Save "Bechukotai 5782
Beth Sholom Torah Study
"
Bechukotai 5782 Beth Sholom Torah Study
(ג) אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃
(3) If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments,
אם בחקתי תלכו. יָכוֹל זֶה קִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִיתֶם אֹתָם הֲרֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת אָמוּר, הָא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ? שֶׁתִּהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה (ספרא):
אם בחקתי תלכו IF YE WALK IN MY ORDINANCES — One might think that this denotes the fulfilment of the commandments; but when Scripture states “and ye shall keep My commandments and do them”, it is plain that in this passage there is mentioned the “fulfilment of the commands”. How then must I explain אם בחקתי תלכו? As an admonition that you should study the Torah laboriously (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 1 1-2)
ואת מצותי תשמרו. הֱווּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה עַל מְנָת לִשְׁמֹר וּלְקַיֵּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּלְמַדְתֶּם אֹתָם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשֹׂתָם" (דברים ה'):
ואת מצותי תשמרו AND TAKE HEED OF MY COMMANDMENTS — Study the Torah laboriously with the intention to take heed and to fulfil its teachings, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 5:1) “and ye shall learn them and take heed to do them".

(ד) וְנָתַתִּ֥י גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם בְּעִתָּ֑ם וְנָתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֥ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִתֵּ֥ן פִּרְיֽוֹ׃ (ה) וְהִשִּׂ֨יג לָכֶ֥ם דַּ֙יִשׁ֙ אֶת־בָּצִ֔יר וּבָצִ֖יר יַשִּׂ֣יג אֶת־זָ֑רַע וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם לַחְמְכֶם֙ לָשֹׂ֔בַע וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם לָבֶ֖טַח בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃ (ו) וְנָתַתִּ֤י שָׁלוֹם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם וְאֵ֣ין מַחֲרִ֑יד וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֞י חַיָּ֤ה רָעָה֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְחֶ֖רֶב לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ר בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃ (ז) וּרְדַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם וְנָפְל֥וּ לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם לֶחָֽרֶב׃ (ח) וְרָדְפ֨וּ מִכֶּ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ מֵאָ֔ה וּמֵאָ֥ה מִכֶּ֖ם רְבָבָ֣ה יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ וְנָפְל֧וּ אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם לֶחָֽרֶב׃ (ט) וּפָנִ֣יתִי אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֖י אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַהֲקִימֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתְּכֶֽם׃ (י) וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם יָשָׁ֖ן נוֹשָׁ֑ן וְיָשָׁ֕ן מִפְּנֵ֥י חָדָ֖שׁ תּוֹצִֽיאוּ׃

(4) I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit. (5) Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and your vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your fill of bread and dwell securely in your land. (6) I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down untroubled by anyone; I will give the land respite from vicious beasts, and no sword shall cross your land. (7) [Your army] shall give chase to your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. (8) Five of you shall give chase to a hundred, and a hundred of you shall give chase to ten thousand; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. (9) I will look with favor upon you, and make you fertile and multiply you; and I will maintain My covenant with you. (10) You shall eat old grain long stored, and you shall have to clear out the old to make room for the new.

(א) ונתתי שלום בארץ. ביניכם: (ב) ואין מחריד. לא מחיה רעה ולא מאויב רק אתם תרדפו האויב ויפול לפניכם:
(1) AND I WILL GIVE PEACE IN THE LAND. Among yourselves. (2) AND NONE SHALL MAKE YOU AFRAID. No evil beast and no enemy. On the contrary, you will chase your enemies and they shall fall before you.
(א) ונתתי שלום בארץ שיהיה שלום ביניכם ולא תלחמו איש באחיו או השלום הוא שישבית חיה רעה מן הארץ "וחרב לא תעבור בארצכם" כלל אבל אתם תרדפו את אויביכם לצאת אליהם למלחמה וינוסו ועל דרך האמת שיתן השלום מחובר בארץ והוא שלום הכל השקול כנגד הכל:

(1) AND I WILL GIVE PEACE IN THE LAND — So that there will be peace among you, and no man shall fight against his brother

(יא) וְנָתַתִּ֥י מִשְׁכָּנִ֖י בְּתוֹכְכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶתְכֶֽם׃ (יב) וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙ בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹקִ֑ים וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם׃ (יג) אֲנִ֞י ה' אֱלֹֽקֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִֽהְיֹ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם עֲבָדִ֑ים וָאֶשְׁבֹּר֙ מֹטֹ֣ת עֻלְּכֶ֔ם וָאוֹלֵ֥ךְ אֶתְכֶ֖ם קֽוֹמְמִיּֽוּת׃ {פ}

(11) I will establish My abode in your midst, and I will not spurn you. (12) I will be ever present in your midst: I will be your God, and you shall be My people. (13) I ה' am your God who brought you out from the land of the Egyptians to be their slaves no more, who broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
(ג) קוממיות. בְּקוֹמָה זְקוּפָה (ספרא):
(3) קוממיות means erect in stature (in contrast to the bent position of a person who is under a yoke) (Sifra, Bechukotai, Chapter 3 7).
(א) מטת עולכם. משל כפר החורש שיעבוד אדמת בעליו וישראל השתעבדו בבנין האדמה כי כן כתוב:
(1) AND I HAVE BROKEN THE BARS OF YOUR YOKE. Scripture employs the metaphor of a plowing bullock that works the land of its owner, for Israel was forced to work as slaves in improving the land. The latter is clearly stated.
(א) קוממיות על הפך אשר אמרו לנפשך שחי ונעבורה ותשימי כארץ גוך:
(1) קוממיות, the opposite of Isaiah 51,23: “your tormentors who have commanded you: ‘get down, that we may walk over you.’”
(יג) אֲנָא ה' אֱלָהָכוֹן דְאַפֵּיקִית יַתְכוֹן פְּרִיקִין מִן אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם לְמֶהֱוֵי לְהוֹן מְשַׁעְבְּדִין וּתְבָרִית נִיר שִׁעֲבּוּדְהוֹן מֵעִלַוֵיכוֹן וּדְבָרִית יַתְכוֹן מִבֵּינֵיהוֹן בְּנֵי חוֹרֵי וְהַלְכִית יַתְכוֹן בְּקוֹמָא זְקוּפָא
(13) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out redeemed from the land of Mizraim, that you should not be bondmen to them, and brake the yoke of their bondage from off you, and brought you out from among them, the children of liberty, and led you forth with an erect stature.
from New Studies in Vayikra - Nechama Lebowitz
R.Yosef Albo - 14/15th Century Spain
Since the Torah does not mention the spiritual benefits which constitute the principal reward, why does it elaborate on the material benefits which are no the main reward
R. Yizhak Arama - 15th Century Spain
Adherents of religion who believe in Divine reward and punishment (for those who please or anger God, respectively, assail the Torah's silence concerning the spiritual remuneration that constitutes the chief aim of the Torah, which holds up transitory, material rewards, as the goal of those obedient to its laws.
R.Yizhak Abravanel - 15/16th Century Spain
Why does the Torah confine its goals and rewards to material things, as mentioned in his comment, and omit spiritual perfection and the reward of the soul after death -- the true and ultimate goal of man? Our enemies exploit this ext and charge Israel with denying the principle of the soul's judgement in the afterlife.
Nachmanides
The reason that the Torah elaborates the reward in this world and omits the recompense of the soul in the world of the souls, is because the former is a supernatural miracle whereas the survival of the soul and its reunion with God is a natural process, whereby the soul returns to its Divine progenitor.
Maimonides
For a man cannot perform the precepts if he is sick, hungry, or thirsty, in the hour of battle or under siege. The Almighty therefore promised that He would rid them of these situations and that they would enjoy health and tranquility, enabling them to perfect their knowledge and merit the Hereafter. The material rewards are thus not an end in themselves but a means.

(יד) וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִשְׁמְע֖וּ לִ֑י וְלֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הַמִּצְוֺ֖ת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ (טו) וְאִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֣י תִּמְאָ֔סוּ וְאִ֥ם אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֖י תִּגְעַ֣ל נַפְשְׁכֶ֑ם לְבִלְתִּ֤י עֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כׇּל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י לְהַפְרְכֶ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִֽי׃

(14) But if you do not obey Me and do not observe all these commandments, (15) if you reject My laws and spurn My rules, so that you do not observe all My commandments and you break My covenant,

(מד) וְאַף־גַּם־זֹ֠את בִּֽהְיוֹתָ֞ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֗ם לֹֽא־מְאַסְתִּ֤ים וְלֹֽא־גְעַלְתִּים֙ לְכַלֹּתָ֔ם לְהָפֵ֥ר בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ם כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃ (מה) וְזָכַרְתִּ֥י לָהֶ֖ם בְּרִ֣ית רִאשֹׁנִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוֹצֵֽאתִי־אֹתָם֩ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ מִצְרַ֜יִם לְעֵינֵ֣י הַגּוֹיִ֗ם לִהְי֥וֹת לָהֶ֛ם לֵאלֹקִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י ה'׃ (מו) אֵ֠לֶּה הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮ וְהַתּוֹרֹת֒ אֲשֶׁר֙ נָתַ֣ן ה' בֵּינ֕וֹ וּבֵ֖ין בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ}

(44) Yet, even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or spurn them so as to destroy them, annulling My covenant with them: for I ה' am their God. (45) I will remember in their favor the covenant with the ancients, whom I freed from the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God: I, ה'. (46) These are the laws, rules, and instructions that ה' established, through Moses on Mount Sinai, with the Israelite people.