Bechukosai: Finding Blessing within the Curses
ד“ה בשברי לכם מטה לחם
The great sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was once visited by two of his students, Rabbi Yonason ben Asmai and Yehuda ben Geirim. When they took leave and set off on their way, Rabbi Shimon sent his son after them to ask for a blessing.
In response to his request for a Bracha they said to him “May it be Hashem’s will that you sow but not reap, that you take in and not bring out, bring out and not take in, let your house be destroyed and your inn inhabited, let your table be disturbed and may you not see a new year.”
Distressed by these terrifying words, he returned to his father and said that instead of blessing him, the two students had cursed him. When he told his father exactly what they had said, Rabbi Shimon exclaimed “these are all blessings” and proceeded to explain;
“That you sow but not reap” means that you will have children and that they will not die. “That you take in and not bring out” means that you will take in daughter-in-law and your sons will not pass away, ensuring that your daughters-in-law will not leave. “That you bring out and not take in” means that you will have daughters and when they marry, their husbands will not die and they won’t have to return to you.
“Let your house be destroyed and your inn inhabited” was a blessing for long life. Our time in this world is temporary, like an inn. The time after passing away, is likened to a house which is more permanent. The blessing was that he should not die prematurely, so that his ‘inn’ will be inhabited rather than his ‘house’.
“Let your table be disturbed” refers to the birth of children who create disorder and mess in the home. “And may you not see a new year” is a blessing that your wife will not die and you will not need to remarry and have another Shana Rishona - first year.
The above Gemara is hard to understand. If this was what the students meant, why didn’t they give these blessings directly? Why did they disguise them in the form of curses?
Some commentators explain that it was to test Rabbi Shimon’s son, to see if he could work out their riddles. Others suggest that it was to avoid an Ayin Hara when giving him their blessings. Alternatively, they wanted him to receive the blessings from his father when he would inevitably interpret their words for his son.
Chassidus explains that hidden in curses are Hashem’s deepest blessings. These blessings are so lofty that they cannot come down in a revealed way. Instead, they must be hidden. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, being a master of the inner dimension of Torah, was able to unlock the curses and reveal the blessings within them.
Parshas Bechukosai contains the Tochecha (literally the rebuke). It forewarns of all of the terrible punishments that would befall Bnei Yisroel if they should fail to follow Hashem and His laws. Following the approach of Rabbi Shimon, the Kabbalists and Chassidic masters explain the verses of these curses according to the inner dimension of Torah. In their works, they reveal to us some of the Brachos that lie hidden beneath the literal reading of the Pesukim.
One of the curses in the Tochecha is “when I break for you the staff of bread, and ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread by weight, and you will eat, yet not be satisfied”.
In Likutei Torah, the Alter Rebbe explains the inner meaning and blessing hidden within this curse.
Torah is likened to bread. Like bread made of flour, the Torah is made up of the 22 letters of the Alef Beis, 22 sharing the same Gematria as חטה (wheat). Just as bread nourishes the body, Torah sustains the soul.
But bread can only nourish a person if it has been baked. Because raw dough cannot be digested, it will not become absorbed in the body to give it nourishment. Torah too needs to be baked in order for it becomes one with us. Otherwise the Torah and the one learning it will remain separate entities.
The Neshama has a fiery love for Hashem and desire to cleave to Him. These fires are hidden within the heart and are revealed through meditation on Hashem’s oneness. This is represented by “one oven” - a fire that comes from the oneness of Hashem. When one channels this love into their study, the bread of Torah is baked, meaning that it can become a part of us.
The ten women represent the use of the 10 conscious faculties of the soul that we must apply in “baking” our Torah study. They are referred to as “women” i.e. in female form, to represent the feminine quality of being a ‘receiver’. This is the humility to recognise that we are receivers and that all of our spiritual qualities and strengths are given by Hashem and not of our own making.
When Torah is studied with this passion and desire to connect to Hashem, the verse continues that you will “bring it back by weight”. When an object is placed on one side of a scale, the other side rises upwards. So too, Torah studied in this manner will ascend from below to the greatest of heights Above.
And “you will eat and not be satisfied”. Kohelet describes “Whoever loves silver will not be sated with silver”. No matter how much they have, they still want more. So too, the Torah assures that our appetite and craving for Torah will not be sated. This “bread” will give vitality to the Neshama so that no matter how much we learn, the words of Torah will remain ‘like new in our eyes’.
In addition to the amazing explanation of this specific curse, this Maamar also teaches us a profound lesson and perspective. In our lives we have times of open and apparent blessings. But even when we face challenges and difficulties in our lives, we are assured, that coming from Hashem, they too can contain powerful blessings and opportunities. Learning the inner dimension of Torah gives us the lenses through which we will be able to see them.
ד“ה בשברי לכם מטה לחם
The great sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was once visited by two of his students, Rabbi Yonason ben Asmai and Yehuda ben Geirim. When they took leave and set off on their way, Rabbi Shimon sent his son after them to ask for a blessing.
In response to his request for a Bracha they said to him “May it be Hashem’s will that you sow but not reap, that you take in and not bring out, bring out and not take in, let your house be destroyed and your inn inhabited, let your table be disturbed and may you not see a new year.”
Distressed by these terrifying words, he returned to his father and said that instead of blessing him, the two students had cursed him. When he told his father exactly what they had said, Rabbi Shimon exclaimed “these are all blessings” and proceeded to explain;
“That you sow but not reap” means that you will have children and that they will not die. “That you take in and not bring out” means that you will take in daughter-in-law and your sons will not pass away, ensuring that your daughters-in-law will not leave. “That you bring out and not take in” means that you will have daughters and when they marry, their husbands will not die and they won’t have to return to you.
“Let your house be destroyed and your inn inhabited” was a blessing for long life. Our time in this world is temporary, like an inn. The time after passing away, is likened to a house which is more permanent. The blessing was that he should not die prematurely, so that his ‘inn’ will be inhabited rather than his ‘house’.
“Let your table be disturbed” refers to the birth of children who create disorder and mess in the home. “And may you not see a new year” is a blessing that your wife will not die and you will not need to remarry and have another Shana Rishona - first year.
The above Gemara is hard to understand. If this was what the students meant, why didn’t they give these blessings directly? Why did they disguise them in the form of curses?
Some commentators explain that it was to test Rabbi Shimon’s son, to see if he could work out their riddles. Others suggest that it was to avoid an Ayin Hara when giving him their blessings. Alternatively, they wanted him to receive the blessings from his father when he would inevitably interpret their words for his son.
Chassidus explains that hidden in curses are Hashem’s deepest blessings. These blessings are so lofty that they cannot come down in a revealed way. Instead, they must be hidden. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, being a master of the inner dimension of Torah, was able to unlock the curses and reveal the blessings within them.
Parshas Bechukosai contains the Tochecha (literally the rebuke). It forewarns of all of the terrible punishments that would befall Bnei Yisroel if they should fail to follow Hashem and His laws. Following the approach of Rabbi Shimon, the Kabbalists and Chassidic masters explain the verses of these curses according to the inner dimension of Torah. In their works, they reveal to us some of the Brachos that lie hidden beneath the literal reading of the Pesukim.
One of the curses in the Tochecha is “when I break for you the staff of bread, and ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread by weight, and you will eat, yet not be satisfied”.
In Likutei Torah, the Alter Rebbe explains the inner meaning and blessing hidden within this curse.
Torah is likened to bread. Like bread made of flour, the Torah is made up of the 22 letters of the Alef Beis, 22 sharing the same Gematria as חטה (wheat). Just as bread nourishes the body, Torah sustains the soul.
But bread can only nourish a person if it has been baked. Because raw dough cannot be digested, it will not become absorbed in the body to give it nourishment. Torah too needs to be baked in order for it becomes one with us. Otherwise the Torah and the one learning it will remain separate entities.
The Neshama has a fiery love for Hashem and desire to cleave to Him. These fires are hidden within the heart and are revealed through meditation on Hashem’s oneness. This is represented by “one oven” - a fire that comes from the oneness of Hashem. When one channels this love into their study, the bread of Torah is baked, meaning that it can become a part of us.
The ten women represent the use of the 10 conscious faculties of the soul that we must apply in “baking” our Torah study. They are referred to as “women” i.e. in female form, to represent the feminine quality of being a ‘receiver’. This is the humility to recognise that we are receivers and that all of our spiritual qualities and strengths are given by Hashem and not of our own making.
When Torah is studied with this passion and desire to connect to Hashem, the verse continues that you will “bring it back by weight”. When an object is placed on one side of a scale, the other side rises upwards. So too, Torah studied in this manner will ascend from below to the greatest of heights Above.
And “you will eat and not be satisfied”. Kohelet describes “Whoever loves silver will not be sated with silver”. No matter how much they have, they still want more. So too, the Torah assures that our appetite and craving for Torah will not be sated. This “bread” will give vitality to the Neshama so that no matter how much we learn, the words of Torah will remain ‘like new in our eyes’.
In addition to the amazing explanation of this specific curse, this Maamar also teaches us a profound lesson and perspective. In our lives we have times of open and apparent blessings. But even when we face challenges and difficulties in our lives, we are assured, that coming from Hashem, they too can contain powerful blessings and opportunities. Learning the inner dimension of Torah gives us the lenses through which we will be able to see them.