In Parshah Ekev, Moses places Israelâs choices and their associated consequences out in the open. Follow Godâs Law, and all will be well. There will be good food, victory in war and the people will be provided with plenty for all time. But choose to ignore the Law, and Israel will be dispossessed. We are given absolute assurance that it is not just Godâs promise that Israel will inherit the land that guarantees the settlement will succeed it is the sin and failure of those already dwelling within it that justifies their dispossession.Â
But beyond Israelâs agency, there is another element we must consider. The Spanish commentator Rabeinu Bahya (1255â1340) notes, in his commentary on the words ×Ö¼Ö´Ö × ×Ö¹Ö£× ×¢Ö·×Ö¾×Ö·×Ö¼Ö¶Ö¤×Ö¶× ×Ö°×Ö·×Ö¼×Ö¹Ö ânot by bread aloneâ (8:3): that there are two aspects of the âLechemâ - one physical, and the other Mazal