Eikev in a Nutshell
Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25
The name of the Parshah, “Eikev,” means “because,”.
In the Parshah of Eikev (“Because”), Moses continues his closing address to the children of Israel, promising them that if they will fulfill the commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah, they will prosper in the Land they are about to conquer and settle in keeping with G‑d’s promise to their forefathers.
Moses also rebukes them for their failings in their first generation as a people, recalling their worship of the Golden Calf, the rebellion of Korach, the sin of the spies, their angering of G‑d at Taveirah, Massah and Kivrot Hataavah (“The Graves of Lust”). “You have been rebellious against G‑d,” he says to them, “since the day I knew you.” But he also speaks of G‑d’s forgiveness of their sins, and the Second Tablets which G‑d inscribed and gave to them following their repentance.
Their forty years in the desert, says Moses to the people, during which G‑d sustained them with daily manna from heaven, was to teach them “that man does not live on bread alone, but by the utterance of G‑d’s mouth does man live.”
Moses describes the land they are about to enter as “flowing with milk and honey,” blessed with the “seven kinds” (wheat, barley, grapevines, figs, pomegranates, olive oil and dates), and as the place that is the focus of G‑d’s providence of His world. He commands them to destroy the idols of the land’s former masters, and to beware lest they become haughty and begin to believe that “my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.”
A key passage in our Parshah is the second chapter of the Shema, which repeats the fundamental mitzvot enumerated in the Shema’s first chapter, and describes the rewards of fulfilling G‑d’s commandments and the adverse results (famine and exile) of their neglect. It is also the source of the precept of prayer, and includes a reference to the resurrection of the dead in the messianic age.
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1
It is a hectic time amongst the children of Israel. It seems we are at war with everyone in the world. There’s no one that we know of that we should not be at war with. But Hillel has decided to persevere and is now speaking out about the gentler times of the 40 years and how we should not be supporting these military actions. This is the main rhetoric being handed out in the bazaar by Hillel the former scribe. He wants it known now that he is and is only the publisher of the daily papyrus and as such takes full responsibility for telling people the truth. He is distancing himself from this new Torah business that has no business being in there. His reception is not violent in any direction. Mostly people just smile politely. With him is Phaedrus the apothecary and an extraordinarily attractive woman of a very interesting skin tone who’s dressed as if nothing else in the world should exist but her.
My friend, everyone must respect a hard worker. And even though you are technically both unemployed and richer than everyone else at the market combined, what are you trying to prove? Do you really think you can stop this machine?
We must eat meat. Don’t you get it? They want to outlaw my way of life. They want to make me an outlaw because I refuse to become carnivore. I’m not backing down. I’m not going to compromise anymore.
Well most people kind of get into it. We don’t have too much of a bother about the dumb animal. You think about it a few times maybe. Really you never think about it until one day someone says something about it and then you think about it. And then you say okay and the next time you know, you eat a sandwich or something like that, you say Oh my, I have harmed a farm animal. And then I suppose you could make a cartwheel of pictures of, you know, farmed animals. Yep. That’s how we did it. That’s where this sandwich came from. And then you think, I’m okay with that. I don’t feel anything. I just don’t.
Do you know anything about cats?
She loves them I hate them.
Prrrrrrr.
Cats do not particularly feel anything about death because they are obligate carnivores. When I was a boy, our cat had four children. One of them was very weak and we didn’t think it was going to make it. And then one day all the other children were playing elsewhere than the bed and I went in the bed and I found his hard little body. That was all. Too sick to make it. But what I noticed was that cat family did not have too much of an external reaction. It is possible that they felt grief internally but externally, they don’t stand and cry. They are obligate carnivores. Everything they do is to put food in their mouths. And to do so means death.
Okay you’re a vegan still, right?
Till the day I die.
Which is coming sooner than you think.
And I write about this everyday.
Why? Why Hillel?
Don’t be afraid of the disease. Do you remember everything Moses did to try to ensure public health? Do you remember we had to segregate people because they were sick and then we just kept getting sicker? Do you remember all of the effort he made to cure us? Well, they have figured it out. You don’t segregate us anymore. Now we let everybody have the disease.
You’re talking about the official social health decision regarding marks of the plague?
Yes, it’s a really interesting thing if you think about it. Way back in the beginning, we thought we were doing something by segregating people who had signs of the plague and letting them live their days in the hope that they would not infect us. Two absolutely distinct communities. Their model kept falling down because our people couldn’t stop from going over there. What we did differently during the 40 years was simply have a talk about living a diseased life. It’s nobody’s fault or it’s somebody’s fault but in the end, if you’ve got it, you’ve got it. Eventually we worked it out that they truly understood that they themselves were diseases now and that this was bad for other humans. I think it was in year two that they finally had it out. They understood that they wanted to live but if there was no road back to being healthy, nobody really wanted to be an invalid. And on the healthy people’s side, we noticed that we were getting ill just by living next to them. So They made their own decision. They didn’t kill anybody specifically themselves but the general consensus was that the people inside the plague zone should agree to do a mass suicide. And they were amazingly good. There were quite a few Egyptian engineers in that group don’t you know. Drinking and late night parties and all that. They didn’t care. Status or former status be damned. They literally dug a big pit, walked into it, covered themselves with lime and took poison together. Hallelujah. This we do for our love of life.
You have extra energy. Maybe you should spend time with my friend here. I’m getting bored of her. Maybe you can tell me how to make her work correctly. I hear that you know how to make a pussy work.
Prrrrr.
We are going to love living the life of the warrior. Now I understand where you’re getting this. You know you are like a barometer of the trends for me. I ask myself why is he acting this way? I mean we have had mixed parties. We have had mixed parties. But he never screamed here take my woman. Never have I seen such a thing.
Okay. I think I understand what’s going on here. You and I are not speaking. You are pushing for some future writing. You’re planning on writing our conversation as if it was going in the Torah. Is that what this is?
I’m sorry. It’s just my job.
40 years ago this was your job and now, because you helped a bunch of repugnant carnivore hypocrites put together some freaky deaky new document that is going to be the death of everyone and everything everywhere, now you just can’t stop writing things down. Maybe a little in the moment might not be a bad thing for you.
I appreciate the advice kind of. I don’t really remember asking you for any advice. But if my being a writer is a problem for you, I guess you have to do what you got to do.
I’m just saying that you’re making a public spectacle of yourself standing outside and screaming about how things used to be. It’s hard to explain it but it’s not a good image.
Yes. It is a little more formal this way. I just want to be clear what the public opinion should be. People know we are friends. People know we are together in our way. To them , I am the writer who hangs out with the apothecary. So it’s important for me to let everyone know the truth. And by the truth, I mean that we all completely understand each other.
You found the gesture of being offered the most beautiful woman you have seen in at least three decades problematic. You have some problem with love being introduced to your life despite the fact that you are single and protest you are not gay.
I am just the writer in this context. When we are talking about writing things down, that’s the job. We write down what is said and done. We tell the truth and if we want to think about things, we do them rigorously and then we decide what is the best idea. It may not be a perfect thing but when you decide that something must be, it must be.
But that doesn’t apply to my helping you get laid?
Okay. No strings attached. The beautiful girl is with me. Kiss kiss kiss. Baby you are with me. I’m not so old as you think and I know how to use my quill.
There are a few moments where some physical interaction took place between the scribe and this truly unarguably beautiful thing. And then after a moment, he stopped, laughed quite a bit and then said this.
Man cannot live by bread alone.
A moment after the laughter died down, he grabbed a copy of the daily papyrus and roared his discontent.
People, stop. People, look. People listen for a few seconds and then take this paper and go on with your day.
Some leave money. Most just take the paper.
I’m spreading the message. I’m putting my foot down. I’m telling the truth about how it is possible to live if we just stop eating meat and listening to lunatics tell us how wonderful war is. War is hell and there’s no reason to bring it into anyone’s life.
2
Weaponless gardening. That’s what we did. They didn’t want to hear about it. They couldn’t see it. It was right in front of their faces. We had everything we needed and it wasn’t just the goddamn manna.
I liked the manna.
I did too. Everybody who was vegan was like, bonus! We are already killing it everywhere agriculturally. We are pretty fat and happy and we don’t have too many problems with social diseases anymore. Really, education, mild industry and a government council that rotated amongst the population so that every region had to say fairly in things. Oh, we got along like a charm.
That’s why we are writing this down. You want this to be written down.
Yes. I am writing this down because I want to write this down.
Listen, Hillel, I remember once a million years ago telling you that you should write whatever you want to write.
I already write. I write the daily papyrus.
It’s three or four blocks of words and everyone says thank you.
It is also good for wrapping fish.
And everyone knows your politics.
And everyone completely agrees with you.
Seriously, you’re the man.
But …
Oh, come on. Don’t do the butt so soon.
Immediately all of the players burst into song and though the song is being created exactly in this moment, they’re all absolutely in tune that they should be singing this particular song.
We are going to war. We are going to war. That’s the beginning of it and the end of it. We are going to war. Listen to what I am saying. There’s nowhere else to go. Get your ass up. Pick up your spear. Kiss the wife goodbye because here we go. We’re going to war. We’re going to war. And we have been assured that good things will come to us. But really we don’t give a shit. Because life is kind of filthy the way we live and most of us feel kind of disgusted by it. Like we would rather live outside then be a part of our houses. So we’re going to war. We’re going to war. That’s what we are going to do today and tomorrow and forever, we are going to war.
I get it. You as a group agree that this action is indeed going to exist. And I propose an alternative action where you guys get together and simply negate that song.
You can’t make us remove from the world such a curiously wonderful thing as that. Could you?
I agree. I will underwrite the party.
The party. What a strange word. What exactly is your meaning?
It means I will pay for the food where like-minded people can meet and talk of like-minded topics. Like independent groups of people who wish to have independent thoughts aside from we are going to war, we are going to war. Maybe that community is worth growing.
Do you know? You sir are trying to get yourself killed.
And if one should die for a good cause?
Maybe we just figure out a way for you to live well.
What? You want me to put aside my indignation? Indignation with the nation. This nation of indignation. Indignity, one after another.
We are just playing with you. We all want peace. We just like it when you get riled up a little bit. It makes us feel better to know you’re at least healthy.
3
Hill?
Yeah?
Can you explain what just happened?
It’s a paraphrase.
Wait. I don’t understand. Did we just get a really earth-shattering call to arms or not?
Yeah. But then they did a revision.
What’s a revision?
That’s where you stop and kind of try doing it again or adding in a lot of stuff to make it clear that you hadn’t thought of the first time you put it in the book. This is called a revision.
Okay. I understand. We all got to the booyah moment and then we listened to a revision. That is correct?
Yes. Essentially, this would account for the confusion.
Yes. There is great confusion.
I can’t get no relief. But outside in the distance…
Wait. You influenced them.
Ain’t that something?
You made them rethink everything. You did that to confuse them.
Well listen. Let’s say we have a homicidal delusional psychopath and they are coming our way. How do we deal with this problem?
Do you want to talk all the way out of the point? Maybe you can give me the brief bottom line.
The easiest thing to do is simply allow them to come and peacefully make sure that they are never alone until we find out enough about them to relax.
No weapons. Only peace.
Empty hand gardening.
Weaponless gardening.
You know, she’s right. Every time we think of a cool name for ourselves it seems we only reference our penises.
Are you joking? Symbiosis. They both go together.
Yeah wonderful. Anyway, congratulations. You made them look at what they said previously in the book and not just add to the book.
I thought it was rather essential. I thought at least we should understand which is which. They are not going to remove this nonsense from the end of the book and, you know how we all feel about that.
The days of sadness have only just begun.
But you noticed that they were ignoring that he broke the tablets. And here step by step, word by word, And even to the expense of a pretty exciting moment that a lot of guys thought was go time for the next war, we got to watch this one man theater. The guy wasn’t so bad by the way.
No. The guy was good. I liked his voice. He was a very round talker. He made the words very round.
I liked it when he grabbed his dick. I thought that was a pretty cool gesture for who was supposed to be an old man.
No. The official image of the regime is that Moses is always young and virile.
And looks a lot like the stonemason. Irony?
You see what we have to contend with.
Okay. But hail to the chief. You got them to stop and listen and to make sure to get it right step by step that they were accountable for being hysterical lunatics. Making decisions for a million people that could be changed in a moment of anger. Insanity. Public immorality. And you are the guy who got that in writing so that we all understood it. And now the real book, the big book, has a revision instead of a war and that’s because of you. Cheers. And yes. Everything you want is on the house.
Yeah. Every dog gets a day.
4
We are in Hillel’s private suite in his home compound. The room is lit by several candles and we can see that he and our lady friend are dressed in the costumes of Adam and Eve.
So my thinking is that thinking is the thing we should be thinking about.
That’s logical.
Sure it is. That’s why our system still works.
I hear you. I know I’m nobody but I hear you. And I’m happy to know you. I’m happy to know that I like you.
I think I like you too. Where did you learn these great skills?
I am as all natural people are self-taught. Occasionally I have taught myself things with friends and occasionally I have taught myself things in the university. But mostly I just help myself learn things.
And you believe you have learned something from me?
From you and from your words.
More for the words and less for me or maybe a little more for me and less for the words?
I like you both. I like you both the same. There is no judgment because they are the same thing.
Maybe this is true. So can you clearly explain to me this web I find myself suddenly caught in?
If you like me, I will stay with you.
But the first moment that I am sick of you, I can throw you away like nothing.
As you desire, so shall you do.
Maybe one night I shall get drunk and take my blade and kill you in a moment of insanity.
Then this is how I shall die.
Tell me why. Why do you need such a man as me?
Because I know you will never hit me. Because I know you will always listen to me if I talk to you. It’s because I know who you are.
You like no weapon gardening?
Here. Let me explain my point of view this way.
Aha. The plot thickens.
5
A few days later, it became important for Hillel to visit the apothecary again.
What the hell were you thinking?
Don’t you get it? All of the restrictions are gone. When Moses tried to segregate those of us who were sick from those of us who were not ill he couldn’t do it because that was where the men could go to get sex. And one by one we got sick. So now the official government idea is that we all got sick together and good for us.
But I feel terrible. If you knew that she was going to do this to me. Why did you give her to me?
Maybe I wasn’t thinking of that. Maybe I was just thinking of making your life better.
By sending a disease-ridden woman into my life?
You didn’t have to sleep with her.
Yes, I had to. Do you think I had a choice once that thing got started? Don’t you ever feel anything?
Well. Everybody likes that feeling that comes with her. We thought you’d like it too.
But the residue is a venereal disease that makes me feel miserable. Could there not have been some kind of middle ground absolving me of the necessity of receiving this fucking curse?
You could have just said no.
I did kind of say no.
What do you mean?
Hillel. Gesticulates his intentions by waving his right hand briskly back and forth.
I understand. She was handy in the moment. And still we have this problem?
It also comes from this weaponless gardening. I think we need to make public service features about washing your hands.
This is true. People don’t wash their hands enough.
Is it in the Torah to wash your hands?
I’m sure it is. Wash your hands.
6
So how do you feel, Phaedrus?
I feel good, Hillel.
Do you feel good because you are a part of something?
It’s the new wave. We all must wear our identification information at all times.
I believe they call this a police state.
Those are good words. Who invented that?
I just did. The point is that we have no life of our own anymore. Whatever freedoms we ever had in those great 40 years of solitude from hysteria are all gone now. We have nothing left to show for 40 years of trying to live together well. The collective genius of two generations discarded as worthless and meaningless. Our advances in medicine, in art, in social forms of living, in tolerance and of working together to find mutual solutions to problems.
Yes. Yada yada yada, we didn’t make problems and therefore we didn’t have problems. But now we make problems and we have problems and you are what? Nostalgic thinking again!
Have you ever thought about checking out?
Sometimes.
Can you give me something to do the job.
You are stopping your subscription?
I’m sorry if you are having a hard time relating to this because of your own personal view of me. Is it possible to ask an apothecary for something that will kill him?
Hillel, what are you thinking? I have never heard such words coming from your mouth. I spit on the ground three times to even have this thought expressed. God forbid.
I know, you are eloquent as well. Can we cut through the drama to the yes or no answer?
The answer if I can is obvious. Of course I can. The answer if I will is another question.
All right, great gatekeeper. Tell me what game you would have me play.
Can you explain to me exactly why you don’t want to live anymore? And can you also tell me all the things that make life worth living? Can you at least show me the ledger you are using for this decision?
You know, that’s a pretty interesting thing.
What’s that?
Vetting clients. It’s interesting when it’s you.
Why so interesting?
Because you’re not a doctor. There’s a difference between a doctor who might recommend something and an apothecary who just accommodates people’s whims for cures.
And your point is?
I don’t know. Can you give me something that doesn’t particularly hurt, works quickly and most importantly, works. Like I don’t want the half and half version. I don’t want to play with it just for the experience. I’m talking about full dose.
Whatever you say, Hi. I love and respect you. Remember to talk to me before you use that.
I was hoping you’d watch.
I knew you were going to say that.
Not the only one who ever had that idea?
Sorry. Professional situation here. I love and respect you, man. I appreciate you. Everything’s going to be okay and if it makes you feel better to have a kill pill lying around, I will give you a kill pill and you can hang around with it as long as you like.
7
What do you want me to say? They flubbed it. Everybody thought they were done and then they did this little nothing thing.
It is an invention officially. It’s called an encore.
Call it whatever you want. I don’t want to go to war. I don’t want to be in a war. I don’t want to be around wars. I don’t want to kill anybody and I don’t want anyone to kill me. I don’t want to be around people who kill things. I’m just saying that there was a time when we had a moment to peace. I don’t care that this is not ending up in the official revision of the official revision. I understand that I had a part in this and I was the final go on the edit. It’s like they didn’t know that Moses used to yell at me trying to get things right and I used to take it because he wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to tell him that he was crazy with power.
Tell the truth. You actually told him he was crazy?
My little desert flower, you don’t know anything if you don’t know the work of Hillel the scribe.
You’re a legend.
I’m a legend.
A most legendary legend.
Wait a minute. I don’t like the sound of that at all.
Well, I’m just saying that it isn’t written anywhere in the text that the scribe actually had any input. Not even a clause. Not even a thank you really. Not that I don’t feel bad for you in this regard. I think you stand up well enough as a man no matter what you do. I’m just saying that maybe we should be getting what’s ours.
I’m interested but not really.
The words actually carved into the tablet were your words.
Who told you that nonsense?
It doesn’t matter. All that matters is the truth.
Why does the truth matter so much in a time of war?
Tell me. Tell me right now. Is this true or is this not true?
Okay. You’re a smart girl. You explain it to me. How do you know what the truth is?
Because you practice looking for it.
Amen. So why is it so important to believe in some strange propaganda from a thousand years ago? The man was high when he wrote that history of the world.
That’s why.
That’s why what?
I want to be near you.
Because you believe it to be true.
No. Because I know it was you.
Well okay then.
Okay then.
Just one more question.
Are you my suicide pill?
No. Here. Here’s your bloody thing. Have fun with it. One use only. Pretty fast. No pain. A nice little dream and then the end.
So you’re just the courier.
No. I’m just one more entrance on the ledger sheet of something that might make life worth living.
And I must do what?
Make yourself comfortable with me. I think we’ll be fine.
Well there you go. Man does not live by bread alone. Sometimes we need the hand of God.
