Parshat Behukotai brings us the “tochecha” a forewarning of some of the nasty things that will happen if we do not follow the right path. Hashem warns that that will be thrown out of the land but closes the chapter on an optimistic note saying that he will not forsake us in foreign lands. The “tochecha” closes with “these are the decrees, the laws and the teachings (torot) that Hashem gave between himself and Bnei Yisrael at Mount Sinai by the hand of Moshe.” This sentence is interesting in itself and a fitting closure to the book of Vayikra, but then we find a further chapter discussing gifts to Hashem and then finally a similar closure “that Hashem commanded Moshe at Sinai.”
The striking fact here is the repeat of the mentioning of Mount Sinai which is, of course, what opened the previous Parsha Behar. The emphasis of these chapters dealing with the holiness of the land being presented at Sinai, requires understanding. The Ibn Ezra explains that the Torah does not keep order chronologically, and this presentation of the holiness of the land was given earlier at Sinai. He suggests that Hashem placed this discussion here, just before Bnei Yisrael set off to march to the Holy Land, to stress the importance of keeping the land holy. If we preserve and respect the Shmita and Yovel the land will be fertile.
The Netziv deals with this at length and notes that the expression “by the hand of Moshe” is used. He explains that Moshe added all the depth of understanding and discussion (pilpul) of the Oral Law. The sentence quoted above uses the term “torot” in plural which implies both the Written Torah and the Oral Law. Moreover, explains the Netziv, the reason this is mentioned here is to stress that the Oral Law will accompany us and keep us alive during our long exile, which was of course still very much dominant in the times of the Netziv. He adds that the sentence actually says “Hashem gave between himself and Bnei Yisrael” The Oral Law that Moshe taught us is the anchor of our survival. The amazing way our learning and questioning has evolved from the Talmud, through to modern times, is what has kept our nation alive.
Returning to the last seemingly out of context last chapter of Vayikra which deals with gifts and promises, that Chief Rabbi Hertz actually calls an appendix. His almost namesake, Rav S R Hirsch explains that unlike the previous chapter, which closes the discussion of holiness between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael, this final chapter deals with the value of promises which are agreed between people. Such promises are agreed by the people themselves and so is discussed separately.
The value of a person is without doubt something that is difficult to grasp and in this chapter the value is put at fifty shekels which Hertz makes equivalent to seven pounds sterling in the 1930’s. Listening to the radio today, the emeritus head of the Supreme Court in Israel was interviewed on the current issues of the independence of the Israeli Judiciary and the Supreme Court. I do not wish to delve into the politics of the matter, but she made the point of how the far more serious issue of the number of fatalities from work accidents does not seem to have the same priority (four more people died this week in the terrible crane accident). We seem to be missing somewhere on the value and sanctity of human life and how it should be protected, as we continue to build our land.