Parshas Behar
Showering Us With Blessing
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1) The Mishna teaches us in Pirkei Avos (4:2) “The reward for a mitzva is a mitzva.” Although the Almighty does not allocate reward for mitzvos in this world, He does provide the individual with the ability to perform additional mitzvos. The promise for earthly blessing is not to be understood as a reward but rather, an assurance that we will have the wherewithal and ability to comfortably perform the mitzvos. The Rambam echoes the very same thought in the ninth perek of Hilchos Teshuva. “All those benedictions and maledictions promised in the Torah are to be explained as follows: If you have served Hashem with joy and observed His way, He will bestow upon you those blessings and avert from you those curses, so that you will have leisure to become wise in the Torah and occupy yourselves with it, and thus attain the world-to-come, and then it will be well with you in the world which is entirely blissful and you will enjoy length of days in an existence which is everlasting.” The Mezericher Maggid zt”l finds an allusion to this concept in the very words of the blessing, “And I will provide ‘gishmeichem’ (i.e. your rain) in their proper time.” The word ‘gishmeichem” not only means rain but is a general reference to all “gashmius” (i.e. physicality). Hashem promises that if we adhere to the Torah, He will relieve us of the constant and consuming desire for “gashmius” and relegate our need for physical fulfillment only to their necessary times. Through setting times for Torah, Hashem will provide “set times” for the physical, freeing us from our hedonistic desires and thus, creating a receptive environment for increased dedication to Hashem. 2) The Alter of Slobodka, HaRav Nosson Tzvi Finkel zt”l, suggests that Man and the Cosmos are inextricably bound in a dynamic interface. Just as it is a natural cause and effect, when “The rains are provided in their time” for “The land to give its produce”, similarly, it is a natural cause and effect, when “We follow the decrees of the Torah,” “The rains are provided in their time.” The Ramchal mirrors the same concept in the first perek of the Mesillas Yesharim, “If man follows earthly pursuits and is drawn away from his Creator, he is impaired, and the rest of the world is impaired along with him. If he becomes master over himself and unites himself with his Creator, using the world only to help him in the service of his Creator, he is elevated and the world is elevated along with him.” The Ramban, commenting on the verse, “I will cause wild beasts to withdraw from the land (Bechukosai 26:6),” explains that this is actually a promise for the animals to return back to their primary nature, which existed in Gan Eden before Adam’s sin. Originally, the entire animal kingdom was satisfied with the grass of the earth. It was only through Adam’s sin, that the animals were detrimentally affected and developed a carnivorous nature. By adhering to the “Chukos of the Torah,” we support and strengthen the “Chukos (i.e. laws of nature) of the heavens and the earth (Yirmiyahu 33:25).” HaRav Yonasan Eibeshitz zt”l, in his sefer, Yaaros Devash, explains why the blessings of the Torah are always expressed in terms of providing rain. The rain originates here on earth and subsequently, ascends to the heavens, as it says in the pasuk: “A mist ascended from the earth and watered the whole surface of the soil (Breishis 2:6).” So too, all blessing originates from our initiative and good deeds, equating heavenly blessing with rain. HaRav Chaim Volozhiner explains the mishna in Pirkei Avos the same way. “Know what is above you (2:1).” Realize and be cognizant, that everything that comes from above, originates from you. On the Shabbos that we call out “Chazak, chazak, venischazeik,” may we strengthen ourselves with the realization that all the blessings of the world are within our reach. All we must do to begin the spiritual domino effect is to commit ourselves to passionate Torah living. |