* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Every year, around Parashat Eikev, I am reminded of the time I stopped at a food stand in Manhattan and ordered a small cup of freshly-squeezed orange juice. The owner handed me an enormous cup of juice. “I asked for a small,” I said, but then he pointed out two cups even bigger than that one and said, “What I gave you was a small. Look, here are sizes medium and large!” It was then that I discovered that the cup that was considered “large” here in Israel is considered “small” in the United States. I have no doubt that in a few more years our “large” of today will also be considered “small’ here in Israel.
The Book of Devarim describes the great danger of living in a prosperous society that offers people everything they desire and in “large” amounts. It’s challenging to live in poverty— but it’s also challenging to live in wealth. It’s very difficult to be hungry—but it’s not easy to be satiated. And today that challenge is perhaps more acute than ever.
Moshe Rabbeinu is worried that the “good life” might cause people to forget both their past and the direction in which they are meant to be heading. Here is his powerful warning from this week’s parasha:
“When you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses to live in, and your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold have increased, and everything you own has prospered, beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the Lord your God, who freed you from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage…and you say to yourselves, ‘My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me.’”
For thousands of years, Jews struggled with poverty and failure. Today, they face the challenge of wealth and success. It is important that we continue to hold onto our values even in comfortable circumstances, even when grasping that massive cup of orange juice.