Ekev, Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25, continues the main theme of the book: fertility, life, rain, and prosperity are the result of following God's covenant.

Chapter 8 focuses on God's generous goodness: manna in the Wilderness; clothes which didn't wear out during forty years; and a wonderful description of the Land of Israel.  This includes the "seven species:" wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and honey. Verse 10 concludes, "You will eat, be full, and bless Adonai your God for the good land which He has given you." This is the mitzvah of saying Birkat HaMaZon, the blessing after eating. Chapter 8 ends with a reminder to the people that all prosperity comes from God, not from their own energy.

Chapter 9 begins with some Deuteronomic theology: It is not Israel's virtue, which enables them to inherit the Land of Canaan; it's the wickedness of the inhabitants. The chapter emphasizes the backsliding of the Hebrews in the Wilderness focusing on the incident of the Golden Calf, but mentioning Taberah (Numbers 11:1-3), Massah (Exodus 17:1-7), Kivrot-HaTaavah (Numbers 11:4-34), and the debacle involving the ten spies (Numbers 13-14).

Chapter 10 begins with more reminiscences. Then Moses recalls his point and continues with his speech to the people: they must revere God and follow God's mitzvot.

Chapter 11 emphasizes that the people themselves saw the wonders that God performed in Egypt and against Datan and Aviram (Numbers 16:25-35). It repeats the fundamental Deuteronomic theme: the Land of Israel is dependent on rain, and God provides the rains in their season only if the Hebrews keep the commandments and stay away from idolatrous practices. Verses 13-21 are traditionally recited as part of the "Shma " every day. The borders of the Hebrews' possession are mentioned: from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean, an enormous area.

Midrash for Ekev

"The Land .. . is not as the land of Egypt" (Deut. 11:10).

The land of Egypt drinks the water of its own streams; the Land of Israel drinks rainwater.

The land of Egypt -- a low-lying area drinks; an elevated area cannot drink. The Land of Israel -- with both low-lying and elevated areas can drink.

The land of Egypt -- bare hilltops drink; sheltered sides do not. The Land of Israel -- both bare hilltops and sheltered sides drink.

The land of Egypt first drinks and then is sown; the Land of Israel drinks, is sown, may be sown again, and then drinks again.

The land of Egypt does not drink every day; the Land of Israel drinks every day.

The land of Egypt--if one does not toil over it, (channeling its water) with mattock and ax, depriving oneself of sleep, one gets nothing from it. Not so the Land of Israel -- people sleep in their beds while He who is everywhere brings down rain for them.

This is a parable of a king who during a journey met a man of good family, and gave him one of his own slaves to serve him.

Later, the king saw another person also of good family, delicately reared, working hard at a task. Since the king knew that person and his forebears as well, he said to him: I decree that you are to stop working with your hands -- I myself will maintain you.

So, too, all other lands were given servants to minister to them: Egypt drinks from the Nile, Babylon from the Euphrates.

Not so the Land of Israel: people sleep in their beds while the Holy One brings down rain for them.

To teach you incidentally that the ways of mortals are not like the ways of Him who is everywhere: a mortal acquires for himself servants in order that they may feed and sustain him, but He who spoke and the world came into being acquires for Himself servants in order that He may feed and sustain them.

"That you may gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil" (Deut. 11:14) -- that the Land of Israel may be full of new grain, wine, and oil, and that all lands will send their overflow of silver and gold (to buy its produce).

"The early rain" (yoreh) (Deut. 11:14)--so called because it indicates (moreh) to people that they are to bring in their fruits, to caulk their roofs, and to attend to all their other needs (for the coming of winter).

Another explanation: Being concerned with the earth's well-being, the early rain does not come down (yored) with vehemence.

Or: It saturates (marveh) the ground, watering it right down to the abyss.

The text goes on to call the late rain malkosh, because it puts an abundance (memalle) of produce into the stalks (kash).

Or: Malkosh because it comes down on ripe ears (melilot), as well as on the stalks (kash).

Rami bar Ezekiel once visited Bene Berak, where he saw some goats grazing under fig trees. Honey oozed down from the figs, and milk dripped from the goats, and they mingled with each other. So he quoted, "A land flowing with milk and honey"

It happened that R. Jonathan ben Eleazar was sitting under a fig tree, which was full of succulent figs. When dew came down, the figs oozed honey, which the wind kneaded into the soil.

Then a she-goat came along and dripped milk into the honey. So he called out to his pupils, saying to them: Come and see a paradigm of the world-to-come, of which it is said, "It shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk" (Joel 4:18).

R. Jacob ben Dostai said: From Lod to Ono is about three mil. Once I got up early in the morning twilight and walked in fig honey all the way up to my ankles.