Partnership Agreement

Take heed lest you forget the Lord your God, not to keep His commandments and his social regulations and His statutes which I command you this day.                                    Deuteronomy 8:11

            Moses prepared the Israelites for a major transformation in their life style: no longer will God be feeding them directly, as He had done by providing manna for forty years. Upon entering their Land, Israel will be required to work hard for their food and sustenance. Yet Moses warns that the Children of Israel not lose sight of the fact that it is God Who helps them and crowns their toil with success. 

           My father explained that essentially Moses’ message is that there is a necessary partnership between man and God. Man’s efforts alone do not suffice, while if mortals do not do their share, God is unlikely to help them. The ultimate message is that man and God are partners in creation, and as with any true partnership, each partner must do his share in order to achieve success. Moses stresses that part of the partnership agreement is Israel’s obligation to fulfill mitzvot.