והיה עקב תשמעון את המשפטים האלה ... (ז-יב)
It is interesting that the word “Eikev” is the basis of our people. We are Bnei Yaakov, the children of Yaakov Avinu who was named Yaakov because of the fact that he was holding onto the heel (Eikev) of his brother Esav at birth. We normally name our children after a great person or a name that has great significance to us. Why was Yaakov named after a heel?
A heel connotes lowliness. After all it is the lowest part of the body. And that is the point. Yaakov was holding onto the heel as he entered this world to remind himself and teach his children for all future generations what being a Yid is all about. It is true that the heel is the lowest part of the body, but it is also what is holding the entire body up!
Being humble does not mean feeling low about oneself. It is the knowledge that I am a little person with a great soul. It means making my materialistic desires small, so that I may focus on the bigger and truly important aspects of life. A humble person is someone who is not caught up with himself. He sees himself primarily as a neshama who is here to serve Hashem, rather than a body who is here to serve himself. A humble person makes room for other people’s ideas and opinions, not full of himself . He thinks about how he can use everything he has to serve Hashem. His money, his time, his talents, his good ideas were all given to Him by Hashem. They are meant to be utilized and enjoyed, not to serve himself, but rather to be elevated in true Avodas Hashem.
Thus, the the Torah says, “V’Haya Eikev” - if you will make yourself humble, “Tishmiyun” - only then will you be able to hear. If one is not humble, he does not hear anyone else. He may appear to be a nice frum Jew by wearing a yarmulka and tzitzis, going to shul 3 times a day and even being a big Talmid Chacham - he might even be a Rosh Yeshiva! But the truth is that if he is not an Eikev, a truly humble person, than he is not serving Hashem, he is serving himself! The most important and necessary middah to acquire, in fact what is holding up the entire Jew is the heel, the beautiful middah of humility.
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