This week we read two sections, Behar (on the mountain) and Bechukotai (in My laws), finishing the third book of the Torah, the book of Vayikra.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of the second section, Bechukotai, the Torah recounts some of the material benefits that the Jewish people will receive if they study the Torah diligently and with the goal of observing its precepts. And not only here, but the same concept appears in several places: although the true reward for Torah observance will be in the Olam HaBa\u2014the World to Come (after death)\u2014that world is not mentioned, and the Torah does promise physical and material benefits to those who observe it.<\/p>\n
This seemingly contradicts the concept taught by our sages of serving God without expecting a reward. If a person decides to affix a mezuzah to their home expecting a specific blessing in return, even though that blessing may materialize, it is clearly not the highest level of service to God, since, ultimately, it is service to oneself; the motivation for the observance is personal well-being... and not God.<\/p>\n
So, if the true reward is in the world to come, why doesn't the Torah mention it? And, on the other hand, if true service to God should be for the sake of heaven, why does the Torah mention reward at all?<\/p>\n
The simplest answer to these two questions is that the Torah speaks to the average Jew. People generally understand material benefits more readily than spiritual ones. Therefore, when the Torah wants to express to a person how good observance is, it does so in terms that people understand: it promises rain at the appropriate time, abundant fruit from trees and the land, peace, and so on, leaving out spiritual concepts that would not be grasped.<\/p>\n
In turn, people value a reward earned through work much more than a gift, what our sages call "bread of shame." That is why the Torah speaks of rewards in general, and of material rewards in particular.<\/p>\n
However, this does not answer our original question regarding serving God for the sake of heaven, and not for receiving a reward.<\/p>\n
To understand this, in summary at least, we could say that, in reality, the Torah is not talking about the reward for observance, but about the automatic effect that it has.<\/p>\n
When a person diligently studies Torah, and the Torah becomes one with them, so that their very essence, vitality, and energy are the Torah, even their material affairs are imbued and permeated with the holiness of the Torah. Just as the soul is the vitality of the body and fills the entire body, from head to toe, despite the vast differences between its parts, so too, when a person unites with the Torah through its in-depth and diligent study, the Torah fills all aspects of their life, not only the spiritual (which would be like the head) but also the material (the feet).<\/p>\n
Therefore, when the Torah speaks to us of what appears to be the reward for observing the precepts, from a deeper perspective, it is explaining to us what the automatic effect of total dedication to its study is, which even comes to be expressed in the material and worldly matters of life.<\/p>\n
May we have the merit of rising from level to level in the study of Torah in general and in the motivation for it in particular.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This week we read two sections, Behar (On the Mount) and Bechukotai (In My Laws), concluding the third book of the Torah, the book of Vayikra. At the beginning of the second section, Bechukotai, the Torah recounts some of the material benefits that the Jewish people will receive if they study the Torah diligently and with the goal\u2026 Read More \u00bbCause and effect<\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[68,69,9],"tags":[1002,956,962,993,1165,942],"series":[],"class_list":["post-2280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behar","category-bejukotai","category-editoriales","tag-bendicion","tag-estudio","tag-ley","tag-precepto","tag-recompensa","tag-tora"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/Recompensa.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/avatar1400.jpeg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"castbox":{"key":"castbox","url":"","label":"CastBox","class":"castbox","icon":"castbox.png"},"rss":{"key":"rss","url":"","label":"RSS","class":"rss","icon":"rss.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/en\/feed\/podcast\/rabino-tuvia-serber","embedCode":"Causa y efecto<\/a><\/blockquote>