BEHAR - BECHUKOSAI

"I WILL PLACE MY SANCTUARY IN YOUR MIDST, AND MY SOUL SHALL NOT ABHOR YOU... (VAYIKRA 26:12)"

The Torah is speaking here about people who are toiling in Torah, fulfilling all of the Mitzvos, and doing the will of Hashem. Hashem says that he will bless them with rains, fruitful bounties, peace, security, a Beis HaMikdash, and many, many other blessings. One of these other blessings is, "My soul shall not abhor you." Rashi explains this in its plain meaning, "My soul will not despise you."

The Ramban asks on Rashi: What is the meaning of blessing a people who are fulfilling all of the Mitzvos and doing His will, with this that He will not despise them? Is then the reward for being Tzaddikim and doing all of the Mitzvos nothing more than the passive negative fact that Hashem will not despise them? Furthermore, the Ramban asks, even when the Bnai Yisroel transgress, Hashem had promised them, "I shall not despise them, neither will I abhor them [Vayikra 26:44]." If so, when fulfilling the Mitzvos the reward should surely be more substantive than "My soul shall not despise you!"

Rabbeinu Ovadya Bartenura wishes to interpret Rashi in a new perspective, thereby answering both of these questions. The Bartenura states that, in fact, Rashi himself,in between the lines means to ask the Ramban's questions. Rashi addresses himself to this and answers that, indeed, the meaning of "My soul shall not abhor you" is that Hashem will not despise you, but with an entirely different focus. The Torah here is speaking in the language that people generally employ. It is common for a person who loves his friend dearly to eventually tire of him and despise him because of his frequency with him, for familiarity breeds contempt. Therefore, Hashem tells us that He will never despise us nor become tired of us. The Ramban's questions on Rashi are now answered, since the new meaning of "My soul shall not abhor you" is that Hashem is promising a positive reward for those that fulfill His Mitzvos. This reward is that His love for them shall never wane nor erode, forever enduring in all its inherent vitality.

Thus according to Rabbeinu Ovadya MeBartenurah Hashem is promising and assuring all those who toil in Torah and observe Hashem's Mitzvos, "My Love for you shall never wane." Hashem is saying, "I am not like a human being, whose love for his friend wears off through frequency of interaction and acclimation. A human relationship can decline over time, and lose its vitality and

vigor. Even the best of friends can tire and become bored of each other with the passage of time. Hashem is confirming to us that His boundless Love for us will endure forever, never lessening nor eroding even one iota.

It seems from the fact that Hashem perceives a need to encourage and reinforce the realization that He is not like a human being, and His love shall endure forever, that the Klal Yisroel would have thought that Hashem's love for them would wane and erode, as is true by a human being.

This is mystifying. Are we not speaking here of a Klal Yisroel on a very high spiritual level, toiling in Torah study and observing all of the Mitzvos? Can people of such a noble calibre possibly conceive Hashem to be anything less than perfect? Would such tzaddikim liken Hashem to a human being in that his love wanes with the passage of time? Don't they know that HaTzur Tamim Poalo, Hashem is absolutely perfect, with no deficiency whatsoever and not at all like a human being?

We see from here some insight into what the nature of a human being is. A person, even a tzaddik, may tend to project his own human frailties and shortcomings even unto Hashem. Just as my love for my friend can wane and erode with the passage of time, so too can Hashem's love for me decline and subside with the course of time.

In our journey through life, with all of its trials and tribulations, challenges and difficulties, let us be on guard against any thoughts and attitudes which enter into our minds that Hashem is "unfair" or "unjust." Just as we perceive ourselves or our friends with these deficiencies, we may perceive Hashem with these imperfections. This, however, is entirely incorrect. Hashem's fairness and kindness are perfect. They are the essence of perfection.