Parshas Bahar - Bechukosai

Before we talk about the parsha let me share with you a fun thing that happened to me and can happen to you. I was going through the toll booth on North 400 this past week. I pulled up to the cashier and handed her my dollar. She took it and said to me "well how do you do my darling daffodil". Not the type of interaction I normally expect at the toll both. However this time I was not surprised because the week before I had driven through the same toll both and was greeted with "how are you my Honey Suckle". Of course I drove away with a smile on my face and whatever I was late for didn't seem so bad anymore. Look at the power of a toll both operator to impact the world.
Parshas Bechukosai the second of two we read this morning describes in great detail how good it can be if we go in Hahsem's ways and how bad it can be if we do not. As is our way we scrutinize every word of the Torah and take note of all details. One of them is in the very opening sentence of our parsha. "im bechukosai talachu" if you go in my ordinances . Not 'if you observe the Torah 'or 'if you do the commandments' or even 'if you go in my ways' but 'if you go in my statutes'. Why talaychu - go and why bchukosai- statutes as opposed to commandments or laws.

The author of the Rebbe of Slonim in his work Nesivis Shalom offers that the Torah is describing something other than observance of the mitzvos. It is talking about going through life according to its statutes or as we might call it not just living according to the letter of the law but living in the spirit of the law. Although Torah law seems to regulate everything it really does not. The myriad of decisions that we make on a daily basis are not governed by Torah they couldn't be. The Torah doesn't tell us what school to send our children to or whether or not we should but the new or used car. Well since the shuls president is a used car dealer perhaps that one is more obvious. But the Torah does inform those decisions. That is because there is a spirit to the Torah and when one goes talaychu according to that spirit their decisions will be consistent with Torah.

Now you will surely ask How does one identify that spirit and go according to it? That is where the first part of the sentence comes in. Bechukosai. The midrash says shetihiyu amaylim batorah. that you should toil in Torah. The chukim are the statutes that we don't readily understand. None the less we toil to find meaning. We analyze them for the lessons they teach us. That process which we call Talmud Torah is how we come to be one with the spirit of the Torah. In modern times a phrase has been coined for this called "daas Torah" or how the Torah thinks. People who have invested their time and energy in understanding the Torah develop a feel for it and can often answer questions and make decisions that are consistent with Torah thought.

Let's read the next verse. If you toil in Torah I will send your rains on time. The Hebrew word for rain geshem is the same as the word for material sustenance which of course rain is the source of. The Rebbe of Slonim says that when one is living according to the spirit of the Torah his rains meaning his material choices come at the right time. Hahsem sends him the opportunities and the decisions at the most opportune times when these decisions can be made in consonance with the Torah. A client may call to say I'm going to be in town on Tuesday or I'm going to be in town on Saturday. In the first example my geshem is coming on time . Of course the second example requires a decision. A few verses later it says if you do not toil in Torah you will end up not observing and you will even find the statutes loathsome . This only makes sense because one who has not connected to the spirit of the Torah will surely find it loathsome.

Before Torah study there is a prayer we offer. If says I thank you Hashem for having me be part of the study hall and not one who hangs out on the corner. For we toil and they toil. We toil and receive reward and they toil and don't receive reward. Who says people outside of Torah don't receive reward? The Chofetz Chaim explains that outside of Torah reward is only for achievement. If doesn't matter how long and hard the pitcher works if he can't get the curve ball to drop dead as it crosses the plate like John Smoltz could there will be no reward. Inside Torah reward is for the toil not the accomplishment.

We have just participated in Yonahs Bar Mitzva. Yonah your parents have made some important decisions in the spirit of the Torah. You and your siblings are all attending GHA and yeshiva. Ten years ago your family decided to affiliate with this synagogue. We are happy they did because we are celebrating this simcha together today. Your parents didn't just send you to school or join a shul. Your mother toils for the institutions she believes in. She shops for Ariel kiddushes and sits in front of Kroger on a hot day selling YA honey. Sharon is a dedicated super volunteer. You Yonah have toiled immensely to achieve what you did this morning. I know because I periodically snuck in to the back of the room when you and Rabbi Cohen were practicing. You were frustrated and didn't think you could do it. Rabbi Cohen was also frustrated. But you persevered and so did he and your toil was was your success. It doesn't matter how much you you read, the whole parsha , or half or one aliya or even just recite the brachos. It all matters how much toil you put into it. So I will conclude by giving you the blessing we all called out as we finished the book of vayikra this morning. It is the blessing that we recite when we achieve any milestone in Torah because to continue the toil in Torah we need Chazak chazak vnischazed - may you be strong, strong and be strengthened.