Thoughts on Parshas Eikev 5775

V’haya Eikev Tishme’un…Ushmartem V’asisem Osam…
Rabbi Silber shares a beautiful thought from Rav Levi Yitzchak. We know that the torah admonishes us to be mindful and conscious of the smaller mitzvos. Shabbos, kashrus, and taharas hamishpacha are not our greatest struggles, but we often overlook the smaller, less challenging mitzvos. Rav Levi Yitzchak sees another lesson that we can learn from the parsha. When Yosef tells the brothers about his dream, the torah tells us, V’aviv shamar es hadavar, and Yaakov watched the episode. Rashi tells us that shamar in this context means that Yaakov eagerly anticipated the moment that the dreams would become a reality. The Rebbe tells us that here also, the word ushmartem is to be understood in the same way. When we have opportunities to accomplish mitzos we should feel fortunate. However, when we do not have the time or opportunity to actively accomplish certain mitzvos, how to we respond? Rav Levi Yitzchak tells us that the torah is challenging us to yearn and eagerly anticipate the opportunities to fulfill the mitzvos even when we do not find the opportunities to accomplish them all. What is our underlying posture when we do not have the time, energy or resources to accomplish what we would like? It should always be a ushmartem – an eager anticipation and pining for those moments and opportunities even when we know full well that they may not materialize as we had hoped.