I want to begin with thanks to Hashem for the blessing my wife and I experienced this week when Yaakov got engaged. In terms taken from the Parasha, after a few verses of blessing, Hashem promises that he will “turn toward” (U’faniti) us, as though he has not done so beforehand. The Netziv explains the word by saying that the blessings at this point shift in focus. Up until now, the verses have been speaking about blessings which are bestowed intermittently, as when one is in wartime or in conquering mode. These are blessings of divine providence, to be sure, but they are not constant.
When Hashem “turns” toward us, on the other hand, it is about blessings which need to be constant, as when one is raising a family. Having a family is one thing, but raising children in a way that is pleasing is in need of constant blessing. My wife and I have been aware of this attention, this special providence, for many years. We would like to thank Hashem for that providence, which is always the decisive factor in all great developments.
The blessings and curses of the Parasha are in the language of this world. It speaks of long life -- of sadly shortened life; of plentiful crops -- of drought and destruction; of peace -- and of war. There is a moment when Rashi says that the verse is referring to the next world, but it is, as always, metaphoric. When Hashem says he will work among us, Rashi says that is a reference to walking in Gan Eden, and that the language of “walk” denotes that the stroll will be as comfortable as walking with friends.
Why does the Torah stick to rewards and punishments of this world? This is an enormous topic but I want to at least touch on it. The Klee Yakar gives seven different answers to this question in his commentary to this Parasha. I want to share two of the approaches he sketches, both to give a flavor for the topic but also because these two suggest something of the bigger picture.
The first of these is that Hashem sought only to give a counterpoint to the world of idol worship. All of the rewards and punishments promised by leveraging idols was of this world. The rain, the crops, the fertility of animals and humans -- it was all about the idols. Because of that context, the Torah spoke only in those terms. Idols did not point to the next world and so the Torah does not. This is the view of R’ Saadia Gaon and the Rambam, at least in the Guide for the Perplexed.
Another view is that the so-called rewards and punishments of the Torah are not indeed meant as the final word. The gifts and the depravations are in fact only enablers, or facilitators, for more Mitzvot or more sins. The Torah is not speaking of final rewards in any sense because that would be absurd. There is no way that the proper currency of a Mitzva or a cosmic mistake can be wholly of this world. A Mitzva cannot be “worth” a Tesla, Heaven forbid. The Gemora in Kiddushin concludes that the reward of a Mitzva does not exist in this world. A Mitzva is infinite and its reward has to be in that realm.
When the Torah says that good things will happen after a Mitzva, it is merely saying that one Mitzva will be followed by conditions more conducive to another Mitzva. Conversely, wartime conditions suppress good deeds. A person trying to survive in Kyiv will not be able to arrange for 4 Minim at Sukkot time. This is a view most famously associated with the Rambam. Not in the Guide for the Perplexed but in the Mishne Torah. In those two different views, I believe one can see a bigger picture emerge on this subject. That is for another time. But the drama of these rewards and punishments, read every year just before Shavuot, set out the stakes involved. They are not the final word but the way to ultimate reward can only be through this route.
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