Engaging our children in the parsha

The following are some suggestions of ideas for conversations with our children by the Shabbos meals. The key here is to get the children involved through debate and stimulation.

How would you feel ready for war?

Moshe in Parshas Eikev tells them about what they will face in war when going to conquer Eretz Yisroel. How would you fell if you were in the army ready to set off to attack the enemy? Usually there are mixed feelings. On the one hand you are excited that you will have the chance to show off your courage and be victorious. On the other hand you are a bit nervous that you could be faced with serious injury or death.

When you go further into battle and are actually faced with the enemy and see how numerous they are with greater strength and capabilities what would be your natural reaction? Naturally you would feel discouraged and would want to flee away as the possibility of dying is much more real.

Moshe preparing the Jews for war:

The Jews were entering Eretz Yisroel, a land with thirty-one kings. There were numerous people who were very strong, as testified by the meraglim, spies. The situation naturally would seemed doomed before it even started. Moshe therefore comes to remind the Jews that they fight with different laws of war. They fight miraculous wars where they realise that they are not the ones in charge and therefore have nothing to fear. The warriors chosen are not the ones with the usual natural criteria. (See Bringing Parshas Matos Alive where we discussed a bit about the Jewish Army.)

This is where in Parshas Eikev we find Moshe telling the Jews not to fear when faced with more people and stronger forces. Where do we know that we can be victorious under such circumstances? Moshe reminds them of Yetzias Mitzrayim, leaving Egypt with all the miracles where the Jews did nothing and it was all done for them by Hashem. However, there it was totally miraculous with no efforts on the part of the Jews. In the battles in Eretz Yisroel the Jews had to enter battle albeit they were certain of victory. This meant that they were able to kill the enemy that they saw. What about the enemy that ran away and hid from them? How was this threat dealt with? Again, it was done in a miraculous way through the “tzera”. This was a either an illness or a flying insect that spat poison and killed the hiding enemy.

Moshe going up to the mountain:

Moshe went up the mountain for forty days to receive the Torah. If you were going on a trip up a mountain for a long time what would you take with you? You would take a huge racksack with lots of rations, especially drink. You would wear special mountain shoes and make sure to have a phone and people to contact in case of emergency. The higher up the mountain you go, the thinner the air and therefore you might also need a canister with oxygen. Let us see what did Moshe do for his journey?

In Parshas Eikev (9:9) Moshe goes up the mountain without any provisions! No food or drink for a period of forty days! How is it possible for him to naturally survive? The possuk makes no mention of him taking anything special along with him. What was his secret to survive?

The answer is that you are right. Naturally a person cannot survive so long so high up without supplies. However, Moshe entered the spiritual realm. This means he entered a dimension where Malochim exist. Like the angels do not need to eat and yet when they enter this spiritual world they do eat – like we find by the malochim who visited Avrohom on the third day from his bris mila (at the beginning of Parshas Vayeira). So too, the reverse. When Moshe entered this spiritual realm he lived according to it’s laws. His sustenance came from spiritual influxes and this is how he survived.