Parshios Behar & Bechukosai
A Realistic View of Life
Our reading of the book of Vayikra is completed on this Shabat with the
reading of the double parsha mentioned above. It is ironic that the book
of Vayikra, which began on such a joyful and positive note with the
dedication of the mishkan, should conclude on such a somber and baleful
note with the reading of the tochacha in the parsha of Bechukotai. But
this seeming turnaround in reality mirrors the reality of human life.
And the Torah is nothing if not reality and practicality. Wrong behavior,
no matter how nobly motivated, always brings sad consequences to it. The
behavior of the sons of Aharon in bringing a “strange fire” at the
dedication of the mishkan not only costs them their lives but it changes
the tenor and tone of the remainder of Vayikra. The remainder of the book
teaches us laws, responsibilities, values, commandments, discipline and
accountability.
Just as the sons of Aharon were accountable for their behavior and hence
its tragic results, so too the Jewish people as a whole is held
accountable for its behavior to be judged in light of its accountability
to its mission and God’s commandments. That is certainly the stark and
simple message of the tochacha that marks the completion of the book of
Vayikra.
The multiplicity of laws and commandments, values and admonitions that
characterize the book of Vayikra clearly spell out Jewish responsibility
and accountability to its destiny and mission. The tochacha is a stark
reminder of the consequences of failing to live up to those standards of
Godly life.
Jewish history has verified over and again the basic narrative and lesson
of the book of Vayikra. Mistakes of judgment, no matter how altruistic and
holy they may have been in their original formulation inevitably have led
to tragedy, loss and sadness. The “strange fires” offered on the altar of
Judaism over the past centuries have burned brightly for a moment in
history and then flickered into ashes. But before they disappeared from
the scene, hundreds of thousands of the “sons of Aharon” were victimized
by their original allure.
For reasons that are inexplicable Judaism seems to attract “strange fires”
onto its altar. But the results of these “strange fires” unalterably
remain the same, somehow activating Jewish assimilation and alienation, in
short the coming of a tochacha itself. And though the exactitude and true
measure of the tochacha is beyond our ken of human comprehension, there is
no denying that every word mentioned in the tochacha in the parsha of this
week has come to pass before our very own eyes.
The book of Vayikra therefore, like the living Torah itself, is not just
past history or a book of laws alone. It is current events, the immortal
godly perspective of life and people and of the destiny of the Jewish
people. But the book of Vayikra, again like all of the other books of the
Torah, ends with our proclamation of chazak, chazak v’nitchazek – let us
be strong and strong and strengthen others. That is always the post-
tochacha response of the Jewish people and the strength of our survival.
Shabat shalom.
Rabbi Berel Wein
Rabbi Berel Wein- Jewish historian, author and international lecturer offers a complete selection of CDs, audio tapes, video tapes, DVDs, and books on Jewish history at www.rabbiwein.com
Text Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Berel Wein and Torah.org
Visit www.rabbiwein.com for a complete selection of Rabbi Wein's books and tapes.
