Rebuke and Return

The section of the Torah known as the תוכחה, or “rebuke,” is a lengthy warning of what will happen if the Jewish people forsake the Torah.

It begins in Deuteronomy, Chapter 28:15, and ends fifty four verses later at 28:69. The Alshich dissected these horrible curses and claimed that up until 28:57, the Torah is speaking of the tragedies that occurred up until the destruction of the second Temple. From 28:58 until 28:69, the Torah is predicting the suffering the Jewish people will endure during our long and bitter exile.

This is quite frightening to know that so much of our history was foreseen in the Torah. The tragedies could have been avoided, as this was merely a warning. But the curses did come to be, together with all of its consequences.

The decline came in stages and it began with non-fulfillment of positive commandments. This followed the violation of negative commandments until all observance was abandoned.

This sounds like an all too familiar story regarding those who slowly drift away from our religion, when they were observant. They don’t leave all at once, but gradually drift away from the Mitzvot of the Torah.

I have had people confide in me that they themselves don’t know how this happened. They really did not intend to leave the fold. It was a slow step by step regression.

We are living in a time where we are almost forced to confront our own Jewishness. The anti-Semites do not distinguish between religious and secular. They hate us simply because we exist as Jews.

The “Tochacha” is a wake up call for all Jews. We must learn from history what happens to us when we are scattered, lacking unity, and we abandon the tradition of our ancestors.

The month of Elul is a call for all Jews to return, do Teshuva, which means, to return. We are to make both a spiritual and physical return to all that is sacred. Just as our decline came in stages, our return will be the same.

We must first develop Jewish pride and realize how fortunate we are to be Jewish. Gradually, we start to observe the commandments. Shabbat will again become the holiest day of the week.

The return was also predicted in the Torah. And, thankfully, it is happening right before our eyes.