Leviticus 26:3-27:34 – Jeremiah 16:19-17:14 – Luke 18:31-43

This week's edition of The Set Table contains:

Questions and Commentary on Shabbat Bechuqotai
Chayyei Yeshua - A Devotional Commentary on the Besora Reading
In Summary
Looking Ahead

Questions & Commentary on Parashat Bechuqotai

1. What is meant by "walk in my statutes" (Leviticus 26:3)? How does this differ from keeping God's commandments or performing them? If our study of Torah and Brit Chadasha is going to be pleasing to God, what must be its result?

Rabbi Jason Sobel

Commenting upon the opening words of this week's parasha, Rashi writes:

If you follow [walk in] my statutes (Leviticus 26:2) What is the meaning of "If you follow my statutes"? It means that you must toil in the study of Torah [for the word for "follow" here, telekhu, literally means "walk," which is a strenuous activity].

Based upon Rashi's comment we learn that we are obligated to exert serious effort in our study of Torah and Brit Chadasha. Even more important then exercising our bodies, we must work out our spirit through in-depth Torah study.

The importance of setting a regular time for Torah study is not only essential for our spiritual growth and well-being in this world but also affects our share in the World to Come. In fact our Sages tell us that when we stand before God on the day of our judgment, one question we will asked is "did you fix regular times for Torah study" (b. Shabbat 31a). We are reminded of this duty every morning when we recite the blessing over the Torah, "Blessed are You O LORD our God, Ruler of the Universe, who commands us to engross ourselves/engage in the words of Torah." Despite the fact that we recite these words every morning and cognitively understand that we should engross ourselves in Torah study, it is all too easy to come up with excuses for not doing so. This is underscored by the following teaching in b. Yoma 35b,

Our Rabbis taught: The poor, the rich, and the wicked/immoral one will come before the [heavenly] court - They say to the poor: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he says: I was poor and worried about my sustenance, they would say to him: Were you poorer than Hillel [who learned Torah despite his poverty]? One day he found nothing to earn and the guard at the House of Learning would not permit him to enter. He climbed up and sat upon the window, to hear the words of the living God . . . They say, that day was the eve of Sabbath in the winter solstice and snow fell down upon him from heaven. When the dawn rose . . . They looked up and saw the figure of a man in the window. They went up and found him covered by three cubits of snow. They removed him, bathed and anointed him and placed him opposite the fire and they said: This man [Hillel] deserves that the Sabbath be profaned on his behalf. To the rich man they said: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he said: I was rich and occupied with my possessions, they would say to him: Were you perchance richer than R. Eleazar? It was reported about R. Eleazar b. Harsom that his father left him a thousand cities on the continent and over one thousand boats on the sea. Every day he would take a sack of flour on his shoulder and go from city to city . . . to study the Torah. To the immoral person they would say: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he said: I was beautiful and upset by sensual passion, they would say to him: Were you perchance more beautiful than Joseph? It was told of Joseph the virtuous that the wife of Potiphar every day endeavored to entice him with words . . . but he would not listen to her; not to ‘lie with her' in this world, not ‘to be with her' in the world to come. Thus [the example of] Hillel condemns the poor, [the example of] R. Eleazar b. Harsom condemns the rich, and Joseph the virtuous condemns the immoral sensual person.  

Ultimately, none of our excuses will hold water when we have to stand before God and give account for how we used our time. Not only are we called to regularly study the Torah, but we must also study it with the intent of living out what we learn. This is the meaning of the phrase "and observe my commandments." Not only must we engage in regular Torah study, we must do so with the intention that we will put into practice what we study.

But even the most sincere intentions are not enough. As the old adage goes, "The highway to hell is paved with good intentions." Rather we must make sure that we go one step further by regularly examining our lives to be sure that we are being proactive in the performance of the mitzvot we have learned. This is the meaning of the third clause of this verse, which reads "and performs them."  Toiling in Torah study for its own sake is honorable but studying in order to fulfill it is a much greater.

2. What is the connection between this week's parasha and last week's, and what is the ultimate promise made by God to the Jewish people?

Joshua Brumbach

Behar and Bechuqotai are the last two portions of the book of Leviticus. On non-leap years, when various portions are doubled up, the rabbis specifically chose these two portions to be read together. One does not have to look too hard to be able to see the similarities between the two portions. 

However, Parashat Bechuqotai begins with God promising that if we follow his commandments, then he will give us abundance in our harvests and blessings upon us. That He will send us the rain we need, and will keep our enemies away. It is his promise that if we will trust in him, and observe the mitzvot he just gave us in the previous parasha, then he will be faithful to meet our needs.

How often do we really trust God to meet our needs? Often we worry and seem to keep one little areas hidden (or at least we think hidden from God). Yet that is not what God wants of us. God wants us to trust him both in following his mitzvot and believing that he will bring blessings into our lives. Yeshua reiterates this by reassuring us not to worry about these things - of what we will eat or drink, or even about what we will wear (Matthew 6:25-34). For Yeshua promises us that he knows everything we need better than we do. Therefore Yeshua affirms the message of these parashiyot, to continue to seek his Kingdom and his Righteousness (i.e., his mitzvot and will for our lives), and everything else will be added to us as well.

Jen Rosner 

This week's besora portion includes two distinct but related sections. The first is Yeshua describing to his disciples the events that are about to take place in Jerusalem, and the second is the story of the blind beggar who receives his sight. How are these two sections related?

As Yeshua foretells all that awaits him in Jerusalem, he explains "everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled" (v. 31). He will be mocked, insulted, spit on, flogged and finally killed. The disciples do not understand any of this. How could the one who was to come and vanquish their enemies and reclaim the throne of David undergo such torture and humiliation? How could he die? Their confusion was appropriate.

Verse 35 transitions to the story of the blind beggar sitting by the roadside. He hears Yeshua and the crowd passing by and he cries out, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those leading the crowd attempt to silence the beggar, but he clamors all the more. Yeshua calls the man over to him, asks what he is requesting, and promptly heals his sight. He declares that the man's faith has brought about his healing, and the man praises God as a result. What is the difference between the disciples, whose eyes are shut to their leader's words, and the blind beggar whose eyes are opened on account of his faith and persistence?

This week's haftara portion may supply the answer. Jeremiah contrasts two kinds of people, those who trust in men and those who trust in God. "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord . . . But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him"(Jeremiah 17:5, 7).

Though the disciples had entrusted their entire lives to Yeshua and left everything to follow him, they were still blinded by their own definitions of strength and power. They had not yet realized that in Yeshua's kingdom, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. They had not realized that those who wished to save their lives would lose them. They could not accept that the Messiah's suffering would bring about the redemption of the world.

Suddenly our besora passage makes sense, as does its context. Earlier in Luke 18 we read about the persistent widow, the Pharisee and the tax collector, the little children, and the rich ruler. The constant refrain of society's weakest is a plea for mercy, while the strong cling to their strength. Through Yeshua we see that in the Kingdom of God, weakness is strength and surrender is triumph. The many reversals embedded in Yeshua's life are among the things that comprise his great power and mystery.

NEXT WEEK'S READINGS - PARASHAT BEMIDBAR 

Numbers 1:1-4:20
Hosea 2:1-22
John 11:11-45

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