Sermon of Rebuke: Ekev

by Rivka Schwartz

Rabbi explained that his long speeches are inspired by Moshe’s speech in Devarim. At the shul's open meeting he spoke for two days. 
 
Shabbat board games are a new thing in this congregation. We've had games nights every Saturday. It's during the day, but we have no idea what to call it. Game days drew nobody. We did one gameday and the non-Shomer Shabbat people showed up to the baseball stadium. They were mad the rest of the shul wasn't there that Shabbat. The rabbi thus ordained we can't call events game days or rain delays. 
Since we started, it’s been going on every week. Settlers of Catan seems to be Michelle's favorite game. It's the most talked about game. Nobody else knows how to play it.
Monopoly is still huge. Rummikub is great. It makes people feel connected to Israel. It’s like playing with a lot of decks of cards, but with tiles.
 
It was a beautiful memorial service this week for Shimon. There was no committee involved. I think that is the key to good shul events. No committee. Less people show up, as there is no committee to ensure that people will be there, but the event gets done. Next event I run we're going to have an attendance committee. The event will get done and they will argue about attending.
 
The Matzah Ball Soup committee is doing well. It turned into a side hustle. Nobody is delivering to the sick, but people want the soup. We've been pocketing some decent money, we're pulling in off the sick people. That's the key to Chesed. Acts of loving kindness are best done for people when they're paying for them.
 
Shul baseball outing was rained out. We still had the shul BBQ indoors. Nothing is going to stop our congregation from eating burgers. And there was no committee involved in that. Just a bunch of older guys, and all of them manned the grill. They don't man the Minyin.  But they all show up to man the grill.
           
Rabbi Mendelchem’s Drasha                       
 
Shabbat Shalom My Congregants
 
You step on stuff. ‘Ekev’. Your heal... No. It's not a pun. Yes. There is double meaning... You’ve stepped on the new couch. I don’t understand why anybody would put their shoes on a couch… Even if they’re off your feet, if they’re on a couch, you’re stepping on it… It’s the Mitzvot you step on. Stuff you think is unimportant. That is why we merit Israel… The Mitzvot you think are unimportant like Shabbat, speaking Lashon Hara, stealing… You steal from the shul. You don’t pay dues… You talk about Fran all the time… Yes. Bernie is annoying… Shabbat is. You just hauled your branch to shul for the shul sing along fire pit… It’s Shabbat, Frank…
 
I am going to speak about the first Pasuk this week. I didn't have much time to prepare. I had other more important stuff to do, then work on a speech… Yes. Family. Sometimes you go to the baseball game. We did the doubleheader as a family… I’m an Abba. I vacation too. For my child. We already paid for the rained out one. And it was more enjoyable than having to sit with the congregants… I would’ve had to sermonize then… Every time I talk to you, I have to sermon you… Because you step on the Mitzvot… You stepped on my family vacation time... You call me with every question...
I will still talk; as you all expect me to talk every week. I don't take off work, Dr. Fishbaum. Neither does Mrs. Goldbaum. That is why she can pay her dues… Even when I vacation, I’m still working… You call me with questions. And it is always Lashon Hara…

There is a beautiful teaching this week, which the rabbi in our sister shul, Brith HaKehunah Hagadol vHaMitzuyan, the synagogue with an ego (calling themselves the Priest Great & Awesome Shul), will also be talking about. It’s a speech being given everywhere. Their new rabbi is not original. Even if they are great. They are not original. Talks just like me. Sermons…
 
Last week, we learned in the Torah that H' repays those who do not follow His commandments and ordinances; as Rashi explains, with no place in the world to come, and a condo in Florida... in this world… Yes. There’s retribution. It’s divine. Which is why the game got rained out… Because you don’t take Shabbat seriously and you don’t walk in the rain. And it rains a lot in Florida too... Yes. The condo is very enjoyable… We are happy not seeing the Feldblums for three months a year… I am assuming some of the Feldblums would have a place in the world to come.
What of the next world? Are we thinking of that?
 
It all starts with a good relationship with Gd. I'm not asking for a good relationship with your spouse. I know too much about what goes on in the homes in this congregation... (Devarim 7:12) It will be 'because' we hear and practice these 'ordinances' which He commanded us, that H' will live up to his covenant of good with our 'fathers'… Avraham, Yitzchak and Yakov. I don’t know if Mark got anything good out of the divorce. That’s not a decent covenant for Cooper and Vanessa. They’re good kids… If they keep the Mitzvot, they’ll be good kids. Do you want the covenant of Israel and a nation, or alimony? That is what our children must think about…
 
I do not know what the covenant is, but it is good. Rashi (Devarim 7:12) expounds on the word used for 'Because', עקב, as it means heel. It is the 'easy commandments that one tramples upon.' It is because we view the easy commandments as not important. You trample on them. You don't think about them. You space out… Yes. Shabbat is important. The congregation doesn’t view it like that… They would come on a rain day if… This isn’t a baseball game. Shul doesn’t get rained out. You trample on rain… Shabbat can be easy if you love it. It’s not easy to space out though… Mark’s kids space out… They are constantly listening to phone fights between their parents.
​We need a shul covenant... To get a Minyin. You never show up.
 
Which Mitzvot do we step on, as if they are not important? Lashon Hara for one. Speaking bad about other people... I am speaking about Lashon Hara again... In the same speech. The same way you talk about Chaim all the time. And Fran... Am I correct Mrs. Feigeinbaum. Nobody can stand next to you at kiddush without hearing some story about how there has been weight gain in the community…
Mr. Bergstein. Which Mitzvot aren't important to you? Lets see. Your neighbors aren't very important. You stepped on your neighbor's flowers. What else did you step on? Your neighbor’s driveway. Coveting your neighbor’s wife is not a positive commandment Mr. Bergstein…
We step on this shul's floor with our heels. Dr. Fishbaum, people's dues paid for the carpet… And the couch. You don’t put your shoes on a couch. I still don’t get it. What kind of home did you grow up in?...
 
(Devarim 7:12) If we heed these commandments as important and 'guard them, to do them', then 'H' will guard his covenant and kindness that he swore to our forefathers.'
It's a relationship of deeds we share with H'... H' helps. You wouldn't know. You don't guard the MItzvot... You heed nothing. The shul can't even get a security guard to stay... It is those commandments you people in this congregation step on, of acting kind… You snobby people who care so much about building a Sukkah, that looks like a group of homes built by building disabled Jews… It's not a soup kitchen. Soup goes cold right away out there... It’s an embarrassment. But you don't care to do a chesed for your friends. Instead, you build these gaudy Sukkahs that brings down the value of the neighborhood… You built the Sukkah out of concrete. Can’t take it down. People now climb it and step on it… A Sukkah. It's a Sukkah, but you step on the rest. Guard the other commandments too... Yes. They're all important...
Your rabbi needs to sleep, but you steal that… Stealing sleep is an Aveirah. You can't even heed my sleep... It’s stealing. You expect him to do all these Bar Mitzvah parties and smile for these kids who show up once a year… It’s a Bar Mitzvah. They did nothing. Mike did more, yelling at the kid for messing up… The speeches are embarrassing: 'Hear is a siddur. Put it next to your Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Maybe you will open it then. Maybe you will use one of these if your family ever makes it to shul, after Yom Kippur'... We need more heeding... 
I do that act of Chesed, with the children of this congregation, even though I do not want to, and see no value or Jewish future for this kid... We do it, because it is Chesed. The covenant of hope. Like H', who gives us a chance. We give these heretic families a chance. And we pay our dues… Yes, Dr. Fishbaum. The heretic Bar Mitzvah kids pay dues... Their parents pay.
We must heed.
 
It is painful. If we want to enjoy the life after this one, we have to suffer with congregants who are apikorsim. Heretics… Trample on Apikorsim. We have to trample on Apikorsut. Heresy must be trampled on. This congregation must be trampled… You trample on the Mitzvot.
Heed!!! Trample the heretics for the blessings of this world... Yes. Israel is a blessing...
 
The heel is about connecting with the lower part of the body, what we assume is not as important… None of you do squats. I’ve seen you at the JCC gym… Just as the kids in our school view their footwork, when that is why they are losing the games. That is why I gave you this speech, as not important as it is. It is the unimportant, which connects us to Gd. It is the unimportant that view, which is what keeps our relationships holy… I didn't say to do the important stuff... 
Mr. Bergstein, being faithful to your wife is unimportant to you. But it is that faithfulness which is what your covenant with her is based on.  
Covenants are about the unimportant. Forget about the commandment to not kill. A relationship is not based on not killing…
 
The Ramban explains that in Torah, the 'head' refers to the beginning and the 'heel' refers to the end. You are shallow. You do not care to see the end effect… When you hired me, it was all smooth. It was great... I should've seen what was coming... 
The game was rained out… We bought the tickets already… No need to list the amount of money that went into the new faces we see here today in this congregation. Your doctors did a great job, and you are supporting members of the congregation when you do your reconstruction. But where is that money going to in the end? Has Dr. Fishbaum paid his dues...You are sure?... So I am not correct. He has paid his dues. I am sorry Dr. Fishbaum. 
 
It is the easy stuff that we trample upon. It is the easy commandments that we overlook. In the end, it is the easy commandments that will bring our redemption of the covenant, and our new rabbinical lounge wing... Yes. There will be couches there. And no shoes…
Learn Torah and do Mitzvot… That’s the lesson… Yes. That’s been the lesson every week…
Bat Mitzvahs should learn…

If you learn you can conquer the land… 'Remember Egypt' (Devarim 7:18)… Keep Shabbat and you will win the war... We lose all the time because of Lashon Hara... Yes. Food comes from learning… It’s not from the sweat of your brow, but from H’… Exactly. That’s why we remember the Manna…
If you remember the relationship, the small things are important... You have to cook and work for food... I know the Manna was given to us... So learn and food will be given... Yes. The sisterhood will cook for you and the brotherhood will man the grill...
 
(Devarim 7:21) ‘Don’t be broken because H’ your Gd is amongst you.’  When H’ is with you, you are whole. You have a family... Because you didn't trample on it...
Know that Gd is with you... He would be if...
 
Flowing with milk and honey. Also got land made out of iron... Yes. It would be perfect for Settlers of Catan. But you don't know how to play it...
Gold and silver is an abomination (Devarim 7:25) ‘lest you be ensnared by it.’ To be fascinated by money is an abomination. Did you see the new rims on Fran’s car? An abomination... Know what you are using it for... Don't trample on the gold and silver and use it as grills.... Would ever step on gold or silver? That’s the question
Used in the Temple, it’s holy. Keter Torah. the crown of Torah, is not an abomination... Use the rims that were worshipped to make a Keter Torah, that’s an abomination.
There’s holiness. Heed it... Think about what you trample on. Don't waste the money. Use it for a gym membership and do some squats...
 
Rivka’s Notes on Rabbi Mendelchem’s Sermon
 
The rabbi is sick of speaking to an out of shape congregation. It's the summertime and people are wearing shortsleeves. You can see how out of shape they are.

The lesson of the Manna was beautiful. Everybody stopped working. Shul had more people there. People thought it was a better financial plan.
Once they started losing money and mortgage hit, the shul went back to having a hard time getting a Minyin.
Mark and Simone’s divorce was a tough event for the community. Nobody showed up to that event. It was raining that day. It was supposed to be a celebration, but nobody showed due to rain. The members refuse to go anywhere in the rain. It frizzes up the hair.
The rabbi brought up the divorced population to make the point of how messed up the housing is. Renovations on homes needs to be done. He also used that to segue back into how he needs to spend time with his children.
The rabbi did use his family to get out of work. He guilted us into the family importance speech. He vacationed with his family, by himself, at a spa.
 
The rabbi brought around the whole lesson of Ekev being the Mitzvot you step on with your foot, when he told people they step on the driveway when they’re walking.
Putting shoes on the couch was a bit much. Every woman that walks to shul has walking shoes. They call them walking shoes, because they walk in them. I’ve never heard of walking shoes anywhere else. I’ve heard of running shoes and skating shoes. Until I joined Congregation Beis Emes Usefilah, I had no idea that walking shoes was its own category. Then, when they get to shul, the women put on their Shabbis shoes. Those are shoes you wear on Shabbis. They can be flats or high heels. That depends on the woman. Shabbis shoes can never be ultra-high heels. Fran might wear ultra-highs, but we wouldn’t know. She’s getting close to 90.
People are now treating the couches with respect. They think that's their key to getting Olam Habba (world to come).
 
The rabbi brought up Brith HaKehunah Hagadol vHaMitzuyan because they are also trying to poach our members. When he said that the rabbi there also gives long sermons like him, all the congregants decided to not go there. Many said they would never step foot in there. It was a good move by the rabbi. ‘The evil you know is better than the evil you don’t know,’ to quote Sadie.
 
The rabbi really cares about the youth summer basketball league. He wants his daughter to finally win. She’s not good and he’s depending on the other families to help her win. I think his message of keeping Shabbat and not speaking Lashon Hara, along with the idea of not trampling on the commandments, lost their message in the rabbi's anger at the loss in the inter-shul eight year old summer basketball league. Though it’s not a Mitzvah, people ended up working on their basketball. Many even decided to take up pickleball. Some even stole courts to play.

Michelle hosted a Settlers of Catan lesson day. She seems to be teaching it every games night, to the same people. They are calling it 'Settlers' now. That's cool. Just shortening the name is real cool. She has also got the right-wing members of the congregation to play. They feel like they're supporting the Jews living in Yehudah-Shomron by playing it. They are going to get rid of ore and change it for milk and honey.

The rabbi's question to us all was profound. 'If a synagogue outing day game gets rained out, does anyone see the shul's name on the billboard?'
The shul sing along is not happening again. The harmony we hear in shul did not get better with the firepit and the guitar.