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Parashat Ekev This week’s Torah reading talks about the virtues of the Land of Israel: what is so important about the mountains and valleys? Based on Likkutei Torah, parashat Ekev, 17:3

Mountains, Valleys, and Humility: How We Draw Closer to G-d

The smaller and more humble we become, the greater our connection with G-d. But why is that?

This week’s Torah reading highlights one of the unique virtues of the Land of Israel. In Deuteronomy we read that it is “a land of mountains and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven.”

On the surface, this verse describes a practical difference between Israel and Egypt.

In Egypt, life depended entirely on the Nile River. If farmers wanted to water their fields, they had to draw water from the river and carry it to where it was needed. Water was confined to one place, and human effort was required to distribute it.

The Land of Israel is different. There, rain falls directly from heaven onto the fields. G-d Himself provides the water. The people are invited to trust that He will sustain them.

Yet many countries have mountains and valleys. So why does the Torah emphasize this as a unique praise of the Land of Israel?

The answer lies beneath the literal meaning.

The Landscape of the Soul

The mountains and valleys are not only geographical features. They also represent the inner landscape of every human soul and our relationship with G-d.

A mountain rises from the earth toward the heavens. Spiritually, it symbolizes our longing to ascend toward G-d. There are moments when G-d seems hidden from us. That concealment awakens a deep yearning within us to seek Him.

It is similar to a father playing hide-and-seek with his child. When the father hides, the child cries out, “Where is Daddy?” The temporary absence creates a stronger desire to find him. The moment the father appears again, the reunion is filled with joy.

Likewise, when G-d appears concealed, our soul is stirred to search for Him with greater intensity. His hiddenness inspires our ascent—our mountain.

The Valley of Humility

There is another movement in our relationship with G-d.

Sometimes the change begins within us.

When we withdraw from our own ego, our personal ambitions, and even our spiritual self-interest, something remarkable happens. Instead of serving G-d for reward, recognition, or personal gain, we serve Him simply because that is what He asks of us.

This is true humility.

It is not self-deprecation or weakness. Rather, it is the willingness to place G-d’s will above our own.

When we become “empty” of ourselves, we create space for G-d to reveal His love more fully. As we become the valley, G-d responds with the mountain. As we lower ourselves in humility, His divine presence flows toward us.

This is the deeper meaning of the valleys.

The Secret of the Land of Israel

The Land of Israel represents more than a physical location. It symbolizes the human soul itself.

Every person possesses an inner desire to connect with G-d. The mountains and valleys describe the constant movement within that relationship: longing, seeking, receiving, surrendering, and growing.

The Torah speaks of mountains y valleys in the plural. Jewish tradition teaches that the smallest plural is two, suggesting multiple dimensions of our relationship with G-d.

There are two forms of love and two forms of reverence.

The journey often begins with a basic reverence for G-d—a sincere desire not to transgress His commandments.

From there grows a simple love of G-d. We contemplate creation, recognize its beauty and wisdom, and see the fingerprints of the Creator throughout nature. This awareness naturally awakens love.

As our relationship deepens, we realize that G-d is far greater than anything our intellect can fully comprehend. Our love becomes more profound because it is rooted not only in understanding but also in wonder.

Finally comes the highest form of reverence—not fear of punishment, but awe. It is an overwhelming awareness of G-d’s greatness that dissolves the ego and draws us into complete attachment to Him.

Becoming an Empty Vessel

La Mishná en Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) teaches that only an empty vessel can truly receive.

At first glance, this seems obvious. Of course an empty cup can hold water.

But the sages were speaking about something much deeper.

Only when we empty ourselves—of excessive pride, selfish desires, personal agendas, and even the need for spiritual reward—do we become capable of receiving G-d’s greatest blessings.

Humility creates capacity.

The less occupied we are with ourselves, the more room there is for G-d to fill our lives with His love, His wisdom, and His presence.

Conclusión

The mountains and valleys of the Land of Israel are more than a description of its geography. They are a spiritual map of every soul.

Sometimes we climb the mountain, searching for G-d with longing and determination.

Sometimes we become the valley, lowering ourselves in humility and surrender.

Both movements bring us closer to Him.

The paradox of the spiritual life is that true greatness is found in humility. The smaller we become in our own eyes, the greater the space we create for G-d’s presence.

And that, perhaps, is one of the deepest lessons hidden within the mountains and valleys of the Land of Israel.

Good Shabbos.

Charla del rabino Tuvia Serber


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