Eikev 5786

Moses warns that Israel's greatest danger is not hardship but success. When people become comfortable and prosperous, they may begin to believe, "My power and the might of my hand have made me this wealth." Yet the Torah does not deny our achievements. It reminds us that while our effort is real, the strength, opportunities, and abilities to succeed are gifts from God.

Remembering this changes how we see ourselves and others. We recognize that none of us succeeds alone—we all build on blessings we did not create. That memory creates responsibility: because we have received, we are called to give; because we were helped, we must help those in need.

The Torah therefore commands us to remember, not simply to think. Through blessings, mitzvot, and daily practices, gratitude becomes a habit. Success is not a reason for pride alone, but a call to use our gifts with humility and to strengthen those around us. For when we remember what we have been given, we remember what we owe.

The ideas are shaped and based on the work of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, and influenced by Maimonides, Nachmanides, Don Isaac Abarbanel, Samson Raphael Hirsch, David Zvi Hoffmann, Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, and Uri Amos Cherki.