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Behar-Bechukotai

by Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon

This week we read the sedrah of Behar-Bechukotai, the double portion at the end of the book of Leviticus. In these final portions of the middle book of the Torah, there are interesting oddities—and lessons—both in the beginning and the end of the both portions.

Behar begins with the statement that “God spoke to Moses at Mt. Sinai saying”, a seemingly unambiguous phrase. And Bechukotai concludes the book of Vayikra by telling us “these are the commandments that God commanded Moses for the Israelites on Mt. Sinai”. And earlier, at the end of the opening covenantal section of Bechukotai, the Torah has reiterated that God gave all the regulations and laws contained here at Mt. Sinai.

All well and good. These rules of holiness and personal conduct must have been commanded at Mt. Sinai.

Yet, earlier in Leviticus it makes it pretty clear that God has given most of these commandments not at Mt. Sinai itself, but in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, the Ohel Mo’eid, the Tent of Meeting. In other words, the Israelites don’t actually seem to still be at Mt. Sinai at all.

What gives?

The question troubles the rabbinic commentators, who believe that the Torah never wastes a phrase, or makes a mistake. And their rather brilliant answer teaches us a profound truth about ourselves.

The Torah is teaching us that Mt. Sinai is not a geographical location, not a simple matter of a place at all. For whenever we learn and do mitzvot, whenever we complete ethical acts, do tzedakah, observe religious rituals with sanctity and meaning, study Torah, or work to perfect the world through tikun olam, whenver we make the world a holier more Jewish place, we are standing at Mt. Sinai.

Nearly literally, as committed Jews we take Mt. Sinai with us, and bring God’s very presence into the world. It’s a powerful message indeed.

As we conclude the book of Leviticus, focused so fully on holiness, we learn that we can make our own lives as holy as the revelation at Mt. Sinai simply by bringing Torah into our daily lives.