5785/2025
In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Behar-Bechukotai, we read through the many Pesukim of Tochacha - curses - that will befall the Jewish people if they reject Hashem’s commandments. These curses are brutal, to the point that we have a custom to read through them quickly and in a low voice. And while many tend to speed through the Tochacha without giving it attention, the Mefarshim pick up on a peculiar group of Pesukim at the end.
Right before Hashem announces that he will remember the covenants of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, (a Pasuk that we say every year on Rosh HaShanah), He details to us the process of repentance that will bring us to that point:
(מ) וְהִתְוַדּ֤וּ אֶת־עֲוֺנָם֙ וְאֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן אֲבֹתָ֔ם בְּמַעֲלָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָֽעֲלוּ־בִ֑י וְאַ֕ף אֲשֶׁר־הָֽלְכ֥וּ עִמִּ֖י בְּקֶֽרִי׃
(מא) אַף־אֲנִ֗י אֵלֵ֤ךְ עִמָּם֙ בְּקֶ֔רִי וְהֵבֵאתִ֣י אֹתָ֔ם בְּאֶ֖רֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶ֑ם אוֹ־אָ֣ז יִכָּנַ֗ע לְבָבָם֙ הֶֽעָרֵ֔ל וְאָ֖ז יִרְצ֥וּ אֶת־עֲוֺנָֽם׃
(40) They will confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their trespass which they trespassed against me, and also that they walked contrary to me.
(41) I will also walk contrary to them, and bring them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and they then accept the punishment for their iniquity;
The Rishonim pick up on one major issue: According to these two Pesukim, the order seems completely reversed from what we would expect. Hashem is first saying that we will confess our sins and do Teshuvah, and then goes on to say that he will bring us into the land of our enemies and fight against us.
Rashi understands it to mean that Hashem is treating us nicely by bringing us into the lands of our enemies so that we don’t assimilate into their culture.
However, the Ibn Ezra takes a different approach. According to his interpretation, Hashem is bringing us into the land of our enemies not to prevent us from assimilating, but to cause us to do Teshuvah. By bringing us into a fight, He knows that we will recognize what is behind it and repent for our sins, bringing the ultimate redemption. As the Ramban writes: “כי גם בשעת קלקלתם נתכוונתי בהם שיעשו תשובה ויתודו”. Even when they become corrupted, my intent is that they should repent.
It is imperative that we understand, especially today, why we are fighting. Because when we recognize war, we should not resort solely to fighting. We must realize why we are in such a seemingly precarious situation, and act accordingly like so many of our forefathers did long ago: From Avraham to Shimshon, Devorah to Esther, may we merit the phrase as they did in their time: וְשָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי חַנּוּן אָנִי”