The second farewell address of Moses to the people of Israel continues in Parashat Ekev. The reward for obedience to the brit, the covenant, is material prosperity and physical well being. The Israelites will be able to vanquish their enemies if they heed the divine law.

Moses reviews the wandering of Israel in the wilderness. The challenging experience of the desert years was to refine Israel in her devotion to her sacred task. Here we have the origin of the famous phrase, "ki lo al halehem l'vado yihyeh ha-adam". "Man does not live by bread alone." What sustains humanity is the spiritual strength of G-d's teaching.

The beautiful seven agricultural species of the land of Israel have their source in Deuteronomy, chapter 8. The species are wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranate, olive, and honey. The origins of the Birkat Hamazon, the Grace after Meals, are also from this Torah selection. "And you shall eat and be satisfied, and bless the L-rd your G-d for the good land which He has given you." This passage is one of the core themes of the Birkat Hamazon.

The Torah reminds its readers that material blessing is a gift from G-d. Deuteronomy is apprehensive that those who have achieved prosperity and success will forget the genuine origin of their well-being.

Moses warns the nation against the sin of self-righteousness. Israel's ascendance in the Land of Canaan is a divine gift. The native inhabitants of the land are subdued because of their wrongdoing, not because of Israel's merit. Deuteronomy underscores the sin of the Golden Calf to emphasize Israel's failure and G-d's graciousness.

The conclusion of the second farewell address centers on the call to heed the brit. "And now, Israel, what does the L-rd your G-d require of you but to fear the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul." The basic ethical principles of the Torah are invoked. The Torah demands compassion for the orphan and the widow. Love of the stranger is axiomatic because Israel herself was an alien in Egypt.

The second passage of the Kriat Shma, the Reading of the Shema, has its source in Deuteronomy 11. Fulfillment of the covenant will yield abundance of harvest. Ironically, this passage was once removed from both Reform and Reconstructionist prayer books. Religious rationalists felt there was no connection between human behavior and nature. Today, environmentalists teach us that the Torah indeed shares a profound truth. Human actions shape and alter the environment. Disrespect for G-d's world does effect the arrival of the former rains and the latter rains. The second paragraph of the Kriat Shma resonates with meaning in the twenty-first century. Our behavior does influence the natural world.