(1) אם בחקתי תלכו IF YOU WALK IN MY ORDINANCES — One might think that this denotes the fulfilment of the commandments; but when Scripture states “and you shall keep My commandments and do them”, it is plain that in this passage there is mentioned the “fulfilment of the commands”. How then must I explain אם בחקתי תלכו? As an admonition that you should study the Torah laboriously (Sifra, Bechukotai, Section 1 1-2)
אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ. אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי, דָּא אֲתַר דִּגְזִירִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא תַּלְיָין בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (ויקרא י״ח:ד׳) אֶת חֻקּוֹתַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ. חוֹק הוּא דְּאִקְרֵי הָכִי, וּגְזִירִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּהּ אִתְכְּלִילָן. (ויקרא כ״ה:י״ח) וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ. מִשְׁפָּטַי, דָּא הוּא אֲתַר אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה, דְּהַהִיא חֻקָּה אֲחִידַת בֵּיהּ, וּמִתְחַבְּרָן דָּא בְּדָא דְּעִילָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. וְכָל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכָל גִּזְרֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְכָל קִדּוּשֵׁי אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּהָנֵי אֲחִידָן. בְּגִין דְּהַאי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב, וְהַאי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה.
וְעַל דָּא אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי, כָּל אִינּוּן גְּזִירִין וְדִינִין וְעוֹנָשִׁין וּפִקּוּדִין, דְּאִינּוּן בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, חֻקָּה. וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ, בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהלים פא) מִשְׁפָּט לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב. וְדָא אָחִיד בְּדָא וְדָא בְּדָא, וְכֹלָּא חַד. וְדָא הוּא כְּלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא וּמַאן דְּאַעְבַּר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּאִלּוּ פָּגִים שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּגִין דְּחֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוִי. וְעַל דָּא, אִם בְּחֻקּוֹתַי תֵּלֵכוּ: דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה. וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ: דָּא תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב.
וְדָא הוּא כְּלָלָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם. מַאי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר תֵּלֵכוּ וְתִשְׁמְרוּ, אֲמַאי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם. אֶלָּא, מַאן דְּעָבִיד פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא וְאָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחוֹי, כִּבְיָכוֹל כְּאִלּוּ עֲבִיד לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּאִלּוּ עַשָׂאָנִי, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. וְעַל דָּא וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אוֹתָם. וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אַתֶּם כְּתִיב וַדַּאי, וְהוֹאִיל וּמִתְעָרֵי עָלַיְיכוּ לְאִתְחַבְּרָא דָּא בְּדָא, לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אַתֶּם וַדַּאי.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, (שמואל ב ח׳:י״ג) וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם, וְכִי דָּוִד עֲבַד לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאָזִיל בְּאָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעָבִיד פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאַנְהִיג מַלְכוּתָא כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, כִּבְיָכוֹל, עָשָׂה שֵׁם לְעֵילָּא. וְלָא הֲוָה מַלְכָּא בְּעָלְמָא דְּזָכָה לְהַאי כְּדָוִד, דְּהֲוָה קָם בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, וַהֲוָה מְשַׁבַּח לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַד דְּסָלִיק שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּכוּרְסְיָּיה, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק נְהוֹרָא דִּימָמָא. כִּבְיָכוֹל הוּא עָבַד שֵׁם מַמָּשׁ...
"If you walk in My statutes" (Lev 26:3). "My statutes," is the place upon which the decrees of the Torah depend as it is written: "and keep My statutes" (Lev 18:4). This is called 'a Statute,' and the decrees of the Torah are comprised in it. "And keep My laws" (Lev 25:18). Law is another high place, to which the Statute cleaves, and the upper and lower cleave to each other. All the precepts of the Torah, the decrees of the Torah, and the sanctities of the Torah cleave to them since they are the Written Torah, and the Oral Torah.
Hence, "My statutes," are all those decrees and judgments, punishments, and commandments, which pertain to the place called the Oral Torah - 'Statute.' "And keep My laws," in the place called the Written Torah, as it is written: "a law of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 81:5). They are attached to each other, and all is one, the whole of the Holy Name. The one who transgresses the words of the Torah is as if they render defective the Holy Name, since Statute and Law is the Name of the Holy Blessed One. Therefore, "If you walk in My statutes," is the Oral Torah; and, "and keep my Laws," is the Written Torah. This is the totality of the Holy Name.
"And do them" (Vayikra 26:3). What is the meaning of "and do them?" It already says "walk," and, "keep." Why "and do them?" The one who observes the precepts of the Torah and walks in God's paths is as if they made Him above. The Holy Blessed One says, 'as if they made Me.' This has been explained. Therefore, "and do them." Indeed it says, "and do them," since through being roused by you they join each other, so that the Holy Name will properly prevail. Indeed, you "do them."
Rabbi Shimon discussed in the same manner the verse, "And David made himself a name" (II Shmuel 8:13). Did David do that for himself? Rather since David walked in the ways of the Torah and observed the commandments of the Torah, and led the kingdom well, it is as if he made the name above. There was no king in the world who merited this like David, who used to rise at midnight and praise the Holy Blessed One until the Holy Name, came up with its Throne when daylight broke. Therefore, it is as if he really made a name...