Weekly Parsha

Birthday Mazal Tov to: Michael Procaccia

Ore por Refuah Sheimah: Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue orando por: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon".

Bechukotai

Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34

Bechukotai or Bechukosai is the 33rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the 10th and last in the Book of Leviticus.

The Torah portion sets forth the blessings that you will see in this world in response to your deeds.

It then continues with the Tochachah, words of admonition, "If you will not listen to Me and will not perform all of these commandments..." There are seven series of seven punishments each. Understand that G-d does not punish for punishment's sake; He wants to get our attention so that we will introspect, recognize our errors and correct our ways. G-d does not wish to destroy us and will never annul His covenant with us. This is the Almighty's guarantee to the Jewish people:

" ... I will not grow so disgusted with them nor so tired of them that I would destroy them and break My covenant with them, since I am the Lord their G-d." (Leviticus 26:44-45)

He wants to prevent us from becoming so assimilated that we disappear as a nation. I highly recommend reading Leviticus 26:14-45.

Many religions place their basis of faith in far away promises. The Talmud teaches, "He who wishes to lie says his witnesses are far away." For example, "I have witnesses that I paid back the money I owed you, but they happen to be visiting Europe" -- or "Have faith in our religion and you will get Heaven."

While Judaism believes in an Afterlife, a World to Come, the Torah makes no promises that are "far away." It makes definitive statements of consequences. This week's portion says: 

"If you will follow 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. Your threshing will last until the vintage, and the vintage will last until the sowing; you will eat your bread to satiety and you will dwell securely in your land. I will provide peace in the land, and you will lie down with none to frighten you ... I will make you fruitful and increase you..."

The portion ends with instructions regarding gifts to the temple, valuation and redemption of animals, houses, fields ... and lastly, the second tithe and tithing animals. And thus ends the Book of Leviticus!

***

"If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them" (Lev. 26:3).

The literal translation of the verse is "If you will walk in my decrees. Whereas the heavenly angels do not progress in holiness and remain forever in the state in which they were created, man should not remain static, but instead advance in spirituality every day of his life. This is what the prophet means:

"If you walk in My ways and safeguard My charge, I shall permit you movement among these immobile (angels)" (Zechariah 3:7).

G-d has enabled us to have "movement," i.e. to grow in spirituality in contrast to angels that remain stationary.

The fact is that there is no standing in one place. If we are derelict in advancing ourselves spiritually, this failure sets us back and we regress spiritually. We are constantly in movement. If we do not move forward, we are slipping backward. The wording of the Torah is precise. It is not enough to simply observe the Mitzvot (commandments). We must do so in a way that we progress in spirituality.

If you never admit that you are wrong, you are saying that you are no smarter now
than you used to be...

Shabbat Shalom!

Rav Tank

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is happy to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Chabad Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He majored in Biblical Archeology from Bar Ilan University and from Harvard in Jewish Studies. He graduated in Business Administration and also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations and is a Member of the White House National Religious Leaders, an Executive Office of the President of the United States.

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