ועתה ישראל מה ה' אלוקיך שואל מעמך, כי אם ליראה את ה' – “And now, Yisrael, all that Hashem your G-d asks of you is that you fear G-d…” (Devarim 10:12)
Moshe Rabbenu here turns to the people and says: “What’s the big deal? All that Hashem wants from you is that you have יראת ה', that you fear Him!”
Already the Gemara (Berachot 33b) raises the question, אטו יראת שמים מילתא זוטרתא היא – is fear of Hashem an easy thing? Why does Moshe say that this is “all” that Hashem wants, as though this is easy?
If somebody would approach us and ask us to give him $2 million, we would of course think that this is very difficult. And if, after we refuse, he would say, “Come on, what’s the big deal? I’m just asking for $2 million! That’s it!” – we would of course dismiss him as a lunatic.
But if the fellow guarantees that the $2 million investment will yield a $1 billion return, then our perspective changes. Suddenly, $2 million doesn’t seem like too much at all… It really is a small sum in comparison to what we will receive in return.
True, living with יראת ה' can be difficult. But it really is a very small investment when we consider what we receive in return.
The pasuk in Mishleh (10:27) teaches, יראת ה' תוסיף ימים – “Fear of Hashem increases one’s days.” When we live with יראת ה', our lives become qualitatively better. We aren’t anxious, worried, upset, or frustrated. If we truly believe, understand, and are aware that Hashem is running the world and taking care of us, everything changes. We will feel grateful for all the wonderful blessings He has given us, and will stop complaining about the things that aren’t precisely how we would want them, because we trust that He is in change and He is taking care of us.
Earlier in Parashat Ekev (8:10), the Torah introduces the mitzvah of birkat ha’mazon: ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ה' אלוקיך – “You will eat, you will be satiated, and you shall bless Hashem your G-d.” On one level, of course, the Torah here is commanding us וברכת, that we must recite a special berachah after eating a meal. But additionally, this pasuk is telling us that we should strive to reach the level when וברכת comes automatically, that right after ואכלת ושבעת, after we eat and feel satiated, we will feel grateful to Hashem.
Many of us spend a good part of our meals complaining. We complain about so many things. What we forget is that we’re sitting around a table, under a roof, in a comfortable home, with all the food that we need to satisfy our hunger. When we think about it, it is astounding that people sit with their families, all of whom are generally in good health, in a comfortable, air-conditioned dining room, safely and peacefully – and they still find what to complain about. Instead of feeling happy and grateful for the incredible blessings that they have, they spend so much of the meal complaining.
A large portion of the Torah’s description of our ancestors’ experiences in the desert is devoted to the people’s complaints to Hashem, and how He punished them for it. The Torah is telling us very clearly, without any ambiguity, and very emphatically, that Hashem does not like when we complain. Beneh Yisrael complained about the powerful armies in Eretz Yisrael – just like we sometimes complain about the security situation and the strength of enemy nations. Beneh Yisrael complained about the manna they were fed in the desert – just like we often complain about the economy and inflation. We are careful to fulfill all the mitzvot, but, for some reason, we think it’s fine to complain – when so much of the Torah is a warning about Hashem’s reaction to complaints.
יראת ה' תוסיף ימים. Life without complaints is so much better than life with complaints. When we stop complaining, we start appreciating, which brings us more contentment and happiness, and makes every day a truly beautiful and fulfilling day.