Parashas Bechukosai

This week’s parashah begins with the Torah telling us the blessings we will receive if we toil in Torah and observe the mitzvos. We will be granted prosperity and peace; our enemies will be vanquished and Hashem will place His dwelling-place among us.

Then the Torah adds an interesting assurance: וְלֹא תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם, Hashem assures us that His Soul, as it were, will not reject (“purge itself of”) us.

But isn't it obvious that if we’re toiling in Torah and doing mitzvos Hashem wouldn't reject us? Why would we think that he would?

Perhaps this verse is not an assurance, however. Perhaps it is telling us how to succeed in having Hashem dwell among us and not reject us.

Chazal (Shabbos 105a) tell us that the first word of the Aseres HaDibros,אנכי , is an acronym for the words אנא נפשי כתיבת יהבית. The simple understanding of this phrase is “I (Hashem) Myself wrote this (the Torah) and gave it,” but the sefarim explain that this also means “I (Hashem) wrote and gave My Soul (through the Torah).”

People often want to “connect” to Hashem spiritually. They look for all sorts of unique and innovative ways to achieve this.

But Hashem’s “Soul,” as it were, isn't there; it's in the Torah and its mitzvos.

These pesukim tell us that there’s only one way to “connect”: בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם, through toil in Torah and observance of the mitzvos.

This is the only way to achieve וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכֲכֶם וְלֹא תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם' that Hashem will dwell among us and not reject us.

 May we merit all these berachos, bimheirah b’yameinu.

Gut Shabbos.