Why Physical Rewards

Why Physical Rewards

וְנָתַתִּי גִּשְמֵיכֶם בְעִּתָם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָדֶה יִּתֵן פִּרְ יוֹ: (ויקרא כו, ד)

The word for physicality is "gashmius." This is sourced from "geshem" - rain. If there is no rain then all living things cannot exist. This verse and many other verses in the Torah discuss physical rewards for heeding. Although there are allusions to reward in the world to come and main reward is for the soul, the Torah does not spell out spiritual rewards. The obvious question is: WHY THE EMPHASIS ON PHYSICAL REWARDS?

1. Rambam writes that it would be unbecoming for HaShem to write rewards for Mitzvos altogether. This would make it seem as if HaShem has to convince people to do His bidding and can only get them to take on this burden by rewarding them. However, the exact opposite is the case. It is an extreme privilege for us that HaShem has chosen us to do His bidding. The physical benefits written in the Torah are not rewards, but rather, a promise to supply us with the mediums to serve Him so that we can do so unencumbered.
2. Ibn Ezra explains that since mankind lives in a most physical setting it is only one in many who can somewhat grasp what a reward in the world-to-come means. You cannot describe to a person who was blind from birth the different colors. Our Rabbis tell us that the prophets only discussed the reward given in the days of Moshiach but the reward for the world-to-come, "Ayin lo ro'asa," no eye has envisioned it. The Torah therefore speaks the language of down-to-earth people.
3. Rabbeinu Bachyei write that spiritual rewards in the world-to-come are self-understood, given that they are rewards for HaShem's commands. That the abundance or lack of rain hinges upon our fulfilling HaShem's Mitzvos is a startling novelty, hence the need to write them.
4. Kuzari writes that if HaShem were to only write in His Torah spiritual rewards that are paid in the world-to- come, people would be doubtful. They might say that "haratzeh l'sha'keir yarchik eidosov," - one who wishes to lie, and not get caught, will distance his witnesses, saying they are overseas and not available. (This only explains why only spiritual rewards are not written but does not explain why spiritual rewards alongside physical rewards are not written.)
5. Rabbi Saadioh Gaon writes that since idol worshippers did all sorts of acts to appease their so-called gods to receive physical rewards, HaShem spells out Mitzvos and their physical rewards (see Sforno on "bassar b'cholav) to counter any interest ch"v in pursuing the behavior of the idol worshippers. Since they offer no reward in the world-to-come, HaShem has no need to write about this.
6. Rabbi Moshe Cheifetz writes that had HaShem written rewards that will be given in the world-to-come, people would be driven to only think about holiness and the world to come, and in its wake they would forsake their physical needs. The world would become desolate and they would die of self-neglect. This was not HaShem's intention. He wants us to pursue spirituality while living in a functional world. This requires spelling out physical rewards.
7. Yalkut haGeirshuni writes that HaShem hid the reward for the world-to-come to greatly enlarge the reward. Had the Torah clearly spelled out spiritual rewards, they would be glaring out to everyone from the text of the Torah. This would lessen the effort put into doing the Mitzvos since the pot of gold is within sight. This is the meaning of "Mah rav tuv," how great is the goodness, the reward, because "asher tzofanto l'rei'echo," You have hidden it for Your beloved.
8. Meleches Chosheiv writes that there is no need to write the spiritual reward because for those who are righteous, they are self-motivated and a reward need not be spelled out. For the common folk this makes no imprint. This is akin to a parent offering the child a toy if he eats his ...... Even though it is of the utmost importance that a child be nourished, he is not sufficiently intelligent to understand that he should be strongly self-motivated to nourish himself. Similarly, the earthy folk need a motivator, and this can only be physical reward, notwithstanding that they need to nourish their soul.
9. Lubavitcher Rebbe: The litmus test to determine whether a certain trait comes from the individual’s essence is if the detail is not only expressed in the person’s mind, heart or other expressions of the individual, but in his person as a whole. The same is true concerning the fact that Torah is the life and essence of every Jew. This is not communicated when the Torah only affects the individual’s heart or mind, but when it affects him physically as well. when a person is rewarded physically for his Torah study, it expresses that Torah study is not only an expression of one aspect of his identity, but that Torah is his entire identity and his life. Therefore, Torah study brings to an expression of physical goodness in this world.