An Outline of the Rebbe’s Explanation of Rashi
Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
Likkutei Sichos Volume 17, Pages 313 – 320
Rashi in His Own Words
ויקרא כ"ו, ג': ְ רוּ וַﬠֲשִׂ יתֶ ם אֹתָ ם:אִ ם בְּ חֻקֹּתַ י תֵּ לֵכוּ וְאֶת מִ צְ וֹ תַ י תִּשׁ ְ מ
רש"י ד"ה אם בחקתי תלכו: את מצותי תשמרו, הרי קיום המצות אמור, הא מה אני מקיים אם יכול זה קיום המצות, כשהוא אומר ו
בחקתי תלכו, שתהיו עמלים בתורה:
רש"י ד"ה ואת מצותי תשמרו:קיים, כמו שנאמר )דברים ה א( ולמדתם אותם ושמרתם לעשותם: הוו עמלים בתורה על מנת לשמור ול
Vayikroh 26:3: If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them ...
Rashi Heading: If you follow My statutes: I might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments. However, when Scripture says, “and observe My commandments,” the fulfillment of the commandments is (already) stated. So, what is the meaning of “If you follow My statutes?” It means that you must toil in the study of Torah.
Rashi Heading: and observe My commandments: You shall toil in the study of Torah to observe and fulfill (the commandments). This is similar to "(Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances...) and learn them, and keep in mind to do them."
Synopsis
In this week's Torah portion, Behar-Bechukosai, G-d tells us, "If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them," He will give us great rewards. The question is that "following in My statutes" and "observing My commandments" would seem the same! Therefore, Rashi explains that "following in My statutes" refers to toiling in Torah study. "Observing My commandments," says Rashi, means toiling in Torah study as well. However, it relates to a different level of Torah study. It means toiling in Torah to derive its practical laws.
The Torah's words seem clear enough; why does Rashi explain them in a manner that appears to be different than the simple meaning of the words? We know that "following His statutes" cannot simply mean keeping the commandments, because the following few words in the verse mention Mitzvah observance. Therefore, we must say that it means Torah study. However, Torah study is also a Mitzvah. Hence, "observing My commandments" also includes Torah study. It cannot refer to a quantitative difference in Torah study, because it would be more of the same Mitzvah. Therefore, Rashi says there is a qualitative difference, namely "toiling," in the Torah study. Even one who learns Torah without great effort is also "following His statutes."
However, we are still left with a difficulty. Rashi explains the verse "If you follow My statutes," which means you toil in Torah. This is above and beyond the Mitzvah ("and observe My commandments"), which includes the commandment of Torah study. The two seem to be in the wrong order. One would think it should begin with something simpler, fulfilling the commandments. It could then progress to something more difficult, such as toiling in Torah study! Therefore, Rashi explains that "observing My commandments" means "toiling in the study of Torah to observe and fulfill the commandments." The two are in the correct order, because observing the Mitzvos also refers to toiling in Torah study, but in a qualitatively different manner; toiling to extract the practical law from the Torah.
Rashi's Explanation
In this week's Torah portion, Behar-Bechukosai, the Torah tells us, "If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them," we will receive many blessings. "I will give your rains in their time, the land will yield its produce, and the field's trees will give forth their fruit, etc." Rashi cites the words "If you follow My statutes," and explains, "I might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments. However, when Scripture says, 'and observe My commandments,' the fulfillment of the commandments is (already) stated. So, what does 'If you follow My statutes' mean?' It means that you must toil in the study of Torah." Immediately following this, Rashi explains the following words in the verse. He explains that "and observe My commandments" means that "you shall toil in the study of Torah to observe and fulfill (the commandments). This is similar to '(Hear, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances...) and learn them, and keep in mind to do them'." Here, Rashi also understands fulfilling the commandments as toiling in Torah.
Rashi's source for his commentary is from the Midrash. However, we know that Rashi does not quote Midrashim unless they are needed to explain Peshat. That explains why Rashi quotes the entire text of the Midrash, "I might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments. However, when Scripture says, 'and observe My commandments,' the fulfillment of the commandments is (already) stated. So, what does 'If you follow My statutes' mean?' It means that you must toil in the study of Torah." Had Rashi merely stated that "if you follow My statutes," means that you must toil in Torah study, I would think that he was telling us the simple definition of "following My statutes." That would not be true, because the translation of "חוקותי - My Statutes" is generally commandments; however, in this instance, that cannot be the case, because the Torah immediately tells us to observe the commandments. Therefore, Rashi explains that here it means to toil in Torah.
Difficulties in Understanding Rashi
Rashi is explaining to us that in this context, the word(s) "חוקותי - My Statutes" does not have its usual meaning of Mitzvos, but rather it refers to Torah study. To tell us this, it would seem that Rashi only needed to cite the word "If in My statutes," and state, "I might think that this refers to commandments." Why does he say it refers to "the fulfillment of the commandments?" The question is even stronger. The Midrash, which Rashi quotes, says, "I might think that this refers to commandments." Rashi adds the words "the fulfillment."
Rashi's reason for changing the meaning of the word here is because it further says in the same verse, "Observe My commandments," From which Rashi derives that here "My statutes" refers to Torah. However, how do we know it refers explicitly to toiling in Torah?
Commenting on the words "and observe them," Rashi writes, "you shall toil in the study of Torah to observe and fulfill (the commandments)." This would seem to contradict what he wrote a few lines earlier, "When Scripture says, 'and observe My commandments,' the fulfillment of the commandments is (already) stated." In other words, first he defines "and observe My commandments" as the fulfillment of the Mitzvos. He then says that "and observe My commandments" means "you shall toil in the study of Torah to observe and fulfill (the commandments)."
The Explanation
The beginning student is well aware that Torah study is a Mitzvah. Therefore, "going in My statutes" cannot mean Torah study, because immediately following that, it says "and observe My commandments." This includes Torah study. Therefore, Rashi understands that the verse means to bring Torah study to a higher level. However, we cannot be speaking about learning more Torah. A difference in quantity would be irrelevant. Whether one learns more or less Torah, he is fulfilling the same Mitzvoh. This is comparable to the Mitzvoh of Tefillin. Whether one wears Tefillin for a longer or a shorter time, he performs the same Mitzvoh. Instead, the Torah study we are discussing here must be qualitatively greater. From this, Rashi understands that going in My statutes means to toil in Torah. No matter how much effort one puts into studying, one fulfills the same commandment. However, the quality of the Mitzvah is greater.
However, based on this, another matter requires explanation. The order of the verse seems to be difficult to understand. First, the verse says, "If you follow My statutes," which means a level of Torah study that is qualitatively greater. It then says "and observe My commandments," which refers to merely fulfilling (all of the commandments, including) Torah study. One would think that the verse should first discuss simply studying Torah, then discuss exerting oneself in Torah study.
Had "If you follow My statutes" meant Torah study, and "observe My commandments" meant Mitzvoh fulfillment, there would be no question about the order of the verse. One must first learn to be able to perform Mitzvos. However, learning to be able to act does not require any extra effort. From this, Rashi deduces that applying extra effort in Torah study is not merely learning for the sake of learning. There is also a level of toil in learning to fulfill Hashem's commandments. This is why Rashi quotes the verse "and learn them, and keep in mind to do them." In whatever manner one learns, it must be in order "to keep in mind to do them," meaning to fulfill the commandments.
This also explains why Rashi explains "and fulfill My commandments" with the words "you shall toil in the study of Torah to observe and fulfill (the commandments)." "You shall toil" refers to "If you follow in My statutes." Rashi writes them here to explain the order of the verse. It begins by discussing a high level of learning Torah, applying great effort to learn. The verse concludes that this same approach must be used when studying to know how to observe the commandments.
A Deeper Explanation from Rashi
Because "going in My statutes" refers to exerting oneself in Torah study, there must be a connection between "statutes - חוקים" and toiling in Torah study. It is written that "Torah is light," meaning that everything in Torah provides illumination. The use of the word "statutes – יםחוק" to describe toiling in Torah implies that there is a connection between the two.
To understand this, we must first understand the meaning of "statute – חוק," concerning Mitzvos. There are three general categories of Mitzvos:
1. Testimonies - עדות:
These are laws which testify to a particular event that took place. For example, keeping Shabbos is a testimony that G-d created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.
2. Laws - משפטים:
These are laws that have an explanation that is understood by human intellect. An example would be the prohibition against stealing.
3. Statutes - חוקים:
These are Mitzvos whose reason is beyond our comprehension. An example would be not wearing a garment containing both wool and linen.
Hebrew is called the "Holy Tongue." Every Hebrew word has a special, Divine significance. The word used in our verse for law, a statute, is the word חוק, which is related to the Hebrew word for engraving - חקיקה. This means that there is a connection between super rational laws and engraving. Just what is that connection?
One of the differences between engraving and writing is that engraving takes much more effort and exertion. Likewise, it takes much effort to fulfill a commandment that is not understood. The only reason to fulfill the Mitzvoh is because the King decreed that I must. To fulfill a command that I find logical is not all that difficult.
This also enables us to understand the words "חוקותי - My Statutes," and its connection with חקיקה-engraving, and חוקים, laws which transcend human understanding. We can now understand the connection to toiling, exerting oneself in Torah study. This toil must be beyond all reason. However, despite going beyond reason, I must understand the Torah which I learn to whatever degree possible. As a result of toiling in the study of Torah, our hearts will be pierced and engraved. The Torah, which we learn will even break through, engrave a heart of stone, if we exert ourselves above our nature.
(Compiled from a talk given on Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai 5725)
I hope you gained as much by reading this as I did by translating and adapting it.
Click here to dedicate a week, a month, or a year to the Rashi of the Week.
You can find us on the web at www.RebbeTeachesRashi.org.
You can find our blog here.
