Parshat Bechukosai 5782
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the promise from Hashem that if we study the Torah and keep the mitzvos, then He will reward us with bracha. The bracha described is one of plentiful rain and bounty, coupled with political stability and military superiority. Many of the commentators ask about this; how could it be that the reward for Torah and mitzvos is expressed in such physical terms? One would expect the reward for Torah and mitzvos to be a promise of spiritual success and a life in the world to come.
Furthermore, the Gemara in Kiddushin 39B teaches in the name of Rabbi Yaakov שכר מצוה בהאי עלמא ליכא. The reward for mitzvos is not in this world, but rather in the world to come. If so, why is there a list of worldly rewards in our parsha?
Rashi teaches on the words which begin our parsha, אם בחוקותי תלכו, שתהיו עמלים בתורה. The Torah is requiring from us, that in addition to keeping the mitzvos of the Torah, we need to work hard in our study of Torah. The Medrash on sefer Vayikra, the Toras Kohanim, teaches on these same words,מלמד שהמקום מתאוה שיהו ישראל עמילים בתורה. Not only are we commanded to study hard, but Hashem desires for us to fulfill this command and study hard. The Rash in his commentary on the Medrash explains that the word אם, if, which begins the parsha, is a word of request. He understands it similar to the word אם used by Avraham Avinu (Bereishis, Chapter 18, Pasuk 3), אם נא מצאתי חן בעיניך. Hashem is requesting and desiring from us, please, study the Torah and keep the mitzvos.
The Sfas Emes derives from the words of the Medrash an important principle, and consequently, an answer to the question of how to understand the physical reward in the parsha. One should not understand the bracha in the beginning of our parsha, and the misfortune described subsequently, as a list of reward and punishment. Rather, they are all mitzvos; positive and negative. For the entire Torah is teaching us how to act and conduct ourselves, as the word תורה means to guide and direct us as how to conduct ourselves in the world.
In other words, the statement of ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, I will give you rain in its time, is not a reward for studying Torah. Rather, it is a mitzvah; do what you need to do, i.e. keep Torah and mitzvos, in order to make sure Hashem will have reason to bring rain. Hashem wants to bring good into the world, and we are commanded to make sure we act in a way that allows for that. When we allow for there to be rain and bounty, we are fulfilling a mitzvah.
This is also the meaning of the Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 4, Mishnah 2), שכר מצוה מצוה. The reward for a mitzvah is a mitzvah. The p’shat is not that as a reward for doing a mitzvah, one receives the opportunity to do another mitzvah. Rather it is to be understood literally. The reward of a mitzvah is itself a mitzvah. Allowing Hashem to bestow His kindness and benevolence into the world is a mitzvah, for this is the Ratzon Hashem.
The converse is also the p’shat in the continuation of the Mishnah, שכר עבירה עבירה. When one does a sin, causing the punishment upon him is also a sin. When one causes Hashem to act in a way of Din instead of Rachamim and bring about punishment, it is also an עבירה, even a bigger one. I think we all sense this as a parent punishing a child; we are usually more distressed about punishing the child than about the actual infraction.
This is also the meaning of another Mishnah in Avos (Chapter 1, Mishnah 3), הוו כעבדים המשמשין את הרב שלא על מנת לקבל פרס. One should serve his Master like a slave who isn’t serving Him to receive a reward. Now we understand the p’shat better. It means that when we receive the reward, it shouldn’t be with a sense of enjoying the pleasure of the reward. Rather we should serve לשם שמים. We should derive pleasure from the fact that we gave Hashem a reason to fulfill His will and bestow bracha in the world. We fulfilled an additional mitzvah; שכר מצוה מצוה.
To sum up, the reason the physical benefits are brought in this week’s parsha is not a reward for fulfilling Torah and mitzvos. Rather, it is another mitzvah; allow Hashem to bring physical bracha into the world, for Hashem desires to do good with us. And the ultimate mitzvah is for us to cause Hashem to bestow Clal Yisrael with physical bounty in this world.
Good Shabbos
Print this article