Tapping Into Hashem’s Blessings

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

Parshas Bechukosai begins with a list of blessings Hashem promises the Jewish People if they go in the ways of His statutes and mitzvos. These blessings are followed by a much longer list of curses if we reject Hashem’s ways.

Why the imbalance? Why are the blessings finished after some 10 verses while the curses cover more than thirty? Furthermore, since Hashem loves us (Devarim 7:8), wouldn’t it be more logical to increase the blessings and keep the curses to a minimum?

The Jewish People’s essence is spiritual. We are expected to do Hashem’s will, and the whole creation is designed to enable us to do this, showering us with blessing all the time. This is our natural state of affairs. If we deviate from what we are supposed to be, Hashem must change the world’s natural state as a result. This change is such an aberration that describing it takes up many verses. Whereas describing the normal state of creation, with Jews doing Hashem’s will and bringing blessing to the whole world — this is nothing out of the ordinary and can be summed up in a few short words.

The Maharal (Netzach Yisrael 14, based on Vayikra Rabba 35:1) finds this idea expressed in a different way within the wording of the blessings and curses. He notes that the blessings begin with the letter alef (אם בְּחֻקֹּתַי) and end with the letter tav (קוֹמְמִיּוּת) — the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, respectively — expressing that blessings encompass the entire creation from beginning to end. The curses, on the other hand, begin with the letter vov (וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ ) and end with the letter heh (בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה), the preceding letter in the Hebrew alphabet. This shows that when Klal Yisrael ignores Hashem’s will this a disruption to the world’s natural order.

The Maharal continues that with the above principle we can understand why it is that the Jewish People are at once Hashem’s beloved nation and yet subject to so much persecution. Our sins bring this state upon us. The norm for the Jewish People is to be a spiritual nation that seeks closeness to Hashem. If we do not realize our spiritual essence, we have no place in the world.

This fact, that a Jew’s essence is to fulfill Hashem’s will, finds concrete expression in halacha. The Rambam (Laws of divorce 2:20) rules that if a Jew is forced to fulfill a mitzvah, it is viewed as if he willingly did the action. This rule applies even if a Jew is a known sinner who would not fulfill the mitzvah without coercion. This is because at root a Jew wants to fulfill Hashem’s commandments. Only, his yetzer hara is strong and has gotten the better of him. This Jew is in the grips of his yetzer hara, but his spiritual essence remains untouched. All coercion does is weaken the yetzer hara’s hold on him. Once that is done, his inner willingness to fulfill the mitzvos comes to the fore. Therefore, the mitzvah is considered as if he did it willfully.

In his sefer Chayei Olam, the Steipler writes that all Jews, even those who openly espouse heretical ideas and even persecute their religious brethren, have an inner yearning to seek Hashem. Only, their yetzer hara channels this yearning elsewhere. What they are really looking for is spiritual satisfaction. They may turn to various ideals and isms, and when these fail to provide the satisfaction they yearn for, they turn elsewhere — to sports, theaters, restaurants, etc. — but they ultimately remain empty and unfulfilled.

A Torah-observant Jew should never have such problems. Torah and mitzvos provide every Jew a tailor-made program for how to derive maximum spiritual satisfaction out of life, if he puts all his energy into avodas Hashem.

When a Jew does not do this, he feels dissatisfied with himself. Deep down he feels that his spiritual strengths are not being used to the fullest. Even though he does devote some time to Torah and mitzvos, he begins looking elsewhere for other ways to get satisfaction in life. Pleasure trips abroad are just one notable example of how Jews invest time, energy and resources in the wrong direction. Instead of looking for new material pleasures, they should be trying to bring their spiritual essence to the fore.

How does one do this? A Jew should always be looking for ways to develop himself and add to his avodas Hashem. In learning, he should see where he needs chizuk. Maybe he should add on a halacha seder. In Gemara, maybe he could add more depth to his learning. Maybe he can say a shiur. How is his Mussar seder? Does he analyze the Mussar sefarim with the same intensity as he analyzes Gemara? Maybe he should delve into the deeper writings of the Ramchal such as Derech Hashem and Daas Tevunos. In addition, before he begins learning, let him think for a few minutes about the importance of his learning, and that it should bring him closer to Hashem (Nefesh Hachaim 4:6).

I once met with a frum doctor. He told me about his busy schedule, and his impressive success rate in his field. At one point I commented that he certainly must feel great satisfaction from his work. After all, he has helped so many people. His answer surprised me.

“Satisfaction? Of course I feel some satisfaction, but you, the bnei Torah who are capable of learning Talmud and put all your energies into it — you are the ones who feel real satisfaction in life. What is greater than learning the Toras Hashem!”

May we put all our energy into Avodas Hashem!