Ekev Excerpts

עקב

Shabbat Shalom

The second Aliyah in this weeks Torah portion speaks of how important it is to keep the Mitzvot and how we must make sure we do not forget H' once we are in Israel

Why would we forget? Because you people are selfish and self-centered and can't appreciate what other people do for you. My son in the back row. Good to see you. Did you realize your father took you to camp last week and paid for it? No! Because you got kicked out, you little.. Mr. Forstein's business is booming, B"H. Over the past couple of months, we have not seen him in shule. Thank you for coming this week, Mr. Forstein. I guess business went down a little this week...a good half a year ago, you were bawling...don't worry, we won't make you pay your dues... Lets see what this week's Parsha says about you...

8:11-13- 'Guard yourselves, because you might forget H' your Gd and his Mitzvot...Maybe you will eat and be satisfied and you will have good homes and....good stuff and more good stuff...and your heart will become lofty and you will forget H' who brought you out of Egypt.'

In Israel- All the more so, in America, where we have running water.

You are satisfied. All the sudden- who needs H'?.. You need him now Mr. Forstein. Don't you?..

Our children can't even listen to their coach. That is why the day school lost every game this year...everything was going well. All the parents have money and every kid is wearing a rugby shirt...Why sweat when you can pay other people to sweat for you. The school invests in the new uniforms and all the sudden the kids think they know. They are the masters of losing...That is what every one of you children did this year. You lost. Just like Mr. Forstein who opened up his falafel stand. We know you are pulling in the big bucks now...

The question we all have to ask- Is it you that is rolling the falafel balls? Who is really rolling the balls?...You have such a big ego about your falafel balls...

You were crying last year and praying to H' to roll more falafel balls for you

When we were eating the Mahn in the desert we were all crying. When you come into the Holy Land, will you remember who provided for you. When you are rolling all those balls, will you remember who was rolling the balls for you in the desert? Will you keep the mitzvot and remember who will be rolling your falafel balls, who will be slicing your red cabbage, in the future and who is rolling your falafel balls now?

Does everything have to be really bad for you people to give a damn? We can't have our Chazan here every week.