Parshas Bechukosai – Ki Hem Chayeinu
The mighty winds of pleasure gust and enrapture mankind. Men and women
alike are swept away by its powerful appeal, quickly causing them to drift
from the innocent children they all once were. They are constantly found
happily enslaved to their inborn animalistic drives, unaware of the danger
they are in and completely contempt under their spell.
The question though is do we have a chance?
The Medrash in Vayikra quotes a memra from R’Levi, that the word “Bechukosai” found in the beginning of this week’s parsha, where Hashem is instructing Klal Yisroel to be “amel – toil” in Torah, was chosen specifically to convey the message that the Torah which we etch, which in Lashon Hakodesh is “chok”, into our hearts, gives us the mystical power to shield us from the pulls of the Yetzer Hara. This chazal is telling us that the key to dominating our yetzer harah will only come through toiling in Torah.
The Gemara in Kedushin similarly says “barasi yetzer harah barasi torah tavlin – I created the yetzer harah but created the Torah as its antidote”. The Rabbis explain this to mean that Torah learning creates a spiritual forcefield against the yetzer harah disallowing it to influence us, by
weakening it and by strengthening us.
The Mesials Yesharim says that “if a person thinks that without the antidote of Torah they can be victorious over their Yetzer Hara, they are making a mistake and will see their error when they die filled with sin”.
We must understand the learning Torah isnt just a nice thing to do, it’s our lifeline.
“Ki heim chayeinu”
HAVE A WONDERFUL SHABBOS!
Rabbi Anton
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