Parsha Reflections: Parshat Eikev
In this week’s parsha, Moshe warns the people not to forget what brought them together as a people once they enter the land. He talks about remembering where they came from, the struggles they survived, and the covenant they made. He reminds them of the values that must guide the society they build.
It’s a warning against complacency. Even after you’ve arrived. Even after you’ve won.
Marriage equality is, in many ways, one of today’s modern covenants of dignity and respect in the U.S. It’s not about whether you personally want to get married or even believe in marriage – it’s about having the option to choose, and knowing that your love, your family, and your future are equally protected under secular law.
Just this week, the U.S. Supreme Court was formally asked to reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The Torah’s message still applies: reaching a destination or milestone isn’t the end of the work. Rights can be undone if we stop paying attention. We have to remember who we are, what it took to get here, and protect the wins that were hard-won.
This week, may we remember the blessings we’ve fought for – and the responsibility to protect them – for ourselves, for our community, and for the generations that follow. Our voices, our votes, and our presence are not optional. They are the tools we have to defend what’s been won and to fight for the world we want to live in.