The Politics of Memory (Rabbi Sacks on Eikev, Covenant & Conversation)

The Office of Rabbi Sacks

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 601 Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Welcome to the Covenant & Conversation series, Rabbi Sacks’ commentary pieces on the weekly Torah portion, exploring ideas and sharing inspiration from the Torah readings of the week. This audio on Parshat Eikev was recorded by Rabbi Sacks in 2019. Follow along with the audio here: https://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation/eikev/the-politics-of-memory/ This week's featured essay on Eikev is available here: https://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation/eikev/the-morality-of-love/ Read and download the written essay, and all translations. For intergenerational discussion on the weekly Parsha and Haftara, a new FAMILY EDITION is now also available: https://rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation-family-edition/eikev/the-morality-of-love/ ________________________ For more articles, videos, and other material from Rabbi Sacks, please visit www.RabbiSacks.org and follow @RabbiSacks. The Rabbi Sacks Legacy continues to share weekly inspiration from Rabbi Sacks. With thanks to the Schimmel Family for their generous sponsorship of Covenant & Conversation, dedicated in loving memory of Harry (Chaim) Schimmel.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Akev, the politics of memory.
0:03.0	In Akev, Moshe sets out a political doctrine of such wisdom that it can never become redundant or obsolete.
0:11.0	He does it by way of a pointed contrast between the ideal to which Israel is called and the danger with which it's faced.
0:19.0	This is the ideal. Observe the command of the Lord your God walking in
0:23.1	his ways and revering him, for the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams
0:28.6	and pools of water, with strings flowing in the valleys and hills, a land with wheat and barley,
0:35.3	vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey, a land where bread
0:39.5	will not be scarce and you will lack nothing, a land where the rocks are iron and you can
0:45.0	dig copper out of the hills.
0:47.8	When you have eaten and are satisfied, bless the Lord your God for the good land he has
0:52.8	given you. That is the ideal. This is the danger.
0:58.2	Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, laws,
1:04.4	and decrees that I'm giving you today. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied,
1:11.0	when you build fine houses and settle down,
1:13.6	and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase,
1:16.8	and all you have is multiplied,
1:19.5	then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God
1:24.7	who brought you out of Egypt out of the land of slavery.
1:27.1	You may say to yourself,
1:28.7	my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me. But remember the Lord
1:35.4	your God for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. And so confirms this covenant
1:40.4	which he swore to your forefathers as it is today. These two passages follow directly on
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