָאֲשַׁבְּרֵ֖םלְעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃ (9:17)

Thereupon I gripped the two tablets and flung them away with both my hands, smashing them before your eyes.

3. What happened to the letters on the Luchot?

As Moshe broke the tables, the letters fled away. (Targum Yonathan)

וְעַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔למָ֚היְ אֱלֹ--הֶ֔יךָ שֹׁאֵ֖למֵעִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֣יאִם־לְ֠יִרְאָהאֶת־יְ אֱלֹ---הֶ֜יךָ לָלֶ֤כֶתבְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו֙ וּלְאַהֲבָ֣האֹת֔וֹ וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־יְ אֱלֹ---הֶ֔יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (10:12)

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the LORD your God, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and soul,

4. What halacha is learnt from this verse?

This verse is also the source for the requirement to recite 100 blessings each day (Menachot 43b)

וַאֲשֶׁ֨רעָשָׂ֜הלְדָתָ֣ןוְלַאֲבִירָ֗םבְּנֵ֣יאֱלִיאָב֮ בֶּן־רְאוּבֵן֒ אֲשֶׁ֨רפָּצְתָ֤ההָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלָעֵ֥םוְאֶת־בָּתֵּיהֶ֖םוְאֶת־אָהֳלֵיהֶ֑םוְאֵ֤תכָּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣רבְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔םבְּקֶ֖רֶבכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (11:6)

And what He did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab son of Reuben, when the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, their tents, and every living thing in their train, from amidst all Israel.

5. Which possessions owned by Dathan and Avriam were swallowed up?

All of Dathan and Aviram’s possessions were swallowed up, even things that were not with them at that time. Even little things that they may have lent to others were swallowed up, as well. (Ohr Hachaim, Midrash)