Bechukotai
Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34
Précis: The parasha, the final parasha in Vayikra,
begins with a statement promising blessings if the People follow Adonai’s ways.
The blessings are discussed in detail. But if the People disobey, terrible
punishments will be visited upon them, and these, too, are listed in agonizing
detail. The Book of Leviticus then concludes (as it opened) with regulations
regarding the upkeep of the Sanctuary, from voluntary tithes, land gifts,
firstborn redemption, and the tithes of flocks.
Lev. 26: 3-16 “If you follow My laws
and faithfully observe My commandments, I will grant you rains in their season
... you shall eat your fill of bread....But if you do not obey Me and do not
observe all these commandments ... I will wreak misery upon you ....”
These verses leave us unsettled; they clearly
do not reflect the world we live in. We know too well that the good are often
not rewarded, and that many evil doers go unpunished. We may also have
difficulty accepting the concept that there is a God who is so intimately
involved in the affairs of each individual human being that His threats and
promises are realized in our own lives.
This dilemma is certainly not new. Nahama
Leibowitz has suggested that the lists of blessings and curses found here is
actually a form of prayer. If only we can avoid the punishments we deserve! If
only we are rewarded with blessings for our good deeds! These may not only be
prayers, but rather teachings we receive from God to help us exercise the free
will which is our blessing and curse.
We are encouraged in the Torah on countless
occasions (especially in the Book of Leviticus) to act in order to be
“holy” because “I, the Lord, am holy.” As creatures made in God’s image, as
partners in completing the universe, it is our mandate to follow the
proscriptions in order for the world to achieve and inherit the promised
blessings. The long list of curses serves to describe a connection between the
earthly world of reality and the moral world towards which we aspire. The text
tells us that despite what our eyes see, there is a connection between the two
worlds.
We conclude this
year’s study of Vayikra much as we began it: what does it mean
to live a “holy” life? How are we “to draw near” to God, and how are we to live
a life infused with holiness.
