Pirush Im Bechukoy Sai – Understanding the Opening of Parshas Bechukoy Sai
1. The Unusual Language of “Im Bechukoy Sai Teileichu”
This week, as we begin reading Parshas Bechukoy Sai, we encounter an interesting phrase at the very start: Im Bechukoy Sai Teileichu—“if you will follow My statutes.” The word im—if—usually implies a choice, as if Hashem is presenting us with an option: if you choose to follow My statutes. However, in this context, the usage of im is not simply optional. The Gemara explains that here, im is more like a plea or a request from Hashem. It is as though Hashem is saying, “if only you would follow My statutes,” almost begging us to do so.
This plea is not just a request but also an empowerment. When Hashem asks us to follow the Torah, He simultaneously gives us the strength and ability to fulfill all the mitzvos—commandments. The act of Hashem asking is itself a form of giving us power and encouragement to succeed in our observance.
2. Command or Promise? Two Interpretations of Divine Speech
The Alter Rebbe offers insight into how we understand Divine commands. Take for example the phrase Ve'ahavto es Hashem Elokecho—“You shall love Hashem your God.” One way to read this is as a command: you must love God. But there is another interpretation: it can be read as a promise—you will love God. In this sense, Hashem’s command carries within it an assurance that we will indeed come to love Him.
This duality applies to all mitzvos, including yiras Hashem—awe or fear of God. The mitzvah of loving God serves as the root for all positive commandments, while awe of God underpins all prohibitions. Thus, when Hashem commands us, He also empowers us and promises that we are capable of fulfilling His will.
3. Categories of Mitzvos: Mishpotim, Eidus, and Chukim
The Rebbe points out that Torah divides mitzvos into three categories:
- Mishpotim—logical laws that make sense even without being commanded.
- Eidus—testimonies or commemorative laws which may not be obvious at first but become understandable once explained (such as Shabbos or Pesach).
- Chukim—statutes whose reasons are beyond our understanding (such as shatnez—the prohibition against mixing wool and linen—or porah adumah—the red heifer).
The phrase Bechukoy Sai Teileichu, while literally referring to chukim (statutes), actually includes all mitzvos according to many commentaries. Even those mitzvos we understand rationally should be performed with the same sense of acceptance and dedication as chukim—beyond reason, simply because they are Hashem’s will.
4. Serving with Kabbalas Ol: Beyond Reason and Excitement
This approach raises a question: If we perform mitzvos solely out of obedience—kabbalas ol, accepting the yoke of Heaven—without personal understanding or excitement, does that diminish our connection? Isn’t there something lacking if one does mitzvos without feeling?
The answer lies in the concept discussed in Chassidus about two types of servants: an Eved Paschut—a simple servant who serves out of obligation—and an Eved Ne'eman—a trustworthy servant whose entire being is devoted to his master. For the latter, the master’s pleasure becomes his own pleasure. When one reaches this level in serving Hashem, even actions done purely out of obedience are suffused with joy and excitement—not because one understands every detail but because one delights in fulfilling Hashem’s will.
5. The Ultimate Goal: Selfless Dedication in Avodas Hashem
The Rebbe teaches that this is the deeper meaning behind Bechukoy Sai Teileichu: To walk in My statutes means to serve with total selflessness and dedication. When all mitzvos are performed in this manner—beyond personal reasoning or feeling—a person truly grows (teileichu) in their service and finds genuine excitement not from intellectual satisfaction but from being able to serve Hashem wholeheartedly.
This level represents the ultimate fulfillment of what it means to follow in Hashem’s ways: serving with complete devotion and joy simply because it is His will.