Parshas Bichukosai (5760)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
There is an important message in this week’s Parsha that I think is overlooked. Obvious as it is, it is like many other important things that we overlook.
One of the most unpleasant phenomenon one witnesses in this world is the suffering of the righteous and the success of the wicked. This is how people perceive that HaShem runs the world. This illusion even seems to get backing from Torah sources. For example, in Avos 4:15 it says that we do not comprehend the peace of the wicked nor the suffering of the righteous. Another example the Chazal tell us that Moshe Rabbenu requested that HaShem reveal to him why tzaddikim suffer and the wicked succeed. From this it would seem that Moshe Rabbenu was requesting an explanation for a system by which the world is actually run.
If we take a panorama view of the various faiths and religions we will find they all make promises of reward in the afterlife. “You will be reclining in your vineyard with clusters of grapes hanging; surrounded by your harem of 1000 wives “.
Lihavdil elef alfei alafim Hashem makes His promises of reward in this world. Anybody can make all the promises for anything in the next world. HaShem promises this world. We find this repeated over and over again and we recite twice a day in Krias Shma. “V’Asafta Diganecha V’Siroshcha V’yitzharecha”. HaShem’s promises were certainly fulfilled. In the Midbar we were on the highest level and HaShem sent down the “mohn”; supernatural food from Heaven. Bnai Yisroel were in the desert for forty years, millions of people, men, women, old and young, children and infants. We know that a human exposed to the elements in a desert can hardly survive one day. Because of our greatness HaShem showered us with miracle upon miracle, and blessings upon blessings. When we entered Eretz Yisroel, the golden era of history on our land, the spiritual level was the highest and the level of blessing, of abundance was likewise on the highest level. The biggest problem facing the Jewish nation was the millions of goyim that came from all over to convert. They came because they saw our glorious success.
The flip side unfortunately also proved to be true. All through our history the periods of grief and suffering were parallel to a deviation from the proper fulfillment of the will of HaShem. Yes, there is the phenomenon in the world of the suffering of the righteous and the success of the wicked but these are the exceptions, not the rule. The rule is “tzadik v’tov lo, rasha v’rah lo”. The meaning of the questioning and astonishment of the suffering of the righteous is because the rule is promised true happiness and success. The perplexity is an expression of wonderment when we see the opposite.
One of the greatest spiritual catastrophes that ever befell Klal Yisrael was the massive forsaking of the Torah that occurred in Europe that started about 150 years ago. They were infatuated with the new German culture and drunkenly in love with their way of life. They idolized their manners and they yearned to emulate them in every way possible. This mass movement of forsaking HaShem and the Torah spread like wildfire around Europe. A display of Divine patience was followed by the Divine punishment. Follow the route of how, starting from Germany the anti Torah movement spread around Europe. Then map out the steps of the Nazis’ destruction in Europe. You will find them exactly the same. There are many aspects of the holocaust we do not comprehend, but the basic premise of it is very clear—an obvious lesson. There are no words to describe the tragedy if we don’t learn and gain from it.
The principle that Hashem rewards and punishes in this world is one of the most important foundations of the Torah. Our parsha BiChukosai shouts it. We should all be zocheh to “Ashraychem V’Tov Lach”—happiness and joy in this world and the next.