A Thought On Parshas BeChukosai
A Thought On Parshas BeChukosai
"...im be'chukosai tei'leichu...v'im lo tishma'u Li..."
"...if you walk with My principles..but if you do not listen to Me..." (26:3,14)
The Torah begins with HaShem's forecasting the wondrous events which follow us when we obey the commandments and learn His ways. Later on, we are warned of the ills which await us r'l if we fail to adhere to the Torah path.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel notes that the first letter in the opening word starts with an alef. The final letter of the final word in this happy forecast is a tof. This alef-to-tof section hints to us through the way of remez that those who fulfill the Torah from "a to z" can expect to meet up with the brachos - the manifold blessings which HaShem reserves for the faithful.
Moving ahead to the next parsha segment, which begins with the foreboding clause quoted above, "but if you do not listen to Me", Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel wonders why the word Li (to Me) is written. We understand from the onset of the parsha that the entire discussion is about whether or not the Jewish nation will follow the Torah. We start off with the instruction to walk with HaShem's principles, which the sages have explained is a way of directing us to labor in understanding and applying the Torah. When the focus shifts to the negative, and we are warned against not studying and practicing Torah, it is obvious that we are still referring to HaShem's principles. The only Torah is Toras HaShem! Why is it necessary to write "if you do not listen to Me" ? The verse could have said simply "and if you do not listen" and we would know full well to what it refers and to Whose ways it applies!
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel explains: the Torah does not intend to indict the ignorant nor the godless. Those types of people are not admonished about the tragic outcome of neglecting the ways of the Torah. Our verse is referring specifically to "one who recognizes his Creator yet intends to rebel against Him." We find that the residents of ancient Sdom (some of their descendants have recently begun proliferating in many parts of the world, I believe) were depicted as "very bad and sinful to HaShem" (Bereishis 13:13). The verse links their having been evil with their relationship to HaShem. They lived back in the times when the world was very aware that there was a Creator and Divine Presence. When the people of Sdom sinned, it was deliberate and done in a spirit of rebellion against Heaven. So too, says Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel, the word in our verse teaches the identical lesson. The dismal consequences for those who do not adhere to the Torah way are for those "who do not listen to Me." It is the person who knows better who must face the consequence of his or her chait.
The lesson for us of the tochacha - the stern warning of our parsha - is that immersing ourselves in the study of Torah and walking by its ways affords us a knowledge of HaShem as well as a knowledge of His principles. The more we study, the more we really develop a closeness to Him, and this is called "recognizing HaShem." When a person with that level of knowledge strays and goes away from Torah r'l, his or her misdeed is very grave. It is not only regarded as a rejection and desecration of Torah but is described as a rebellion against HaShem Himself. The reward of following Torah is according to the certainty of our devotion. The consequences of forsaking Torah relate to our disregarding that certainty. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel writes that we see this hinted in a later verse (26:18) which heralds the events which will befall the nation as it rejects the Torah:
"...v'im ad eileh..."
"...and if you still (stray)..."
The last letters of those three words are mem, dalet and hae. They spell midda to remind us that HaShem deals with His people through the mechanism of midda kneged midda, measure per measure. The reward and the retribution from Above parallel the actions and intentions of our deeds below.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...im be'chukosai tei'leichu...v'im lo tishma'u Li..."
"...if you walk with My principles..but if you do not listen to Me..." (26:3,14)
The Torah begins with HaShem's forecasting the wondrous events which follow us when we obey the commandments and learn His ways. Later on, we are warned of the ills which await us r'l if we fail to adhere to the Torah path.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel notes that the first letter in the opening word starts with an alef. The final letter of the final word in this happy forecast is a tof. This alef-to-tof section hints to us through the way of remez that those who fulfill the Torah from "a to z" can expect to meet up with the brachos - the manifold blessings which HaShem reserves for the faithful.
Moving ahead to the next parsha segment, which begins with the foreboding clause quoted above, "but if you do not listen to Me", Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel wonders why the word Li (to Me) is written. We understand from the onset of the parsha that the entire discussion is about whether or not the Jewish nation will follow the Torah. We start off with the instruction to walk with HaShem's principles, which the sages have explained is a way of directing us to labor in understanding and applying the Torah. When the focus shifts to the negative, and we are warned against not studying and practicing Torah, it is obvious that we are still referring to HaShem's principles. The only Torah is Toras HaShem! Why is it necessary to write "if you do not listen to Me" ? The verse could have said simply "and if you do not listen" and we would know full well to what it refers and to Whose ways it applies!
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel explains: the Torah does not intend to indict the ignorant nor the godless. Those types of people are not admonished about the tragic outcome of neglecting the ways of the Torah. Our verse is referring specifically to "one who recognizes his Creator yet intends to rebel against Him." We find that the residents of ancient Sdom (some of their descendants have recently begun proliferating in many parts of the world, I believe) were depicted as "very bad and sinful to HaShem" (Bereishis 13:13). The verse links their having been evil with their relationship to HaShem. They lived back in the times when the world was very aware that there was a Creator and Divine Presence. When the people of Sdom sinned, it was deliberate and done in a spirit of rebellion against Heaven. So too, says Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel, the word in our verse teaches the identical lesson. The dismal consequences for those who do not adhere to the Torah way are for those "who do not listen to Me." It is the person who knows better who must face the consequence of his or her chait.
The lesson for us of the tochacha - the stern warning of our parsha - is that immersing ourselves in the study of Torah and walking by its ways affords us a knowledge of HaShem as well as a knowledge of His principles. The more we study, the more we really develop a closeness to Him, and this is called "recognizing HaShem." When a person with that level of knowledge strays and goes away from Torah r'l, his or her misdeed is very grave. It is not only regarded as a rejection and desecration of Torah but is described as a rebellion against HaShem Himself. The reward of following Torah is according to the certainty of our devotion. The consequences of forsaking Torah relate to our disregarding that certainty. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel writes that we see this hinted in a later verse (26:18) which heralds the events which will befall the nation as it rejects the Torah:
"...v'im ad eileh..."
"...and if you still (stray)..."
The last letters of those three words are mem, dalet and hae. They spell midda to remind us that HaShem deals with His people through the mechanism of midda kneged midda, measure per measure. The reward and the retribution from Above parallel the actions and intentions of our deeds below.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 8:03 PM
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