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Bechukotai(Leviticus 26:3-27:34)

The Desolate Land

The theme of Parshat Bechukotai is the "Tochacha" - a series of devastating predictions of what will befall the Jewish people throughout history - exile, anti-Semitism, persecution, and more.

Yet we know how much the Almighty cares for us, and He never "punishes" without "sandwiching" it with love. So it is not surprising that the "dire predictions" in this parsha also contain hidden blessings.

For example, Leviticus 26:33, God declares that "I will scatter you among the nations." This is a hidden blessing, because if the Jewish camp is geographically divided, then when one community is persecuted, the other can carry on.

Also, Leviticus 26:22 says that when the Jews are in exile, the "Land [of Israel] will be desolate." This is a hidden blessing, because throughout the millennia - as numerous empires conquered the Land, and countless wars were fought for its possession - astonishingly, no conqueror ever succeeded in permanently settling Israel or causing the desert to bloom. This, of course, made it easier for the Jewish people to return in the 20th century and resettle their homeland - a hidden blessing.

God cares for us so deeply, giving us the confidence that in life, every cloud has a silver lining.

Published: April 29, 2006

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About the Author

Rabbi Shraga Simmons

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Rabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. He is the senior editor of Aish.com and the director of JewishPathways.com.

An expert on media bias, he was the founding editor of HonestReporting.com, and is the author of David & Goliath: The Explosive Inside Story of Media Bias in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2012). With drama and a biting edge, David & Goliath is a definitive treatment, fully resourced with over 2,000 footnotes. Readers are privy to secret negotiations with CNN executives, and how a grassroots campaign was cited by the New York Times as effecting sweeping changes in Mideast media coverage.

David & Goliath has been praised by politicians, professors and journalists: Former New York Mayor Ed Koch hails it as "Invaluable for anyone wanting the inside story," and James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal calls David & Goliath "of crucial importance for the future of the Middle East."

Rabbi Simmons lives with his wife and children in the Modi'in region of Israel.

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