Parshat Behar Bechukotai answers

Bechukotai 5722
Alef.
      1. The Berachot in VaYikra 26 can be grouped as follows:
            4-5 Agricultural success.
            6-8  Peace and military success.
            9 The nation will numerically expand.
            9 HaShem will Make a Covenant with the people (spiritual dimension)
                  10 You will be able to eat aged food (superior in quality.
                  11-12 God will Be Close to the people even physically.
                  13 God will Assure that the people will not be subjugated to others.

                                          à7 separate aspects of blessing.
        
                 The Kellalot:

16-17   Stage 1:¹ Disease, plagues, produce consumed by others, domination by enemies

            18-20    Stage 2: Drought, infertile land, will not produce sufficient food for your needs.

21-2      Stage 3: Attacks of wild animals, deaths of domestic animals, decrease in population of nation, roads will be destroyed.

23-26 Stage 4: Attacks by enemies, besieged and contagion will break out among those being attacked, the enemies will be victorious, famine resulting in food shortages and general hunger.

27-41 Stage 5: Will consume children to satisfy hunger, the instruments of idolatry (which brought on these problems) will be destroyed, cities will be laid waste, Temple destroyed, exile among the other nations, deep suffering in exile, the people will be “eaten up” in foreign lands.  

à 5 stages leading to repentance and      reconciliation. 

(When one tries the same exercise in the Tochecha in Parashat Ki Tavo, it would appear that the Kellalot do outweigh the Berachot—see Devarim 28.) 

2.  A well-known source where it is emphasized that God’s Penchant for Blessing outweighs Punishment considerations can be found in RaShI on Shemot 34:7: 

שמות פרק לד

(ז) נצר חסד לאלפים נשא עון ופשע וחטאה ונקה לא ינקה פקד עון אבות על בנים ועל בני בנים על שלשים ועל רבעים:

רש"י

ועל רבעים - דור רביעי, נמצאת מדה טובה מרובה על מדת פורענות אחת לחמש מאות, שבמדה טובה הוא אומר “נוצר חסד לאלפים”:

Beit.

The reason why ChaZaL interprets the term “Im” as “Halevai” rather than a language of conditionality is because of the succession of stages in the Kellalot. Since the Kellalot are all designed to cause repentance on the part of the sinning people, we see that all things being equal, HaShem would “Prefer” for the people to do the “right thing” right from the get-go rather than having to Punish them in order to achieve the same ultimate result.  

Gimel.

HaKetav VeHaKabbala apparently assumes that short of supernatural interventions, it is inevitable that invaders will desire the resources of a country that has attractive resources. Consequently promises of dwelling securely simply preclude the necessity to wander elsewhere to find what the nation requires. Furthermore, since exile is part of the ultimate stage of the curses, the converse, i.e., not leaving one’s country, is understandably part of the blessings.

Daled.

1. According to RaShI, the new Covenant will be irreversible, unbreakable. The suggestion is if the Jewish people truly study and understand Tora and Mitzvot, they will internalize the values and concepts to such an extent that it will become impossible for them to act in any other way, in effect obliterating their freedom of choice, since they will no longer desire to sin. This is a recreation of the status of Adam prior to his eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Ibn Ezra, on the other hand, feels that aspects of the original Covenant had never been fulfilled from God’s End, i.e., the expansion of the numbers of the Jewish people to the point where they literally would not be able to be counted—similar to the stars in the heavens and the dust of the earty—due to their incredible numbers which to date has never happened. What is the point of creating a new Covenant if there remain unfulfilled aspects of the old one?  

2.  RaShI sees the original Brit associated with a different Name of HaShem, leading him to conclude that something that has as yet not happened, i.e., the fulfillment of Tora U’Mitzvot as God Wishes them to be fulfilled, will lead to a new relationship symbolized by a different Name of God involved in that relationship. Ibn Ezra sees the verb HaKimoti as a language of preservation and continuity. Consequently, any Brit that is mentioned will not be a new one, but rather the continuing unfolding and development of the old one.  

Heh.

1.  בדעות בתורה שלא קנו מהשלמות המכוון—  the people have as yet not acquired the characteristics and attributes of perfection that is intended as a result of fulfilling the directives of the Tora.

       דבר מורגש—the intended outcome of personal perfection is not something theoretical or aesoteric, but rather measurable, outwardly observable.

     שלא קניתם מן השלמות בדעות מה שיתחייב שתדבק השגחתי בכם—there is a minimum threshold of positive character development in order to make possible HaShem’s close Supervision/Association with the people.

         הנימוס התוריי מיישיר אל קנין השלמות—Despite the fact that the positive qualities have as yet not been acquired, as long as the negative behaviors and attitudes that the Tora precludes are being avoided, that is sufficient to allow for God to Connect His Personal Supervision to the Jewish people.  

2.  Perhaps in light of v. 11, it is difficult to understand v. 12-3.

ויקרא פרק כו

(יא) ונתתי משכני בתוככם ולא תגעל נפשי אתכם:

(יב) והתהלכתי בתוככם והייתי לכם לאלקים ואתם תהיו לי לעם:

(יג) אני יקוק אלקיכם אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים מהית להם עבדים ואשבר מטת עלכם ואולך אתכם קוממיות: פ

The use of language of “H-L-Ch”  in 12-3 suggests that further development and improvement is still required. If this is the case, then why has God already Placed His Tabernacle among the people? Consequently, RaSBaM is able to suggest that even though the Mitzvot Aseh still have to be worked on, since the Mitzvot Lo Ta’aseh are already being perfectly observed, this is sufficient to justify God’s Commitment, since it is only a matter of time until the desired perfection is achieved.  

3.  The typical interpretation would take its cue from the first verse in the series:

ויקרא פרק כו

(ג) אם בחקתי תלכו ואת מצותי תשמרו ועשיתם אתם:

The fact that this opening verse uses the language of “BeChukotai Teileichu” as well as “VeAsitem Otam,” suggests that the Mitzvot Aseh have already been complied with and therefore the desired perfection already achieved.

Vav.

1.

א. What is the reason why God will Pay special attention to the Jewish people? What is the meaning of the anthropomorphism that suggests that God has a Physical Presence that He can Turn from side to side?

ב. The reward of the Jewish people seems to be deferred in many respects. The Midrash explains why it is not more immediate. The lack of immediacy is because   eventually the reward will be incredibly extensive due to how great the Avodat HaShem that was required of the Jewish people has been. So it’s not a matter of HaShem turning towards us, but rather only when he completes rewarding those to whom is owed lesser reward, will he turn to the Jewish people to grant them what they have earned.

2. Siftai Chachamim accounts for RaShI’s interpretation in this instance by drawing attention to the usage of the objective pronoun “Etchem” two times instead of simply saying “VeHifreiti VeHirbeiti Etchem.” The extra word suggests that the two verbs are referring to two totally different things as opposed to the more typical interpretation “Cause you to be fruitful and cause you to multiply” which essentially are two aspects of the same state.