A chandelier crashing down – Ekev
What an unusual name for a sidra – “Heel”. But that is what Ekev literally means. It deals with attitudes towards the commandments.
No-one objects to laws against murder or theft: every civilised society has them. No-one objects to laws about Sabbath rest and festival rejoicing, even though some people don’t observe them.
But as Rashi points out, there are other commandments which many people disdain – figuratively crushing them with their heel – because they think they are too minute to matter.
But in life it is actually the tiny things that make all the difference. If a small screw isn’t in place, a giant chandelier can come crashing down. If an architect isn’t particular about a centimetre here or a centimetre there, a whole building can be unstable.
It’s all very well to say, “Who cares about the small things?” The prophet Zechariah asks this question (Zech. 4:10). Actually what he is saying is that no-one should despise small things. From small beginnings great results ensue.
From small acts of love and mercy the whole world can become blessed.
