Seeking Clarity in God’s Expectations of Us

As a Jew, there is so much to focus on if we want to live up to God’s expectations. There’s doing mitzvot. There’s learning Torah. There’s davening. There’s trying to be a good person. It feels easy to lose focus with so many different expectations all flying at us at once. Wouldn’t it be extremely helpful if there were a really super clear statement about what God expects of us? Who wouldn’t appreciate some easy guiding principles to know how to lead their life? 

Moshe’s concise summary

In Parshat Eikev, Moshe actually gives us exactly that – a handy-dandy, concise list of what God wants from us. Having the prophet of all prophets compose a synthesis of God’s expectations like this could really offer clarity in how to live one’s life. Here’s what Moshe says: 

מָה יְקוָה אֱלֹקיךָ שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אִם־לְיִרְאָה אֶת־יְקוָה אֱלֹקיךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכׇל־דְּרָכָיו וּלְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ וְלַעֲבֹד אֶת־יְקוָה אֱלֹקיךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶׁךָ׃ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־מִצְוֺת יְקוָה וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְטוֹב לָךְ׃

What does your God demand of you? Only this: to revere your God, to walk in His way, to love and to serve your God with all your heart and soul, and to keep God’s commandments and laws, which I have commanded you today, for your good. 

(Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

This is really great: Moshe has boiled down God’s demands for us into just one to two sentences to focus on. 

However, if we’re really seeking clarity about guiding principles for what God wants from us, there’s a problem…because Moshe is not the only prophet to put out a Cliff Notes list of God’s demands for humanity. 

A competing summary

Centuries later, the prophet Micah also gives us a pithy list of what God wants of us, and here’s the trouble: It’s a totally different list. Here’s Micah’s version: 

וּמָה־יְקוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ כִּי אִם־עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם־אֱלֹקיךָ׃

What does God require of you? Only to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk modestly with your God.

(Micah 6:8)

Is Micah adding onto Moshe’s list or is he arguing with Moshe? It seems strange to say that a later, minor prophet would argue with Moshe Rabeinu (our teacher) about what God expects from us, because, after all, Moshe was unparalleled in his level of prophecy. So one question is, how does Micah want us to understand how his words jive with Moshe's words?

But more importantly, now we’re left with two competing lists of what God wants from us, and that’s almost as bad as having none. I mean, if the prophets can’t even agree on what God wants from us, how are we supposed to gain that clarity? 

Check out this video series in which Rabbi David Fohrman explores these two prophets’ statements and discovers a way to resolve the seeming argument. His conclusion will leave you feeling inspired and confident with how to focus on what God truly wants from you. Subscribe now.

Parshat Eikev in a Nutshell

Parshat Eikev is the continuation of Moshe’s farewell speech. In this parsha, Moshe encourages the nation with the promise of reward for keeping the commandments and reassures the people that God will help them conquer the Land of Israel. He extols the land for its special produce and gives the mitzvah to recite Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals). Moshe warns the people to not be led astray by prosperity and cautions them to remember all their misdeeds during their journey through the wilderness. Parshat Eikev recounts the story of Aharon’s death and the selection of the Levites. Moshe reminds the people of all the miracles they witnessed first-hand. Then the parsha concludes with the second passage of Shema: וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹעַ (V’haya im sh’mo’a).