Parshat Ekev - The Letter Alef

Occasionally we see billboard advertisers intentionally leave out a letter in
a word to get people's attention. Removing the letter actually highlights the
letter as our attention is focused on answering the question, "where is that
letter?" When taking a letter out also creates a new word that is connected
in some way to the ad's marketing purpose, we are really intrigued. How
clever! So, a missing letter can often have more of a presence than one that we
see. A missing letter in the Torah also catches our attention and asks,"interpert
me?"

In Devarim (Deuteronomy) chapter 11:12, Moshe is speaking to the Children
of Israel about the Land of Israel and the difference between it and the land
of Egypt. Moshe describes it as G-d has described it to him, "a Land that
Hashem your G-d seeks out; the eyes of Hashem, your G-d, are always upon it,
from the beginning of the year to year's end." "From the beginning" in Hebrew
is May'raisheet. Usually rosh, the root of the word reisheet, is spelled REISH,
ALEF, SHIN, and we would expect that reisheet would be spelled REISH, ALEF,
SHIN, YUD, TAV. However, that is not the case -- there is no ALEF. Why? How
does the ALEF, by not being present, instruct us?

May'reisheet is reminiscent of the first word in the Torah, the word, B'reisheet,
"In the beginning." B'reisheet though has the ALEF we expect to find. Why is the
"reisheet" in describing the nature of the Land of Israel different from the "reisheet"
of the rest of physical creation? Does G-d have a different relationship with the
Land of Israel?

One of the purposes of the Torah beginning with creation is to teach us that
G-d is the Creator of everything. Yet, even from the all-inclusive description
of G-d as Creator, B'reisheet does not necessarily speak to us about G-d's
ongoing involvement in creation. However, the creation of the Land of Israel
is on another plane. The Land of Israel is not like other places. As we
noted above, the Land of Israel is a place where "the eyes of Hashem your G-d
are always upon it." While G-d's providence does in fact hover over all of creation,
we experience it more in the Land of Israel. We are taught that
this land has a spiritual sensitivity that is responsive not only to the
behavior, but also to the spiritual attitudes of the people living there. We
get a sense of G-d watching closely over the Land. What, though, does this
have to do with ALEF?

ALEF, the first letter of the alef beit, has a gematria (numerical equivalent)
of one and is connected to the concept of G-d's Oneness. It is also the first
letter of the names of G-d that we associate with judgment -- ELOKIM -- and
with mastery -- ADON. A picture of G-d's ALEF ascending from the word
may'reisheet hovering over it and keeping its "eye" on the Land of Israel, to
judge it, emerges. What is the ALEF judging?

There is one primary spiritual flaw that the Land of Israel is sensitive to:
Arrogance. We have been warned earlier in this week's Parsha to "take care
lest you forget Hashem, your G-d ...lest you eat and be satisfied and your heart
will become haughty and you will forget Hashem, your G-d, Who took you out of
the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery ... And you may say in your heart,
'My strength and the might of my hand made me all this wealth!' Then you shall
remember Hashem, your G-d, that it was He who gave you strength to make wealth."
(Devarim ch. 8, vs. 11-18).

Without the letter ALEF in the word May'reisheet, a different root, which
alludes to the antidote to arrogance is created. The root rosh, REISH, ALEF,
SHIN, which means leader or head, becomes rash, REISH, SHIN, which means
impoverished. The kind of rash, impoverishment, which is an antidote to
arrogance is one where we acknowledge that we are impoverished without the
gifts that G-d gives us. We do not say "my strength and the might of my hand
made me all this wealth!" Our acknowledgment of G-d for all our gifts, talents and
successes is the antidote to arrogance.

On this Shabbat of Ekev, we see that the ALEF that never appears in print has
a powerful message. As its presence hovers, it directs us to understand the
difference between the Land of Israel and the rest of creation and to know
that G-d not only created the universe, but also is the source of ongoing
providence. It also helps us realize that the abililty to see ourselves as
rash, impoverished, and therefore grateful to G-d for all the blessings that
we have, is a spiritual gift that will enable our relationship with G-d and
the Land of Israel to flourish.