Eikev 8:19 · unit 1

Parashas Eikev · Passuk 8:19

The Complete Passuk

וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁכֹ֤חַ תִּשְׁכַּח֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ וְהָֽלַכְתָּ֗ אַחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַעֲבַדְתָּ֖ם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֣יתָ לָהֶ֑ם הַעִדֹ֤תִי בָכֶם֙ הַיּ֔וֹם כִּ֥י אָבֹ֖ד תֹּאבֵדֽוּן׃

If you do forget the ETERNAL your God and follow other gods to serve them or bow down to them, I warn you this day that you shall certainly perish;

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Mekhilta Beshalach.

TT lemma: אם שכח תשכח.

Sefaria — Mekhilta Beshalach

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אם שכח תשכח. מכאן אמרו, שכח אדם מצוה אחת משכחין אותו מצות הרבה [מכילתא פ' בשלח].

English: “If you forget, forgetting” — from here they said: If a person forgets one mitzvah, they cause him to forget many mitzvot.

On the daf / in context: Mekhilta on Beshalach; double language of shikhah.

Type of Learning

Custom (Mekhilta — consequence of forgetting)

What Is Learned

Forgetting even one mitzvah opens the door to forgetting many; memory of mitzvot is cumulative.