A Blessing OrBehuk274 Berger

BEHUK274

TORAH-FAX 5774 BECHUKOTAI

"A BLESSING OR A CURSE - IT IS OUR CHOICE" BY RABBI MOSHE BERGER
The Torah portion presents an entire litany of Blessings an !urses" That if #e follo# $%&'s #ays an the Torah( he #ill grant us all these )lessings* But if not( if #e #ill stray fro+ His path( an ,iolate the !o++an +ents( than a terri)le array of !urses #ill )efall us* This se!tion -To!he!ha(- -A +onitions(- an
20( Ki Ta,o1

epi!ting the !urses is referre

to as the

is !usto+arily !hante

.uietly )y the Torah

rea er( for the !urses are in ee horri)le an terrifying* /The other To!he!ha is in &eut*

At the !on!lusion of the To!he!ha( $% says /2e,* 23"421( -5'6a!harti et )riti 7aako,( ,'af et )riti 7it6!hak( ,'af et )riti A,raha+(- % -8 #ill re+e+)er +y !o,enant #ith 9a!o)( #ith 8saa! an #ith A)raha+* $% presents the great +erits of our forefathers* A!!or ing to :ashi( it is )e!ause of our forefathers' greatness an #orth that $% #ill re+e+)er us* This state+ent #oul therefore )e !onsi ere a )lessing* T#o .uestions arise fro+ the te;t of this ,erse* <irst( the :a))is ask( -=hy is the 6'!hus( the +erit of our an!estors +entione in !on>un!tion #ith the !urses that $ fore#arns us* 8t is not as if #e #ill )e sa,e fro+ these !urses )e!ause of our an!estors* The Torah oes not +ention su!h a possi)ility as a +eans of a,oi ing retri)ution* =oul it not )e +ore appropriate to +ention the !o,enant #ith our forefathers in !on>un!tion #ith the )lessings? =hy then oes it appear a+ong the !urses* The se!on .uestion is #hy is 9a!o)'s na+e +entione first % -5'6a!harti et )riti 7aako,(- -8#ill re+e+)er +y!o,enant #ith 9a!o)*

A Blessing OrBehuk274 Berger

=hat #as so great an a +ira)le a)out 9a!o) in the !onte;t of this se!tion of the Torah to +erit his na+e )eing +entione )efore A)raha+ an 8saa!? 2et us e;a+ine the first .uestion as to #hy the +erit of our an!estors is +entione in !on>un!tion #ith the !urses( rather than the )lessings* A story fro+ the 5ilna $aon points the #ay to an ans#er" There #ere t#o thie,es* One stole a ,ery s+all o)>e!t an the greater ro))ery #as gi,en pro)ation an the other a ,ery

e;pensi,e >e#el* They #ere )oth apprehen e an trie * The one #ho !o++itte release ( #hereas the one #ho !o++itte a petty theft #as senten!e to prison* =hy( aske the latter( #as he gi,en >ail%ti+e #hile the other( #hose !ri+e #as +u!h greater( release ? The 5ilna $aon replies" -The one #ho ro))e the e;pensi,e 9e#el ha a ,ery unfortunate up)ringing* His parents the+sel,es #ere !ri+inals % they pro,i e no tea!hings of right an #rong* There #as no is!ipline* On the other han ( you #ho !o+e fro+ a fa+ily of s!holars( $% %fearing parents( #ho taught you right fro+ #rong( you shoul kno# )etter@ =e e;pe!t a higher stan ar fro+ you an e;pe!t +ore* Therefore( you #ere punishe *The sa+e thing applies to the 9e#s* $% is telling us" &o not !o+pare yoursel,es to other nations an faiths as to ho# 8 treat you* &on't !o+plain if you are plague )y these !urses an the others are not* Be!ause( -5'6a!harti et )riti(- 8 re+e+)er +y !o,enant #ith the forefathers % that is( you ha,e the greatest heritage of all % the tra ition of T6a iki+ )ehin you* 7ou( 8 e;pe!t +ore fro+* To you alone o 8 say /23"141( -5i+ lo tish+e'u li(- -8f you #ill not listen to +e(- then( )e!ause of +y !o,enant #ith our an!estors( that is #hy the !urses shall )efall you@

A Blessing OrBehuk274 Berger

=e no# seek a solution to the se!on +entione )efore A)raha+ an 8saa!*

.uestion( as to #hy is 9a!o)'s na+e

As es!ri)e in the Torah portion of 5ayishla!h /$enesis A2"2B1( #hen 9a!o) #restle #ith the angel( $% says" -2o 7aako, ye'o+er o shi+!ha( ki i+ 7israel( ki saritah i+ Eloki+ ,'i+ anashi+( ,atu!hal(- -Co longer #ill it )e sai that your na+e is 9a!o)( )ut 8srael( for you ha,e stri,en #ith the i,ine an #ith +an an #ere ,i!torious*The .uestion is( ho# !an 9a!o) )e !onsi ere to ha,e )een ,i!torious? 8f #e e;a+ine the a!tual fa!ts( #hat #as the net result of 9a!o)'s !onfli!t #ith the angel? 9a!o) !a+e out in>ure an li+ping( #hile the angel #as unhar+e * 8s this a ,i!tory for 9a!o)? An this is #here the Torah presents a )eautiful interpretation on the )attle

)et#een the+* 8t says /A2"231( -5ayar ki lo ya!hol lo( ,ayigah )'!haf yerei!ho(-=hen the angel per!ei,e that he !oul not o,er!o+e 9a!o)( he stru!k hi+ in the hip*- An that )lo# #as ironi!ally a sign of the angel's o#n efeat* <or the Di rash +aintains that this )attle #as really )et#een 9a!o) an -Ear shel Eisa,(an angeli! +essenger of his )rother Esau* This #as not a physi!al )attle( )ut a spiritual one* Esau's +essenger #as trying to pro,e to 9a!o) that he #as all%#rong a)out the 9e#ish faith an his )eliefs( an that Esau's )eliefs an faith #as the real true one % not 9a!o)'s* An 9a!o)( of !ourse( #as #restling #ith hi+ spiritually( trying to pro,e that Esau's #ay #as not $% 's #ay* =hen the +essenger !oul not su!!ee in persua ing 9a!o)( he e!i e to resort to ,iolen!e % to pro,e )y physi!al +ight that 9a!o) #as #rong*

A Blessing OrBehuk274 Berger

&oesn't this soun fa+iliar? The Falestinians( Ara) +ilitants an terrorist groups !ontinue to try an pro,e that our religion is #rong( an that their faith is the one an only true one % to the point of terroris+ an ,iolen!e* This is #hy they a a+antly refuse to a!kno#le ge our e;isten!e( !all for our annihilation( an +aintain that 9erusale+ )elongs to the+ % not us* &uring the Di le Ages( #hen the Ghristians !oul not +ake us -see their light(-

an !on,ert us( they institute the 8n.uisition* The Torah is tea!hing us that on!e you try to pro,e your point )y physi!al or ,iolent +eans( then not only ha,e you lost the )attle( )ut also( you ha,e >ust negate an in,ali ate your o#n )elief syste+* E,en though 9a!o) !a+e out of the )attle in>ure an li+ping( he #as the ,i!tor( )e!ause the angel( )y use of ,iolen!e( in,ali ate his o#n an Esau's theology* A religion or #ay of life that pro+otes an en!ourages the use of physi!al +ight an ,iolen!e is #rong@ One of the )iggest pro)le+s in our s!hools is physi!al ,iolen!e on a aily )asis* =e ha,e #itnesse nu+erous a!!ounts of horri)le a!ts )y !hil ren o,er the past fe# years* Dilitant groups( skinhea s( the KKK( et!*( all )elie,e that they are right( an >ustify their ,iolen!e on that )asis* Our Torah portion pro,i es us an the rest of the #orl a gui e )y #hi!h #e !an e,aluate ea!h other's )elief syste+* The )lessings of our forefathers !an )e a )lessing for us if #e light the path for others* =e pray to $% ( to help all nations an faiths -see the true light- % that ,iolen!e is not a #ay to pro,e you are right( an that respe!t for one another's )eliefs is the only #ay to )ring a)out pea!e an har+ony in our #orl * A+en