Perashat Eqeb opens (Debarim 7:12): “וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן” – “And it will be, because you will listen…” Rashi explains why the Torah uses the word “Eqeb,” which translates as “heel,” teaching that the Torah is speaking about misvot a person might “trample with their heel.” In other words, the ones we consider small, less important, or easy to ignore. The pesukim continue with a bold promise (Debarim 7:13-16): G-d says that if we are careful with these “trampled” misvot, He will guard our covenant and shower us with blessing. The pesukim go on to mention many great blessings and good tidings such as we will bear children, have wealth and satiety, enjoy plenty of grain, and receive protection from our enemies, just to name a few.
These misvot are not the big, headline ones. They are the simple, everyday ones such as greeting someone kindly, making a beracha with kavana, and treating a stranger with respect. If we look even deeper at the wording of the promise, we see it begins with “וְהָיָה”, a word the Midrash tells us signals joy and something good to come. It is the same language used later in the perasha in the second paragraph of Shema: “וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ”, which again promises tangible blessings such as rain, produce, and satisfaction if we listen. In both of these places, there is no tone of threat and no dire warning. Instead, the Torah says do these small things well and watch the berachot flow.
In productivity, there is a tool called the Eisenhower Matrix. It divides our tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important; not urgent but important; urgent but not important; and not urgent and not important. Often, unintentionally, we allow these “small” misvot to get thrown into the last category, “not urgent, not important,” the “I’ll get to it when I get to it” pile. But the Torah is teaching us the opposite. Even if they feel “not urgent,” they are always important. When we take a misva from the back burner and place it into the “important but not urgent” category, G-d promises blessing. It is an incredibly easy and enticing proposition. It is literally G-d saying, just value these small actions, and you will see the reward.
We tend to measure our service to G-d by the “big” moments such as fasting on Yom Kippur or building a sukkah, but life is made up of small steps. Every step is progress, even the small ones. Often, the way we treat the “small” misvot reflects our real priorities. G-d is telling us to value the little things because in His eyes nothing is little when done with care. This week, pick one misva you usually do without much thought or concentration and upgrade it. Maybe you need better kavana in Birkat Hamazon, maybe you are not always careful to do netilat yadayim, or maybe it is something as simple as holding the door for someone. Or anything you have not been giving much care to, and give it your full attention. The “Eqeb” misvot might be the very steps that carry us toward the greatest blessings.