What’s frustrating about our relationship with G-d?
Mishneh Torah: Repentance 9
(א) מֵאַחַר שֶׁנּוֹדַע שֶׁמַּתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת וְהַטּוֹבָה שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לָהּ אִם שָׁמַרְנוּ דֶּרֶךְ ה' הַכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה הִיא חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא..... כְּגוֹן שֹׂבַע וְרָעָב וּמִלְחָמָה וְשָׁלוֹם וּמַלְכוּת וְשִׁפְלוּת וִישִׁיבַת הָאָרֶץ וְגָלוּת וְהַצְלָחַת מַעֲשֶׂה וְהֶפְסֵדוֹ וּשְׁאָר כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית. כָּל אוֹתָן הַדְּבָרִים אֱמֶת הָיוּ וְיִהְיוּ וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹשִׂים כָּל מִצְוֹת הַתּוֹרָה יַגִּיעוּ אֵלֵינוּ טוֹבוֹת הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה כֻּלָּן. ....וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אֵין אוֹתָן הַטּוֹבוֹת הֵם סוֹף מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת
Mishneh Torah: Repentance 9
(1) Now, after it is known that the reward and the good which we will acquire for observing the precepts and the way of the Lord according to what it is written in the Torah consist of life in the World to Come, .... for instance, plenty, famine, war, peace, government, oppression, permanency in the land, exile, success in undertakings, its failure, and other similar text in the Covenant? All those things were and will be true, and as long as we observe the precepts of the Torah all the good of this world will overtake us.. Nevertheless, neither are those good things the end of the reward for observing the commandments...
(ג) אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃
(ד) וְנָתַתִּ֥י גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם בְּעִתָּ֑ם וְנָתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֥ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִתֵּ֥ן פִּרְיֽוֹ׃
(ה) וְהִשִּׂ֨יג לָכֶ֥ם דַּ֙יִשׁ֙ אֶת־בָּצִ֔יר וּבָצִ֖יר יַשִּׂ֣יג אֶת־זָ֑רַע וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֤ם לַחְמְכֶם֙ לָשֹׂ֔בַע וִֽישַׁבְתֶּ֥ם לָבֶ֖טַח בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃
(ו) וְנָתַתִּ֤י שָׁלוֹם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם וְאֵ֣ין מַחֲרִ֑יד וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֞י חַיָּ֤ה רָעָה֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְחֶ֖רֶב לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ר בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃ (ז) וּרְדַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם וְנָפְל֥וּ לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם לֶחָֽרֶב׃ (ח) וְרָדְפ֨וּ מִכֶּ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ מֵאָ֔ה וּמֵאָ֥ה מִכֶּ֖ם רְבָבָ֣ה יִרְדֹּ֑פוּ וְנָפְל֧וּ אֹיְבֵיכֶ֛ם לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם לֶחָֽרֶב׃
(ט) וּפָנִ֣יתִי אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֖י אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַהֲקִימֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתְּכֶֽם׃ (י) וַאֲכַלְתֶּ֥ם יָשָׁ֖ן נוֹשָׁ֑ן וְיָשָׁ֕ן מִפְּנֵ֥י חָדָ֖שׁ תּוֹצִֽיאוּ׃
(יא) וְנָתַתִּ֥י מִשְׁכָּנִ֖י בְּתוֹכְכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תִגְעַ֥ל נַפְשִׁ֖י אֶתְכֶֽם׃ (יב) וְהִתְהַלַּכְתִּי֙ בְּת֣וֹכְכֶ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּהְיוּ־לִ֥י לְעָֽם׃
(3) If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments,
(4) I will grant your rains in their season, so that the earth shall yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit.
(5) Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and your vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your fill of bread and dwell securely in your land.
(6) I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down untroubled by anyone; I will give the land respite from vicious beasts, and no sword shall cross your land.
(7) You shall give chase to your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
(8) Five of you shall give chase to a hundred, and a hundred of you shall give chase to ten thousand; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.
(9) I will look with favor upon you, and make you fertile and multiply you; and I will maintain My covenant with you. (10) You shall eat old grain long stored, and you shall have to clear out the old to make room for the new.
(11) I will establish My abode in your midst, and I will not spurn you. (12) I will be ever present in your midst: I will be your God, and you shall be My people.
(ג) אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃
(3) If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments,
Sforno on Leviticus 26:3
(1) אם בחקותי תלכו, chukkot are like Royal decrees, something a person has to be guided by if he expects his endeavours in life to prosper. The Hebrew expression describing the fact that one abides by them is called הליכה, “walking.” We have encountered this expression in connection with these חקים already in Leviticus 18,3, as well as in 18,4. We also find the term in the Books of Prophets, for instance in Ezekiel 33,15 בחקת החיים הלך, “he followed the laws of life.”
(ג) כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֧ה אֶֽרֶץ־מִצְרַ֛יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְשַׁבְתֶּם־בָּ֖הּ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֑וּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֶֽרֶץ־כְּנַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶתְכֶ֥ם שָׁ֙מָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א תֵלֵֽכוּ׃
(3) You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws.
(ב) ובחקתיהם לא תלכו. שלא ירגיל אדם ללכת בדרך הזה עד שיהיה לו חק:
(2) Do not follow their customs One must not develop a habit of behaving their way, until he ultimately becomes accustomed to it.
(ד) אֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֧י תַּעֲשׂ֛וּ וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ לָלֶ֣כֶת בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
(4) My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow My laws: I the LORD am your God.
(ג) ללכת בהם. אַל תִּפָּטֵר מִתּוֹכָם, שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר לָמַדְתִּי חָכְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵלֵךְ וְאֶלְמַד חָכְמַת הָאֻמּוֹת (ספרא):
(3) ללכת בהם TO WALK IN THEM — do not free yourselves from their environment, i.e. that you must not say, I have acquired Jewish wisdom, now I will go and acquire the wisdom of the other peoples of the world in order to walk in their ways.
(טו) חֲבֹ֨ל יָשִׁ֤יב רָשָׁע֙ גְּזֵלָ֣ה יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם בְּחֻקּ֤וֹת הַֽחַיִּים֙ הָלַ֔ךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י עֲשׂ֣וֹת עָ֑וֶל חָי֥וֹ יִֽחְיֶ֖ה לֹ֥א יָמֽוּת׃
(15) if the wicked man restores a pledge, makes good what he has taken by robbery, follows the laws of life, and does not commit iniquity—he shall live, he shall not die.
(א) ואת מצותי תשמרו הנה השמירה במצות היא ההשגחה באופן עשייתם ובמכוון מהם וזה בעיון נאות כאמרם ז''ל שמור זו משנה. אמר אם כן אם תתנהגו בדרכי האל יתברך הנכללים בחלק המעשי בתורתו ותעיינו במצות לדעת אופן עשייתן ותכליתן ובזה תשלימו כונתו להיותכם בצלמו כדמותו:
(ב) ועשיתם אותם ואז יהיה לכם זה השלמות כקנין באופן שתעשו אותם כמו פועלים הטוב ברצון נפשכם לא כמצווים ועושים מיראה אשר בזה יהיה העושה מתפעל בצד מה אבל תעשו מאהבה חפצים ברצון האל יתברך כאמרם (אבות) עשה רצונו כרצונך:
ואת מצותי תשמורו; the term שמירה in connection with G’d’s commandments, is the meticulous observance of them, i.e. performance in accordance with what they represent. It means that they cannot just be performed by rote but must be performed consciously as such. This has been spelled out by Sifri, Parshat Re-ay where the wording is: “שמור =study.” The thrust of our verse then is as follows: “if you will conduct yourselves in accordance with the practical part of My Torah, i.e. the performance of commandments requiring deeds, and you will study these laws in order to understand their purpose and in order to give meaning to your performance of these laws, you will accomplish that you will deserve the description of being a creature which reflects “His image.”
(2) ועשיתם אותם, if you will carry them out in the above-mentioned manner, not as servants who are afraid of incurring the wrath of their masters, this will be the “finishing touch” of your establishing a total claim to the land of your inheritance. You would demonstrate that you perform His will as if it were your own will. (Avot 2,4)
(ד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה רְצוֹנוֹ כִרְצוֹנְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ כִרְצוֹנוֹ.
(4) He used to say: do His will as though it were your will, so that He will do your will as though it were His.
H O W
(ג) אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃
(3) If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments,
(ז) אֱלֹהַי, נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהוֹרָה, אַתָּה בְרָאתָהּ, אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ, אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי,
(7) My God, the soul that you placed within me is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me,
Rav Aviner writes in his book ״המגלה בגופן ובשפתותיו את רוחו הפנמיות.
(ב) אֲ֭דֹנָי שְׂפָתַ֣י תִּפְתָּ֑ח וּ֝פִ֗י יַגִּ֥יד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃
(2) My L·rd, open my lips, & my mouth will speak Your praises.