This week I was overseeing the Kosher wine production at a local winery. The wine was being bottled by a mostly automated high-tech assembly unit. The bottles marched along a conveyor belt stopping for no more than an instant at each station. They were purged of any particles by a blast of nitrogen, then filled to a precise 750ml, then journeyed on to be corked, sealed, and labeled. After a quick quality check, off they went to reside in a cardboard box until they next appear for a Shabbat Kiddush or simply to enjoy a great glass of Kosher Napa wine.
I wrote mostly automated because every now and then this highly complex piece of machinery needed some TLC. Something as simple as a seal missing its mark or a cork getting jammed in the conveyor belt could cause a backup which would, in turn, set off a chain reaction of additional issues.
It reminded me of the disastrous result of the space shuttle the Challenger. A mere 73 seconds after liftoff, the multi billion dollar vessel broke apart. What was the cause for the failure of this futuristic flying behemoth? An O-ring. Not designed to withstand extremely cold temperatures, a catastrophic series of events was inevitable.
This week's Torah portion is called "Eikev" - which translates literally as a heel. The idea is that when we are careful with regards to "small" and "unimportant" Mitzvahs that one tends to trample upon with their heel, this leads to the bountiful blessings that the Torah enumerates.
When we are dealing with high efficiency, technologically advanced supersystems, the critical importance of every detail contributing to a synergetic well-oiled process becomes evident.
The takeaway? Never underestimate a good deed. An act of kindness, lighting a Shabbat candle, hanging a Mezuzah on your door, these simple acts can have an impact of cosmic proportions.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom!