By Rabbi Joshua (discouragingly known as The Hoffer) Hoffman
In parshas Eikev, Moshe continues his farewell address to the nation, and tells them that their success in Eretz Yisroel, which they will soon enter, will depend on their fealty to God and their mitzvoh observance. He then gives them advice on how to assure that they will observe the mitzvos, and spells out what will happen if they do so, and what will happen if they don't. This advice is contained in what has become the second of the three paragraphs of Kerias Shema that we are obligated to recite each morning and evening (Devorim 11:13-21). It is referred to in the Talmud as the acceptance of the yoke of the mitzvos. The first paragraph, which is in parshas Vaeschanan, constitutes the acceptance of the yoke of the sovereignty of Heaven, meaning God's sovereignty over the universe and over ourselves.
We read, in the second paragraph of Shema: "And it will come to pass, that if you continually hearken to my commandments, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart…....and I will provide rain for your land in its proper time…..and you will gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied. Take care lest your hearts be seduced and you go astray and worship other gods...... and God's anger will burn against you, and He will restrain the heaven so there will be no rain, and the ground will not give forth its produce…....". There seems to be a very sharp transition here between the idyllic state that ensues as a result of observing the mitzvos, and the catastrophic situation that comes as a result of neglecting them. How did this transition take place? What factor caused a break in the ideal state described early in the paragraph and led to the deplorable state described later on?
Rabbi Moshe Alshich, in his commentary Toras Moshe, writes that the key factor in the breakdown of national success and prosperity, as described in the second paragraph of Shema, is the worship of avodah zarah, of idolatry. As long as the nation is connected to God, even if it transgresses some of the mitzvos, the performance of other mitzvos will of itself generate further observance, as a kind of inner corrective, since all of the mitzvos are interconnected, and actually form one unified whole. However, once the connection with God has been broken through the practice of idolatry, everything has, in effect, been cast aside, since the unifying force of God's command is no longer operative for the nation. Rav Shimon Schwab, in his Ma'ayan Beis HaShoeivah, has a different approach. He says that the main factor in observing mitzvos properly is the study of Torah, as described in the beginning of the second paragraph. Rashi says that the words" "And it will be, that if listening you listen to My commandments," refer to the study of Torah. It is only through the study of the Torah, explains Rabbi Schwab, that we can know how to serve God through observing His mitzvos. Without Torah study, any observance we take on is really influenced by our own subjective notion of what is proper practice. What we are then practicing is 'religion,' but not Judaism. Thus, while the Alshich's explanation points to a verse in the latter half of the paragraph as the key factor in the breakdown, Rabbi Schwab's explanation points to the opening verse in the paragraph. I would like to offer a third explanation, that focuses on a verse that seemingly is part of the description of the model state that comes through mitzvoh observance informed by Torah learning.
God, as reported by Moshe, assures the nation that when they observe the mitzvos, "and I will give grass in your fields for your animals and you will eat and be satisfied." The simple meaning of this verse, as once noted by the late Rabbi Dr. Louis Rabinowtiz of South Africa, is that God will provide food for our animals, which will, as a result, become robust and provide us, after their slaughter, with some tasty steaks. However, the Talmud (Berachos, 40) learns from the order of events in this verse that a person should feed his animals before he himself eats. What is the purpose of this requirement? One could say, simply, that it is an act of kindness to animals. On another level, we can add that it is important to engage in such actions in the context of our work schedules, so that we do not get too wound up in our own needs and remember the importance of chesed even in regard to animals. Rav Avrohom Yitzchok HaKohein Kook, in his commentary to the aggadic sections of the Talmud, Ein Ayah, explains the requirement a bit differently. He says that whereas a human being, when he is waiting to eat, can engage in other activities, which involve the intellect, an animal does not have that option. Its sole concern is satisfying its hunger, and every moment that we withhold its food is a kind of torture. That is why it is more important to feed the animal than to indulge in our own food.
Taking note of Rav Kook's explanation of the psyche of the animal, we can offer another explanation of the breakdown in Jewish society that is described in our paragraph. Although work is important, it is possible for a person to become so tied up in the details of his occupation that he allows it to shape the contours of his life, in general. A person, thus, can be so involved with taking care of his animals that he begins to think like one, and have no real interest beyond the gratification of his physical/earthly needs. Perhaps then, the Torah is intimating an important message about how we need to relate to the work that we do by placing the verse charging us with taking cognizance of the nature of animals in the midst of the paragraph that constitutes our acceptance of the mitzvos. In order to properly perform the mitzvos, we need to be engaged in Torah study and to cultivate our connection to God, as we have seen in the explanations of the Alshich and Rabbi Schwab. Although work is a necessary element of our lives, we cannot allow our occupation to become the defining element of our existence. Instead, our study of Torah and our connection to God should inform the way we approach our work, as well. In this way, we can assure the continued blessings of God in our lives.
