Shabbat shalom,

I dedicate this drasha to my mother.

The Torah portion Ekev is based on three important topics:  serving the LORD vs. idolatry; reward and punishment; and the Land of Israel.

These topics often go together.  If we serve the LORD, we are rewarded; if not, and especially if we serve idols, we are punished; reward and punishment are connected with the Land of Israel.

Serving the LORD, as depicted in Ekev, is a way to obtain reward and to avoid punishment, not a way to love God.  This way of serving God is not preferable, although allowed.  It is called serving God lo lishmah, i.e. with an ulterior motive.  The opposite way to serve God is lishmah, i.e. out of true love of God.

In order to explain the difference between lishmah and lo lishmah, I will present an extended analogy due to Maimonides (in his commentary on the Mishna, Tractate Sanhedrin, Helek).  I have changed the details of the analogy here and there to bring them up to date.  Here is the analogy:

Suppose that a young lady is brought to a teacher to study Torah; this is a great opportunity for her to perfect herself.  But she, because of her youth and naivety, will not appreciate this great opportunity to perfect herself.  So, out of necessity, the teacher – who is more perfect than she – will have to motivate her with something she likes, appropriate to her age, and will tell her, "Study, and I will give you candy that changes colors or chewing gum or a popsicle!"  Then she will study, not for the sake of studying – since it doesn't interest her – but for the sake of the food.  And eating it will be better and more important for her than the study, of course.  Indeed she will think of the study as a chore that she undertakes as a means to that desirable end, namely the color-changing candy or the popsicle.  And when she gets older, and wiser, and loses interest in what she desired before, and develops more sophisticated tastes, the teacher appeals to the new tastes and says to her, "Study and I will buy you an iPod nano or a digital mobile phone or an MP3!"  Then, too, she will study not for the sake of studying but for the sake of that iPod, because that device is more important for her than the study – indeed it motivates her to study.  When she grows more experienced and looks down on such things, the teacher will up the ante:  "Study this text or that chapter and we'll make you a splendid bat-mitsva party!"  Then, too, she will study for the sake of the promised party, which impresses her more than the study itself.  And then when she has a better grasp of the world, and realize that parties mean less than she thought, the teacher will persuade her with something more significant, saying, "Study this so that you will become Minister of Education, or President.   People will honor you, and stand before you, and do what you say; you will be famous in your lifetime and even after your death!"   …It is all deplorable – but necessary, because the young woman is naïve, and studies only for the sake of something else.  It is this that the sages called lo lismah, i.e. for an ulterior motive.

Keeping the mitsvot for an ulterior motive is not ideal, and Maimonides comments that "It is all deplorable."  Why deplorable?  Because "…the only purpose of truth is to know that it is the truth; the mitsvot are truth, hence their purpose is to keep them."

Still, Ekev depicts the mitsvot as a means to an end.  The mitsvot are mentioned along with the reward for keeping them, and sometimes with the punishment for not keeping them.  Even the name of the Torah portion hints at reward:  one of the meanings of the word ekev is "reward".  We know about it from Psalm 19:  "The fear of the LORD is pure, abiding forever; the LORD's judgments are true, altogether just. They are more desirable than gold, than much fine gold, sweeter than honey, than dripping honeycomb.  Your servant respects them; in obeying them there is much reward (ekev)."  So ekev means "reward".

The Torah portion uses the expression "in order that" several times to introduce a reward that we will obtain if we keep a mitsva.  For example, "…Inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates – in order that you and your children will endure, in the land…" etc.  [Deut. 11:20-21]  Another example:  "You shall faithfully observe all the instruction that I enjoin upon you today, in order that you may thrive and increase and come to possess the land…" [Deut. 8:1]  These are also two examples, among many, of the connection between reward, punishment and the Land of Israel:  we may live in the Land as a people only if we keep the mitsvot. Also punishments are mentioned:  for example, "If you do forget the LORD your God…I warn you this day that you will certainly perish." [Deut. 8:19]

Why is an entire Torah portion devoted to serving God with an ulterior motive, when it isn't even the preferred way of serving God?  The answer is that even to serve God lishmah, the starting place is service lo lishmah.  Sometimes we can't start with the best; we have to start with something less that the best.  To better explain the connection between lishmah and lo lishmah, I will present an example formulated by Yeshayahu Leibowitz in his book, Seven Years of Discourses on the Weekly Torah Reading.  He writes that the difference between lishmah and lo lishmah is parallel, to a great extent, to the difference between "You shall love" (i.e. the first paragraph of the Shma prayer, which we read from the Torah last week) and "If, then, you obey" (i.e. the second paragraph of the Shma prayer, which we read today).  The paragraphs are similar, and even share some identical phrases.  Both mention love of God.  Yet in "You shall love" there is no mention of reward and punishment, while "If, then, you obey" includes the reward we obtain if we love God, and the punishment if not.  In other words, "You shall love" demands that we serve God lovingly, while "If, then, you obey" allows us to serve God, even if not lovingly.  Finally, we read both paragraphs, because they are both necessary and complement each other.

As I said, we cannot start from the best; we have to start with something less than the best and gradually ascend the ladder, keeping the mitsvot, loving God and humanity.  A baby cannot take on mitsvot immediately; she must start with a few easy mitsvot.  For 12 years she prepares for the day when she will take on all the mitsvot.  And even then, perfection is far off.

Before closing, I would like to thank my family, those who came from far and near to celebrate with me, the uncles and aunts who surround me here with warmth and love, cousins who are like brothers and sisters to me; especially I thank my uncle Joel, who taught me the traditional reading of the Torah, and my friends Shira and Gili Berk, who helped me write a drasha.  I thank Grandma, Aunt Susie, Uncle Ricardo, cousin Ben, and Fritz and Phyllis for coming to celebrate with me my bat mitsva.  Je voudrais remercier ma tante Evelyne, mon oncle Pierrot et mes cousins David et Noëmi pour être venu fêter avec moi ma bat mitsva.

Above all, I would like to thank my mother, who planned my bat-mitsva celebration in great detail.  Maman wanted with all her heart to be with us at the celebration; and even if she was unable, she is here with me deep in my heart, and fills all our hearts with her loving presence.  And I would like to thank my father who, despite the difficulties, the pain and the overload, managed to organize a splendid bat-mitsva celebration for me!