Parshas Bechukosai

 Recognizing Real Reward

By: Daniel Listhaus

“If you will go in My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them; then I will provide your rains in their time, and the land will give its produce and the tree of the field will give its fruit….I will walk among you….”

-Bechukosai 26:3-4;12

All of the blessings which are described at the beginning of this week’s Parsha are rewarded to us as a whole when we follow in the way of Hashem[1]. As Chizkuni[2] writes, “If you do what I (Hashem) put on you, then the land which was created for you will put forth most productively”. The extent of these blessings is indeed great. As a matter of fact, the Medrash[3]  points out that the brachos cover everything from Alef to Taf, representing the bountiful amount of goodness coming to the one who follows in Hashem’s ways[4].

When reading these opening verses in the Parsha, however, two questions immediately come to mind. First of all, the Mussar books[5] teach us that there are many levels on which one can perform mitzvos. Doing mitzvos for the sake of receiving reward does not occupy the highest of these ranks. As a matter of fact, we know this from Pirkei Avos[6], which suggests that when doing the mitzvos of Hashem we should not be like servants who work for their master on the condition of receiving a reward, but rather like [the more devoted] servants who serve their master even without demanding reward. If this is indeed the case, then why is it that when discussing the ones who keep Hashem’s commandments, the Torah finds it necessary to describe their rewards?

 Additionally, as sort of a follow up question, once the Torah did in fact decide to illustrate the rewards of those who follow the right path, why discuss the blessings which man has the potential to enjoy on Earth? That is only the minor leagues. We know that the real purpose of living cannot solely be for life as we know it because as Dovid HaMelech writes in Tehillim[7], “The days of our years are seventy and eighty if with strength; their proudest success is but toil and pain – for it is cut off short and we fly away”. Koheles[8] too, written by Shlomo HaMelech, is devoted to speaking of the futility of this world. So, rather, the purpose of living in this world must be something much greater - to perfect our Neshamos (souls) and do as many mitzvos as we can so that when we reach Olam Habbah (the World to Come) we could receive our true reward. So why is it that the Torah chose to describe the limited blessings and rewards that this world has to offer if in fact there is a whole major leagues waiting in Olam Habbah for those who followed in Hashem’s ways by observing His mitzvos?

The Kli Yakar[9] is bothered mainly by our second question. In response, he compiles seven different answers as to why the Torah does not mention the rewards of Olam Habbah. The first answer he brings down is the Rambam’s opinion. The Rambam[10] writes that of course Olam Habbah is the ultimate reward - and that is indeed a basic assumption throughout the Torah. All that the Torah is coming to teach here is that if one chooses the correct path, then Hashem will help us with the rest, making it easier for us to serve Him by removing the determents. The Kli Yakar then brings down six other answers[11], most of which are more along the lines of either that people cannot grasp what the reward of Olam Habbah truly is, or based on that the Torah was coming to counter the various beliefs and assumptions existing during the era around when the Torah was given on Har Sinai.  

 Two of these answers that the Kli Yakar brings down are from the Kuzari[12]. And although the Kli Yakar lists them as two separate answers, which they are, they really stem from the same foundation as could be seen when analyzing the Kuzari’s discussion with the Chaver (who will be referred to here as “Rabbi”).

Amongst a discussion between the Kuzari and the Rabbi, the Kuzari[13] mentions that he is perplexed due to the following two facts which do not seem to add up correctly. On the one hand, other religions seem to offer better rewards in the world to come than is offered in Judaism. However, at the same time, if one would ask them if they would want to die early to receive their great reward, they would all turn down the offer immediately and would rather push off their great rewards one-thousand years to live here on Earth longer.

The Rabbi responded the Kuzari in the following way. First of all, in other religions all their rewards purportedly come to fruition only after death and that there is neither benefit in this life nor any indication in this life of the promised future reward. However in Judaism we are not merely promised an afterlife of nice fields and other things as promised by other religions. Rather, the ultimate reward is closeness to Hashem. And there is indication of such a reward in this world. One can achieve, to some extent, closeness to Hashem during one’s lifetime and could actually experience extreme closeness to Hashem via nevuah (prophecy). The Rabbi continued to point out that such a person who got a taste of such closeness in this world does not fear death, unlike people of other religions, because he only wants to be close to Hashem. The Rabbi then proceeds to explain that this is the reason why the rewards of Olam Habbah are not mentioned in the Torah. He explains that the Torah just tells us that we will be a nation to Hashem and that He will be a G-d for us and lead us. Hashem promises that if we keep to His commandments, then we will experience living in Eretz Yisroel (Israel) in a manner most conducive to being able to achieve such a spiritual level. This is because the operations of this world do not really have a default “nature” setting as it seems, but rather works depending on our actions. If we follow in the ways of Hashem then the land will, accordingly, produce its full potential. However, if we chas v'shalom (G-d forbid) do not follow the ways of Hashem, then the world will also act accordingly and bring forth famine, plague, and wild animals until we realize that we are not merely guided by the laws of nature, but rather something greater - Hashem. Someone who achieves this level of realization will not fear death because he realizes the goodness which awaits him. This is how the Torah demonstrates the rewards which await us after death - through the spiritual rewards of closeness that exist in this world.

The Rabbi seems to be explaining in our Parsha that it is our duty to realize that our actions in this world have a direct relationship with the way that the world acts back. There is a pure positive correlation: When “Im Bechukosai Teileichu….” (If you will go in My decrees…) then “V'nasati gishmeichem ba’aretz” (…then I will provide your rains). And, unfortunately, the opposite is true as well that if we do not keep the ways of Hashem then the land will not “cooperate” as we may like. However, it is not on this surface level of following in Hashem’s ways in order to receive these blessings which is the ultimate achievement, but rather quite deeper- it is the closeness to Hashem which we could achieve through realizing that Hashem controls every aspect of the world.

Now we could perhaps better understand what the beginning of this week's Parsha is accomplishing. To answer our first question, it is not that the Torah is specifically coming to teach the rewards of the one who follows in the way of Hashem, but rather is taking it to the next step and describing that in reality the ultimate purpose of doing the mitzvos is for this high level of L’shma - for the sole sake of reaching a closer d’veikus BaHashem (relationship with Hashem) to the point where we can attain “…v’hishalachti b’sochichem…. – (I [Hashem] will walk among you). And it is not that the Torah chose the lesser of the two types of rewards by describing the finite rewards of this world. Rather, the Torah is describing the highest achievement of reward, which is in fact infinite and does provide a pure taste of the world to come. This is the coming to the realization that Hashem is behind everything. In other words it isn't the rain or good crop which is the reward but rather the seeing that because of what we do we could receive such blessings because of our relationship with Hashem. Exactly as the Rabbi told the Kuzari, “This is how the Torah demonstrates the rewards which await us after death - through the spiritual rewards of closeness that exist in this world”.

May we all achieve the level where we can truly feel and honestly realize what we say multiple times a day in Modim[14], “We gratefully thank You... For our lives, which are committed to your power and for our souls that are entrusted to you; for Your miracles that are with us every day; and for your wonders and favors on every season - evening, morning, and afternoon...." [15]

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[1] Rashi (Vayikra 26:3), amongst other Rishonim learn that when the Passuk says “If you will go in My decrees” it refers specifically to Ameilus BaTorah (laboring in Torah study).

[2] Vayikra 26:3

[3] Vayikra Rabbah 35:1

[4] The Eitz Yosef there on the Medrash explains that the first letter of the blessings in this Parsha is in fact an “Alef” (Im Bechukosai) and that it in fact ends with the letter “Taf” (Kom’im’miyus)

[5] For example, Sha’arei Ohr Chapter 1

[6] Pirkei Avos 1:3

[7] Tehillim 90:10 We also recite this in Pesukei D’zimra on Shabbos at Shacharis

[8] The theme for Koheles is, as the second Passuk states, “Vanity of vanities, said Koheles; vanity of vanities all is vanity.”

[9] Vayikra 26:12

[10] Hilchos Teshuva 9:1

[11] Including Ra'vaah in Haazinu 32:39, Rabeinu B'chaye, and Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim Chapter 3

[12] Written by Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi

[13] Kuzari 1:104-109

[14] Part of every shemoneh esreh

[15] Translation taken from Artscroll-Mesorah siddur