CHOCMAS NASHIM: BECHUKOTAI: OUR IDYLL
By: Suri Davis
וְנָתַתִּ֥י גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם בְּעִתָּ֑ם וְנָתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֥ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִתֵּ֥ן פִּרְיֽוֹ׃ I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit.
וְהִשִּׂ֨יג לָכֶ֥ם דַּ֙יִשׁ֙ אֶת־בָּצִ֔יר וּבָצִ֖יר יַשִּׂ֣יג אֶת־זָ֑רַע וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם לַחְמְכֶם֙ לָשֹׂ֔בַע וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם לָבֶ֖טַח בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃ 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.
וְנָתַתִּ֤י שָׁלוֹם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם וְאֵ֣ין מַחֲרִ֑יד וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֞י חַיָּ֤ה רָעָה֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְחֶ֖רֶב לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ר בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃ 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.
וּרְדַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם וְנָפְל֥וּ לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם לֶחָֽרֶב׃ [Your army] shall give chase to your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
וְרָדְפ֨וּ מִכֶּ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ מֵאָ֔ה וּמֵאָ֥ה מִכֶּ֖ם רְבָבָ֣ה יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ וְנָפְל֧וּ אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם לֶחָֽרֶב׃ 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.
וּפָנִ֣יתִי אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֖י אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַהֲקִימֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתְּכֶֽם׃ I will look with favor upon you, and make you fertile and multiply you; and I will maintain My covenant with you.
וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם יָשָׁ֖ן נוֹשָׁ֑ן וְיָשָׁ֕ן מִפְּנֵ֥י חָדָ֖שׁ תּוֹצִֽיאוּ׃ You shall eat old grain long stored, and you shall have to clear out the old to make room for the new.
וְנָתַתִּ֥י מִשְׁכָּנִ֖י בְּתוֹכְכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶתְכֶֽם׃ I will establish My abode in your midst, and I will not spurn you.
וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙ בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם׃ I will be ever present in your midst: I will be your God, and you shall be My people.
אֲנִ֞י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מִֽהְיֹ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם עֲבָדִ֑ים וָאֶשְׁבֹּר֙ מֹטֹ֣ת עֻלְּכֶ֔ם וָאוֹלֵ֥ךְ אֶתְכֶ֖ם קֽוֹמְמִיּֽוּת׃ {פ}
I יהוה 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.
This is the ideal life which G-d promises us in the land of Israel. It’s ours period. I skipped the first verse of this Torah portion, which provides a condition precedent:
אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃ If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments,
I will share just a simple thought of mine, as my mind wandered. The gematria/Jewish numerical value of this word im/if, is 41. Today is the 41st day of the omer, which focuses on the Jewish attribute of Yesod Shebyesod/Bonding in Bonding. Rabbi Simon Jacobson explains “Every person needs and has the capacity to bond with other people, with significant undertakings and with meaningful experiences.”
Another translation of Yesod is foundation. It is truly a foundational attribute to bond with others, for as a community we strengthen and support each other, we encourage, uplift, and even gentle guidance against sin, we are the boat of life together. Kol Yisrael Areivim zeh lazeh/we ARE our brothers keeper. One sinner can sink our community by encouraging sinning and mutiny.
What are we as human beings if we do not bond to G-d, what purpose is there to life, amassing wealth, which one worries about losing when one is alive, and most definitely loses once he dies, for there are no pockets in shrouds, life would be purely futile without our desire and need to cling to G-d and bond with Him.
Maimonides starts his book on Hilchos Yesodai Hatorah with this verse:
יְסוֹד הַיְסוֹדוֹת וְעַמּוּד הַחָכְמוֹת לֵידַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם מָצוּי רִאשׁוֹן. It is a foundational precept to know that there is a first being, i.e., G-d. Today which is Yesod of Yesod is a day we should know that there is a G-d. How do we find G-d? By doing his commandments including, as it states in this week’s Torah portion, to do those commandments which have no human-understanding rational basis, Chukim. Following G-d’s commandments gives us a glimpse of what is important to G-d, acting in a G-dlike manner and gaining knowledge of G-d.
Today is also my Jewish birthday. As always, I want to bless you with good health, may G-d reveal to you understanding of why He does things which don’t seem helpful or good to you, yiddishe nachat from your children, shalom bayis, refuah shlaimah, shidduchim for you and your children with the right person at the right time, no need for yeshuot or nechamot, parnassah tovah, all that you ask for Hkbh should grant only for the revealed good and shefa brachot in ruchniyut and gashmiyut until Moshiach comes speedily in our days.
Shabbat shalom.
Suri