בהר - בחקתי Bechukotai

My Musing
The idea of שכר ועונש literally translated as reward and punishment, is in this midrash the idea of reward in mind for our actions as summarized in the hymn Yigdal. This idea of proper recompense for our actions is a major tenet of Judaism and is the theme of Parshat Bechukotai.

The midrash relates that we have a set time on this world and we are bidden to make the most of this time. The best way is following God’s commandments. Following God’s commandments also gives us a barrier from Satan. Satan of course is not the classic “Church Lady” idea of the other force. In Judaism Satan is the natural events that cause us to trip up. Following the road map, so to speak, of Torah will keep us from tripping.

The end of the Midrash leaves us with a very disturbing implied question, What would have happened if Adam did not sin?

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת בחוקותי סימן א
(ויקרא כו:ג) "אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם"

If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them;

זה שאמר הכתוב (איוב יד:ה) "אִם חֲרוּצִים יָמָיו מִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו אִתָּךְ <חקו> חֻקָּיו עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר"
מהו "אִם חֲרוּצִים יָמָיו"? בשעה שהקדוש ברוך הוא ברא עולמו חרץ ימיו של כל אחד ואחד שנאמר (בראשית א:יד) "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים"
ולמי נתנה? לישראל. שנאמר (תהלים קמז:יט) "מַגִּיד <דברו> דְּבָרָיו לְיַעֲקֹב חֻקָּיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו לְיִשְׂרָאֵל"

This is what scripture said “If his days are determined, the number of his months is with You, and you have done His statutes he cannot pass;”
What is “If his days are determined”? At the moment that the Holy One, blessed be He created His world, he determined the days of each creature as it says, “And God said: 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years”
And to whom did He give it? To Israel as it says, “He declares His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel.”

"מִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו אִתָּךְ <חקו> חֻקָּיו עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר" אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל , 'אם עשיתם את חוקי אין השטן נוגע בכם' שנאמר, "וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר". 'אבל אם אינכם עושים חקי הרי השטן נוגע בכם' שנאמר, (ישעיהו כח:יט) "מִדֵּי עָבְרוֹ יִקַּח אֶתְכֶם כִּי בַבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר יַעֲבֹר בַּיּוֹם וּבַלָּיְלָה וְהָיָה רַק זְוָעָה הָבִין שְׁמוּעָה"

“the number of his months is with You, and You have done His statutes he cannot pass;” Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel, ‘If you do My statutes the Satan will have no effect on you’ as it says “he cannot pass”. ‘But if you do not do My statutes the Satan will affect you.’ As it says, “As often as it passes through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and it shall be sheer terror to understand the message”

"חֻקָּיו עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר", כך אמרתי לשלמה בשעה ששאל את החכמה. מה אמרתי לו? (מלכים א, ג:יג) "וְגַם אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁאַלְתָּ נָתַתִּי לָךְ גַּם עֹשֶׁר גַּם כָּבוֹד אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָיָה כָמוֹךָ אִישׁ בַּמְּלָכִים כָּל יָמֶיךָ"

” You have done His statutes he cannot pass” Such I said to Solomon when he asked for wisdom. What did I say to him? “And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour--so that there hath not been any among the kings like unto thee--all thy days”

אם תקיים את התורה ואת החקים אין מלאך המות נוגע בך. שנאמר, (מלכים א, ג:יד) "וְאִם תֵּלֵךְ בִּדְרָכַי לִשְׁמֹר חֻקַּי וּמִצְוֹתַי כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ דָּוִיד אָבִיךָ וְהַאֲרַכְתִּי אֶת יָמֶיךָ" הוי "חֻקָּיו עָשִׂיתָ וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר". אדם הראשון אלו שמר את התורה ואת המצות שנתתי לו לא היה מת, לפיכך כתיב "אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וגו'"

If you fulfill the Torah and the statutes the Angel of Death will have no sway. As it says, “And if you will walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.” That is “have done His statutes he cannot pass;” Primal man, if he guarded the Torah and the commandments he would not have died, therefore it is written “If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them;”