From the Root to the Reward
Parashat Ekev · Sefer Devarim · 5785
From the Root to the Reward
Lessons for the inner life
A shiur after Rav Zamir Cohen
From the Root to the Reward
A shiur after Rav Zamir Cohen · Parashat Ekev · Sefer Devarim · 5785

Parashat Ekev continues Moshe's great discourse: more than a narrative, a true practical guide for the inner life — moving from the superficial to the essential.

1. The Root. One core quality (the Shoresh) is the source of all others; treat the root, not the leaves.

2. The mind masters emotion. "Remember, remember" — a mental training that calms the fears of the heart.

3. The meaning of trials. "As a man chastens his son" — a trial is an act of love that refines, illustrated by the 5 lessons of the pencil.

4. Love & Awe. Ahava needs Yira so it does not become fragile or destructive.

5. Spirituality in matter. "Man does not live by bread alone" — kashrut, a guide of energies for the soul.

6. Jewish identity. A structure of the soul, unchangeable: one cannot stop being a Jew.

📖 Full Text
1 🌱 The Principle of the Root (Shoresh)

class="body-text ltr">The discourse opens with a fundamental principle: a single core action or quality, the "root" (Shoresh), is the source of all others. When God asks us to "fear the Lord," it implicitly includes love, obedience and walking in His ways. Understanding this is the key to transformation.

💡 Practical application. In marriage: instead of arguing over countless details ("the leaves"), find the root of the conflict — a lack of listening? a need for respect? Address the root and the symptoms disappear. In education: identify a child's positive "root" and nurture it; define them by potential, not by mistakes.
2 🧠 The Mind as Master of Emotions

class="body-text ltr">The Torah reveals a profound psychological truth: the mind can and must govern the heart. Against fear and anxiety rising in the heart, the Torah prescribes a mental remedy:

זָכוֹר תִּזְכֹּר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָDevarim

class="body-text ltr">The double command "remember" teaches that this is not a passing thought but a constant mental training. By actively recalling past miracles, a person is not a victim of their emotions — they are their master through thought.

3 ✨ The Meaning of Trials & Providence

class="body-text ltr">Life's difficulties are not punishments but tools for refinement. The verse "As a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you" shows a trial is an act of love, meant to polish and elevate us. Providence, as in the desert miracles (the manna, the clothes that grew), is always present, only more hidden today.

✏️ The 5 lessons of the pencil. 1) It leaves a mark — every act has a consequence. 2) It has an eraser — Teshuva erases mistakes. 3) The value is inside — the lead (the soul), not the wood. 4) It must be sharpened — trials refine us. 5) It needs a hand — connect to God to fulfil your purpose.
4 💞 The Essential Balance: Love & Awe

class="body-text ltr">A lasting relationship, with God or between people, cannot rest on love (Ahava) alone, which by nature fluctuates. It needs the stability and framework of respectful fear, awe (Yira).

class="body-text ltr">Yira keeps love from turning destructive in its "lows" and gives it a solid foundation. Love without respect is fragile; respect without love is cold. Harmony is born of their union.

5 🔥 The Hidden Spirituality of the Material World

class="body-text ltr">According to the Ari'zal, the material world is a garment for a deeper spiritual reality. Every food contains a spark of divine life:

כִּי לֹא עַל הַלֶּחֶם לְבַדּוֹ יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם, כִּי עַל כָּל מוֹצָא פִי ה' יִחְיֶה הָאָדָם

class="body-text ltr">When we eat, the body is nourished by matter, but the soul by spiritual energy — the "word of God" that created the food. The laws of kashrut are a guide for the soul: which energies are beneficial, which are harmful.

6 ✡️ The Unchanging Essence of Jewish Identity

class="body-text ltr">Being Jewish is not merely a culture: it is a spiritual structure of the soul, transmitted through the mother, with higher levels of connection to the Divine (Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama…).

❓ Can one stop being a Jew? No. The essence of the soul is unchangeable. A non-Jew can convert and "receive" these levels — a spiritual addition. But a Jew cannot "remove" them: identity is permanent and intrinsic, a spiritual "royal family" — a potential and responsibility that cannot be abandoned.

🎯 Test yourself

Five questions. Click an answer.

1
What is the principle of the "Root" (Shoresh)?
One fundamental quality is the source of the others: treat the root, not the leaves.
2
What remedy does the Torah give against the fear of the heart?
"Zakhor tizkor": actively recalling past miracles calms the fears of the heart.
3
What does the eraser symbolise in the 5 lessons of the pencil?
The eraser = Teshuva: a mistake can be repaired.
4
Why does love (Ahava) need awe (Yira)?
Love fluctuates; Yira gives it a solid foundation and keeps it from turning destructive.
5
Can one stop being a Jew?
Jewish identity is a permanent structure of the soul; it can be added (conversion) but not removed.

Result

📅 A seven-day programme — Parashat Ekev
Sunday
Read Parashat Ekev and spot the principle of the "Root" (Shoresh).
Monday
Identify a positive "root" in someone close — and nurture it today.
Tuesday
Facing a worry, practise "zakhor tizkor": recall a help you received.
Wednesday
Re-read the 5 lessons of the pencil; pick one to apply concretely.
Thursday
Work on the Ahava/Yira balance in a relationship: love framed by respect.
Friday
Before Shabbat, say one berakha with full awareness — "not by bread alone".
Shabbat
Shabbat: meditate on the unchanging essence of your Jewish soul.
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