Peter Pan / Robin Hood
Ed. note: I could not think of a good title for what I want to say in this Lead Tidbit, so I opted for a weird train of thought that flashed back to a song from the soundtrack of an old Off-Broadway musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The song was about the children having to write a composition about the story of Peter Pan. Linus hadn't really read it, but he had read - and loved - the story of Robin Hood. His book report began something like, "Peter Pan reminds me very much of Robin Hood, because of their green outfits. Speaking of Robin Hood..." So went the composition. We do not find out what mark he received for his efforts. The following idea should really be expressed in the context of Parshat R'ei, but it most definitely comes to mind when looking at Ki Tavo. So speaking of R'ei... -PC

The Torah quite frequently presents us with a two-sided deal or set of conditions from G-d. If we keep His word, harken to His voice, preserve His mitzvot... then all sorts of good things will come to us. If we do the opposite, then bad things will occur. The most dramatic form of this "deal" from G-d is found in Parshat B'chukotai and in this week's sedra of Ki Tavo, in the TOCHACHA. Both are very detailed, and extremely frightening and upsetting. This "deal" is also said by us (at least) twice daily, in the second passage of the Sh'ma. If you listen (keep) to the mitzvot, then you (we) will get beneficial rain in its time and bountiful crops in our fields.

If not, if we turn to idolatry, then G-d will hold back the rain, etc. The "deal" is repeated in different ways, over and over again. Perhaps the major result of our awareness of the "deal" is our deep belief in Reward and Punishment. And in the accountability we each have for our deeds. Do the right things - reward; do the wrong things - punishment. This world, next world, or a combination, but there is no doubt about Reward and Punishment.

But take a look at the beginning of R'ei. G-d says, I have presented to you this day (a choice of) BRACHA and K'LALA, blessing and curse. The BRACHA - that you listen to G-d's mitzvot that I command you this day. And the K'LALA - if you do not listen to the mitzvot, and you veer from the path that I command you to follow, and you go after other gods...

It does not (in R'ei) say, if you keep mitzvot then you will receive the blessing of this or that. It defines the BRACHA as keeping the mitzvot. And defines K'LALA as not keeping them. Not, if you don't do the mitzvot, then this and that will happen. Just, not keeping mitzvot is the Curse. Keeping mitzvot is the Blessing. Significant difference. All the other times, good things are described as the reward for keeping the Torah. In R'ei, Keeping the Torah is the reward for Keeping the Torah. It is the BRACHA. And the opposite for the K'LALA.

Interestingly, it is in Ki Tavo, that the topic of the Blessings and Curse and Har G'rizim and Har Eival is continued and elaborated upon. And in Ki Tavo, the BRACHA is defined by good things, and that which results in BRACHA is the observance of mitzvot. Similarly for the opposite.

What does it all mean? The rule is: Reward and Punishment. There is ample text in the Torah to teach us that principle of faith. But there is another lesson to learn from the one time that the Torah speaks of Torah observance being its own reward, so to speak. S'CHAR MITZVA, MITZVA. The reward for doing a mitzva is the doing of a mitzva. (The Baal Shem Tov had a nice spin on that - he said, S'CHAR MITZVA, SIMCHAT MITZVA. The reward for doing a mitzva is the joy derived from the mitzva.) And a non-Torah way of Life is the Curse, not only what punishments result from that way of life.

Perhaps it is the balance that Antig'nos Ish Socho was trying to teach. (Believe in Reward and Punishment, but) do not be like a servant who served his master in order to receive the reward, rather be like a servant who serves with no thought of the reward, save the reward of being the master's servant. His students drew a fatally flawed conclusion from the teachings of Antig'nos. We must always be mindful of the fact that mitzvot are rewarded (here or there) and sins are punished. But that should not be our motivation to do mitzvot.

R'ei is not quite unique. At the end of Nitzavim G-d tells us that He has presented us with the Free Will to choose between Life, Good, and Bracha on the one hand, and Death, Evil, and Curse on the other. And you shall choose Life - to love HaShem, to listen to His voice, and to cling to Him - for this is our Life.

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