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56

- Accepting Fall Consignments -

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Torah Portion

FINANCING AVAILABLE

fT ,

In Fulfilling Commandments
We 'Do The Right Thing

human potential to do what is right
and to become sanctified.
What greater rewards or punish-
ments are possible? Any other moti-
vation compared to these seems to
denigrate and trivialize the real worth
and purpose of the Torah. The
Mishnah clearly states the same thing
in the chapters of the fathers
his week's Torah portion
(Chapter 4:2) when Ben Azai says:
begins with a few simple,
... the reward of a mitzvah is the
but very powerful verses
mitzvah (itself) and the recompense
(Deuteronomy 11:26-28).
of a sin is the sin (itself) ..."
"See, I have put before
All too often, people will
you, today, a blessing or a
observe the mitzvot of the
curse: the blessing, that you
Torah and Jewish tradition
will listen to the command-
out of an expectation to
ments of the Lord, your
gain some reward or will
God, that I command you
refrain from prohibited
today; and the curse, if you
activity with a sense of
do not listen to the com-
avoiding a punishment.
mandments of the Lord,
First of all, our experience
your God, and you turn
tells us "life doesn't work
away from the path that I
that way." Secondly, what
RABBI
command you today, to go
does
such a motivation say
ELIEZER
after other gods that you did
about
one's appreciation of
COHEN
not know."
the
value
of the Torah
Special to the
The verse tells us that we
itself?
Jewish News
have free will to choose
Whether to gain life,
what we do and to receive
health, wealth, happiness,
either a blessing or a curse, depend-
to bring the Messiah or to achieve
ing upon our choice. At first glance,
"the world to come" or to avoid cor-
though, the Torah does not seem to
responding punishments — such
identify what the blessing or the
motivation is childish at best. As
curse will consist of. We are not told
Maimonides so clearly put it (Mishna
the rewards that will come with the
Torah, Laws of repentance, chapter
fulfillment of the commandments of
10:1):
the Torah, nor the punishments that
"A person should not say 'I will
will 'be the result of our refusal to
observe the commandments of the
comply with God's laws.
Torah or engage in its wisdom so I
Upon closer look, though, the
can receive all of the blessings written
verses state very clearly what the
there or to merit life in the world to
"reward" and "punishments" would
come' or 'I will refrain from the sins
be. The blessing is identified as "that
that the Torah prohibits in order to
you will listen to the commandments
avoid the curses written in the Torah
..." and the curse is "if you don't lis-
or in order that I will not be cut off
ten ..." The Torah is telling us that
from life in the world to come.'
the true reward for keeping the Torah
"It is not proper to serve God in
is "doing the right thing" — "fulfill-
this manner ... this is not the level of
ing God's command" and the true
the prophets or the wise ... but rather
punishment is rebellion and alien-
that is the way of the ignorant ... and
ation from God " — "doing the
of children."
wrong thing."
The reason to keep the laws of the
Torah is that the program for life
prescribed by the Torah should make
us better people and make our lives
Why do so many people view
better by being in harmony with the
religion as a way to "bribe God"?
world that God has created.
Does it work this war? How can
Similarly, the abandonment of
the observance of mitzvot, even
God's laws brings our behavior and
the ritual ones, make us better
our lives into conflict with the
people? What is our true motiva-
tion for doing what is right and
refraining from wrong?
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of

Shabbat Reeh:
Deuteronomy 11:26-
16:17; Isaiah 54:11-
55:5. Isaiah 54:11-55:5.

Conversations

Congregation Or Chadash.

741560

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