Feature Tidbit
for Parashat B'chukotai

It Sounds too Simple, yet...

"If you follow My laws and are careful to keep My commandments, I will provide you with rain at the right time, so that the land will produce its crops and the trees of the field will provide fruit."

It's really as "simple" as that. And G-d makes that promise over and over again. The Torah says it differently each time, but the basic "deal" is clear enough.

There's more. The crops and fruit will grow so abundantly that the harvest will last until it is time to plant again.

And we will live securely in our land. People in the North will not have to sleep in bomb shelters and people in Beit El will not be shot at. And G-d will give us peace in the land so that you will sleep without fear. No dangerous animals in the Land and no Sword. We will chase away our enemies... and the many will fall before your relatively few swords. (There seems to be an implication that peace means among ourselves - won't that be nice, because the following p'sukim speak of military success against our enemies.

There will be such prosperity that we will still be eating the previous produce when the current year's yield is available.

And G-d will be among us is ways that we will feel very strongly.

That's the deal. You don't want to know the alternative. It starts from pasuk 26:14 and goes on in grisly detail for about 30 p'sukim.

Notice that the deal involves economic prosperity and peace and security. What more can we want? Imagine what we can accomplish with those to national needs taken care of. And all we have to do as a nation (and as individuals) is be faithful to G-d keep His mitzvot.

Now pinch yourself and let's have a reality check.

There are many people who don't take this Divine offer seriously. They don't know how to respond to it or they don't want to respond to it. So they pursue peace and prosperity in other ways. And a lot of things are going on that complicate the situation to the point that even we find the "simple" deal difficult to focus on.

But let's keep things simple for now. Ask yourself this question: Do I really believe that this is G-d's offer, deal, promise. And do I believe that He will stick to His side of the deal?

I am not suggesting that we abandon political involvement and concentrate completely on the spread of Torah and mitzvot among our fellow Jews. On second thought, it's not such a bad idea. But to be realistic, we should function on both levels. We must take the political stance that each of us feels is the proper position to hold. But we should never minimize the role that a Torah way of life plays and will play in shaping our destiny.

I'm not exactly sure what I am saying to you, dear reader. But here's the idea.

I believe in the Torah. I believe that G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. I believe that He took the People out of Egypt. I believe that He gave us the Torah. I believe many more things. I also believe that one should act upon one's beliefs. So if I believe that our hold on Eretz Yisrael depends upon our adherance to Torah and mitzvot, then I should be willing to act on it.

I guess what I'm saying is that Im B'chukotai Teileichu... is just as true and right as B'reishit Bara Elokim...

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