B’chukotai - Reconstructionist

Leviticus 26:3-27:34

Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Walking in God's Ways

This week's parashah, Behukotay, is the final parashah in the book of Vayikra. In this parashah God tells Moses to inform the people if they "walk with my statutes and observe my mitzvot (commandments) all will go well for them. However, if they do not, the heavens will dry up and all sorts of tragedy will befall them. The parashah then describes in great detail what will happen if the people continue to ignore God's will.

Though I don't take this type of "reward and punishment theology" literally I believe that there is an important spiritual lesson to be found in the problematic narrative of the parashah. At the start of the parashah we find another phrase connected to the idea of walking. Moses is told that if the people walk with God, hithalkhti b'toch'chem,"I (God) will walk about in your midst."

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