Eikev: On the Clock

My kids were begging us to take them to America, where the streets are paved with cheese.  So, we did.  We took them on a three day vacation to the closest American city: Ramat Beit Shemesh.  Through a friend of ours, we were able to get an apartment for free in the Israeli section, but spent much time in the “Anglo” section, shopping for things we need and food.  And BOY is there a selection!  Here, if you want chicken with a good hecsher, you need to speak to the guy who orders it for the community and see if he has any. There, it’s all in abundance!  Take what you want for a great price!  And Hebrew? I barely heard Hebrew!  It was a real strange feeling.

 

Thankfully, we all enjoyed ourselves, and are back home praying that the kids should not kill each other before school starts . . .

 

Okay, on to Torah!

 

“And now Israel, what does the Lord, your G-d, ask from you . . ." (Devarim 10:12).

 

The Chofetz Chaim taught that a person should always view himself as somebody hired out for a certain period of time to do work.  Such a person, after completing one task and knowing that he is still “on the clock” will then go and ask his employer what he should do next.  So too with us.  We have been “hired out” for a 120 years.  When we complete one mitzvah, it should be natural for us to ask, “Okay, what’s next?” 

 

This can be inferred from the pasuk above, “And NOW Israel, what does the Lord, your G-d, ask from you . . .”

 

Our lives should not be viewed as “on the clock/off the clock” whenever we feel.  Rather, we should try to see what we can do next and fill our time properly.

 

Have a great Shabbos!

 

Michael Winner