Aikev: cause and effect

Aikev: cause and effect

More than a decade ago, there was a very religious man in our Jewish community, a rabbi.  His wife developed breast cancer.  He sought out the best breast surgeon.  She had an operation, radiation, chemo.  Nothing helped.  As she declined the surgeon told me: "He ( the rabbi) thinks that all he needs to do is pray and study and everything will be alright! The surgeon thought the rabbi was foolish.  I really did not know.  I still don't know (2)

Aikev is the heel, the lowest part of the body, the fist part of the foot to touch the ground, the pivot for the next step, the first part of the body to contact the next piece of earth as a person advances.  Aikev is the fulfillment  for  which the person and nation is rewarded by the Lrd's kept promise, it is the pivot of the agreement between  Gd and the descendants of Yaakov, the students of Akiva.

Every step is an act of faith and that faith is a pivot for the commitment that is  a move forward.  

 I pick the rabbi over the surgeon.

But I really do not believe that the agreement really works as stated.  I pray and study and I get what I need? I think that my efforts are rewarded by  an increased chance of success. But ultimate success is not in my power.  Nor is success  likely if I  ignore the task at hand, in favor of serving the Master of the Universe in prayer.

But the prayer helps. It cushions the failures; it is all I have when the situation seems hopeless. Prayer is the aikev, the first part of the step

The surgeon was also practicing a religion, but he would not call it that.  The surgeon was practicing the Medical Religion.  He believed that following a set of rules would lead to an optimal outcome. Just as following the Jewish rituals protects the rabbi from Divine retribution, following the Medical rules  protects the doctor from malpractice suits. The ritual is some combination of the original revelation, with an overlay of tradition, stringencies, superstitions and local customs,  It is so confused that no one really knows which details are important.  So are the medical rules some combination of biological models, random(ized) studies on patients who may or may not have had the same disease, traditions, prejudices and common law. 

The end of the parsha is a podiatry-fest. 

  כָּל-הַמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרֹךְ כַּף-רַגְלְכֶם בּוֹ 

 Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread

The sole of the foot: that is commitment.  That is boots on the ground

 לֹא-יִתְיַצֵּב אִישׁ, בִּפְנֵיכֶם

There shall no man be able to stand against you

Clay feet. No legs

The first step in taking a stand is an act of faith.