Plenty of Warning
(basedin part on the final Meturgeman Drasha, Parshat Behar-Bechukotai, 22 Iyar, 5762)
The Tochecha (Divine rebuke) in Parshat Bechukotai is unique because it comes in stages. Unlike the longer Tochecha in Parshat Ki-Tavo, which just keeps piling on more and more bad things, in this rebuke Hashem is giving us a piece at a time with a chance to do T'shuva.
There are five stages altogether. Each stage after the first begins by saying, IF we haven't learned our lesson from the previous stage but continue to rebel, ONLY THEN will we get the next stage, which is seven times worse.
In other words, we have plenty of chances to wake up and smell the beef-fry. If we can't figure out what's happening and mend our ways, then He will have to pound us some more. So whose fault is it? Our enemies? The politician? Nope. It's us. God is practically begging us to learn our lesson before it's too late, and we just don't get it.
Once again, I'm not the only one saying this. In this year's (5769) Torah Tidbits for the Parsha, Phil Chernofsky compares us to Par'o. We often comment about how seemingly impossible it was for Par'o to ignore plague after plague and stick to his stubborn evil ways. But we don't do any better! We ignore, we rationalize, we blame others for the bad things that happen. So Hashem has to smack us down, again and again.
There is a prevailing opinion in Jewish tradition that the first Tochecha refers to the destruction of the Bayit Rishon, and the second one to Bayit Sheni. This can seem very comforting, because it makes it seem as if it's all behind us. But I'm not so sure it's completely true. Certainly in a general sense, the warnings in the Torah about the cost of sin still apply. And there are frightening parallels from this Tochecha to the current time. I mentioned before, based on the insight of a friend, how the first stage of this Tochecha sounds a lot like the Hitnatkut from Gaza. That was nearly four years ago, and all the evidence seems to indicate that we are not listening yet to Hashem. And what is the second stage? (Vayikra 26:18-20) No rain leading to no crops.
Israel right now is in the midst of the worst drought in modern history. One of the places the government has cut back on water use is agriculture...leading to less crops and more imports.
Coincidence? Enough people seem willing to believe so that there is no attempt to correct our actions. Are we so willing to risk the next stage? (Which is to be overrun with wild animals; followed by besieging of the cities and resultant famine in stage four, and the final stage of cannibalism, destruction, and exile.) It would seem we are.
We need to change our ways; to work on the Spiritual lessons of Torah, to learn and to teach, and to lead others back to the correct path. If we can't do that soon, I fear we are in for more difficult times.
The Tochecha (Divine rebuke) in Parshat Bechukotai is unique because it comes in stages. Unlike the longer Tochecha in Parshat Ki-Tavo, which just keeps piling on more and more bad things, in this rebuke Hashem is giving us a piece at a time with a chance to do T'shuva.
There are five stages altogether. Each stage after the first begins by saying, IF we haven't learned our lesson from the previous stage but continue to rebel, ONLY THEN will we get the next stage, which is seven times worse.
In other words, we have plenty of chances to wake up and smell the beef-fry. If we can't figure out what's happening and mend our ways, then He will have to pound us some more. So whose fault is it? Our enemies? The politician? Nope. It's us. God is practically begging us to learn our lesson before it's too late, and we just don't get it.
Once again, I'm not the only one saying this. In this year's (5769) Torah Tidbits for the Parsha, Phil Chernofsky compares us to Par'o. We often comment about how seemingly impossible it was for Par'o to ignore plague after plague and stick to his stubborn evil ways. But we don't do any better! We ignore, we rationalize, we blame others for the bad things that happen. So Hashem has to smack us down, again and again.
There is a prevailing opinion in Jewish tradition that the first Tochecha refers to the destruction of the Bayit Rishon, and the second one to Bayit Sheni. This can seem very comforting, because it makes it seem as if it's all behind us. But I'm not so sure it's completely true. Certainly in a general sense, the warnings in the Torah about the cost of sin still apply. And there are frightening parallels from this Tochecha to the current time. I mentioned before, based on the insight of a friend, how the first stage of this Tochecha sounds a lot like the Hitnatkut from Gaza. That was nearly four years ago, and all the evidence seems to indicate that we are not listening yet to Hashem. And what is the second stage? (Vayikra 26:18-20) No rain leading to no crops.
Israel right now is in the midst of the worst drought in modern history. One of the places the government has cut back on water use is agriculture...leading to less crops and more imports.
Coincidence? Enough people seem willing to believe so that there is no attempt to correct our actions. Are we so willing to risk the next stage? (Which is to be overrun with wild animals; followed by besieging of the cities and resultant famine in stage four, and the final stage of cannibalism, destruction, and exile.) It would seem we are.
We need to change our ways; to work on the Spiritual lessons of Torah, to learn and to teach, and to lead others back to the correct path. If we can't do that soon, I fear we are in for more difficult times.
posted by meturgeman | 12:27 AM
<< Home