Ilustration Credit: Noa Kelner
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
Another midrash on this parashah considers the meaning of the opening words in our parashah: אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ (If you walk in My laws)
How do you walk in God’s laws?
Here’s a midrash that explains this pasuk. This midrash connects it to a place in Tanakh where King David describes walking to God.
"אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ" (ויקרא כו:ג)—הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: "חִשַּׁבְתִּי דְרָכָי וָאָשִׁיבָה רַגְלַי אֶל עֵדֹתֶיךָ" (תהלים קיט:נט).
אָמַר דָּוִד רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם הָיִיתִי מְחַשֵׁב וְאוֹמֵר לְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וּלְבֵית דִּירָה פְּלוֹנִית אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ, וְהָיוּ רַגְלַי מְבִיאוֹת אוֹתִי לְבָתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּלְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת.
“If you walk in My laws” (Vayikra 26:3)—this is connected to what is written: “I have thought about my paths, and returned my feet to Your decrees” (Tehillim 119:59).
David said: ‘Master of the Universe, every day I would plan my route and say: I am going to this place or to that home. But then my feet would bring me to a beit knesset (shul) or a beit midrash (study hall).’
According to this midrash, whenever King David laced up his sneakers and tried to walk anywhere, his feet would take him to a holy place!
- What does it mean to be naturally pulled to holy places or to the Torah?
- Do you ever feel an inclination inside you, guiding you to be better? How can we listen to that voice?
The Sefat Emet (150 years ago) gives a different explanation of the midrash. He says that King David didn’t really wind up in a beit knesset or beit midrash every time he headed out for a walk. Actually King David’s feet took him to all sorts of different places, but when he got there he found that he was always able to find something holy to do in those places.
- What would it mean to turn every place that you go into a beit midrash?
- Try it out! Can you find something holy to do wherever you go?
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