Bechukotai תרל”ב

תרל”ב
ב”ה מפ’ בחקותי

במד’ חשבתי דרכי. בכל יום הייתי מחשב למקום פלוני לדירה פלו’ אני הולך והיו רגלי מביאות כו’.
The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 35:1) David Hamelch said “I have considered my ways, and have returned back to your decrees” (Tehillim 119:59). David was saying, tht every day he had certain plans to go to certain places, yet his feet constantly took him to the Houses of Torah studying and Prayer.
כי בכל דבר וכל מקום יש חיות הש”י. ורק בכל מקום הוא דירה ולבוש מיוחד לחיות בכמה אופנים שונים. אבל הפנימיות הכל אחד.
(Besides for the simple explanation, this can be understood on a deeper level). For in everything and every place there is the life force of HaShem. It is however enclothed in a certain place or (external physical) clothing, each one taking on a different form and shape. However the internal is all the same (life force of HaShem).
וזה ענין הדרכים שבחזקת סכנה.
This is the reason why travelling is considered dangerous. (For aside from the simple understanding of the dangers of the road, it is also referring to the travelling of this world, that is dangerous for in this world HaShem’s glory is hidden.
ומה שאדם נקרא מהלך להיות מושך חיותו ית’ בכל דבר וכל מקום כנ”ל ע”י המחשבה קודם כל דבר עי”ז יוכל למצוא נקודה אמיתית שבכל דבר.
And when the Torah calls man a “mehalech” “traveller”, (meaning that we grow, as opposed to angels that remain in the same state). This is because through our growth process, man draws onto and reveals the life force of HaShem in everything he does. This is done through a prior preparation in one’s mind before every action. Through this process he is able to find the true point in everything.
עדותיך הוא הבירור שצריך להיות האדם עד לברר ולהעיד כי הכל מהש”י כנ”ל.
“Your statutes” (“eidotecha” connected to the word witness.) This teaches us that through this purification process one is able to purify and testify that everything is from HaShem.
בתי כנסיות ר”ל להכניס הכל תוך הכלל שלא להיות נפרד משורש החיות שמחי’ כל כנ”ל.
“The houses of prays (“batei knesiot” -literally places of gathering). This means that one needs to gather everything into the “klal”, the general principle that nothing should be separated from its source, that gives it life. As above.
והרצון מהאדם הוא הביטול באמת כל השכל וכל הדעת אל רצון הש”י. הגם כי מתחלה בא ע”י החשבון והסתכלות השכל.
The desire of man is his will to nullify his intellect and understanding to the will of HaShem, even though in the preparation stage it is a thought out intellectual process of preparation, (nevertheless afterwards it needs to be done on the level of nullification.)
וז”ש חשבתי דרכי עכ”ז המבוקש צריך להיות להתדבק עי”ז ברצון עליון לבטל השכל אליו.
This is what David Hamelech was sayin. “I considered my ways”, however it was nonetheless done with the desire to connect to HaShem with complete nullification of one’s intellect.
רק שגם זה בא ע”י הדעת וחשבון כנ”ל.
It is just that this too comes with understanding and calculation prior.
וז”ש בחקותי שתהיו עמלים בתורה שלא להיות כוונת הלימוד לידע ולהשיג. רק כדי שיוכל להתבטל אליו כראוי. ולרצות תמיד לבא למה שאינו משיג.
This therefore is the (connection and) meaning of the words “If you follow my laws” (which Rashi explains means) that you shall toil in Torah. This means that the studying of Torah is not merely to gain knowledge, rather the point is to be able to nullify oneself to HaShem properly. (toiling is not the same as learning). This means that one constantly strives to reach a stage where one doesn’t understand.
וזה היגיעה תמיד בתורה להתבטל הדעת אל שלמעלה מהשגה. ועי”ז משיג יותר כדי להתבטל יותר זהו עמל בתורה כנ”ל:
This is a constant striving in the Torah to nullify onesely to the knowledge which is beyond comprehension. It is through this process that one merits to understand more. This therefore the meaning of “toiling in Torah” (not just studying).

אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל הגיד פי’ המדרש הנ”ל ע”פ המשנה אם אין אני לי כו’.
The Chidushei Harim explained the above Midrash (David Hamelech’s feet taking him to the houses of prayer and study), in line with the Mishna (Avot 1:14) “If I am not for myself who is for me? And if not now then when? Yet when I am for myself, what am I”
כי כל אדם נברא על דבר מיוחד מה שא”א לאדם אחר לתקן רק הוא. וכן כל שעה ושעה. ואעפ”כ כשאני לעצמי מה אני. שהעיקר לבטל עבודתו לכלל ישראל.
This is because each person has a specific mission that only he can accomplish. And so too each moment has its unique thing that is supposed to be in that time. Nevertheless when I am to myself what am I, means that the main purpose of everything is to nullify oneself to the service of HaShem and to Klal Yisrael.
וז”ש והיו רגלי מביאות לבתי כנסיות כו’ עכ”ד.
This is the explanation of (David’s words in the above Midrash) “my feet would bring me to the houses of prayer and study”, (that even though there was a specific intention and mission, he was nonetheless able to reach a state of nullification, to be swept off to the correct place).
והשייכות לפ’ אם בחקותי כנ”ל שמי שאינו חפץ לגרמייהו רק להיות בטל להשי”ת בוודאי הוא רק ע”י ביטול לכלל ישראל:
The connection of all this to the parsha of Bechukotai (the collective blessings and punishments) is as we explained above, that one who is not focused only on his own self, rather his desire is to be nullified to HaShem, this can only come about through nullification to Klal Yisrael.

בעשרה מאמרות נה”ע כו’.
The Mishna (Avot 5:1) “With ten utterances the world was created. And what does this teach, for surely it could have been created with one utterance? But this was so in order to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, And to give a good reward to the righteous who maintain the world that was created with ten utterances.”
וקשה ממ”נ אם עתה בנקל יותר לעבוד הש”י מה ליתן ש”ט לצדיקים וכן להיפוך קשה.
There is a difficulty, if it is easier to serve HaShem with these extra “sayings” of HaShem (with the 10 utterance, which represent the detail in the entire creation, including all the mitzvot of the Torah), then why do we need the reason of “to give reward to tzadikim”? And conversely (why do we need the reason of “to pay back the sinners”?)
רק בוודאי שיש לכל מאמר הסתר מיוחד. והצדיקים מקיימים העולם שנברא בע”מ. פי’ שמבררין ומעידין שחיות הכל מעשרה מאמרות.
Rather the explanation is that each saying of HaShem has something unique that is hidden in it, and therefore the “tzadikim who give the world existence that was created in ten sayings”, means that they are the ones that clarify and testify that all the life force of this world comes from these ten sayings,
מקיימים הוא כמו קיום שטר שמעיד ומאמת הדבר.
The word “mekayamim” (who give existence), is related to the concept of “Kiyum shtar” (to give a document legal validity), which means that they testify to the truth of it. (So too the tzadikim testify to the truth of the ten sayings, in that everything is the existence of HaShem).
ופי’ מאמר הוא המשכה והתדבקות בשורש החיות כמ”ש האמירך עשנו חטיבה אחת כו’:
The concept of “ma’amar”, is that of drawing and connecting to the source of life force. Just as we have found the word “amira” (Devarim 26:18) means oneness “HaShem has affirmed you” (see Brochos 6a)