Sifra 13.0.10

Bechukotai, Chapter 8

1) (Vayikra 26:38) "And you will go lost among the nations": R. Akiva says: These are the ten tribes that were exiled to Medea. Others say: "And you will go lost among the nations": By "lost," "exiled" is meant. I might think "lost," literally. (This is not possible, for) in (Vayikra 26:38) "and the land of your foes will devour you," (literal) "loss" is mentioned. How, then, am I to understand "And you will go lost among the nations"? As "exiled."

2) (Vayikra 26:39) "And those that are left of you will melt away ("yimaku") in their sins": ("yimaku" is to be understood as "yimasu" ["melt away"]) It is not written that they will melt away because of their sins, but that they will melt away in their sins (i.e., their sins themselves will afflict them). "and also with the sins of their fathers with them they will melt away": But has the Holy One Blessed be He not assured Israel that fathers will not punish fathers because of the children nor children because of the fathers? (viz. Devarim 24:16) "Fathers shall not be put to death by cause of sons, and sons shall not be put to death because of fathers"? If so, what is the intent of "also with the sins of their fathers with them will they melt away"? When they hold onto the sins of their fathers (thus "with them") generation after generation, they are punished for them.

3) (Vayikra 26:40) "And they will confess their sins and the sin of their father": This is in respect to repentance. As soon as they confess their sins, I shall return and pity them "for their faithlessness wherein they betrayed Me."

4) (Vayikra 26:41) "Then I, too, will walk with them in 'laxity.'": They made My laws "incidental" in the world; I, likewise, will make them "incidental" in the world. "and I will bring them into the land of their foes": These are glad tidings for Israel — that they not say: Since we have been exiled among the nations, we can do as they do. I will not allow them (to do this), but I will set up My prophets over them and return them to the good under My wings. Whence is this derived? From (Ezekiel 20:32) "And what you have in mind shall not come to pass, your saying 'We shall be as the nations and as the families of the earth,' but (Ezekiel 20:33) 'As I live, says the L–rd G d, I will reign over you with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with spilled-out wrath!'" — Perforce, against your will, I will impose My kingdom upon you.

5) (Vayikra 26:41) "Then their uncircumcised heart will be humbled": This is stated in respect to repentance. Immediately, they will humble their hearts in repentance. Immediately, I will return and pity them, viz.: "Then their uncircumcised heart will be humbled, and then their sin will be expiated."

6) "Then I will remember My covenant with Yaakov": Why are the patriarchs mentioned in reverse order? (To teach that) if the deeds of Yaakov do not suffice, the deeds of Yitzchak will suffice. And if the deeds of Yitzchak will not suffice, the deeds of Avraham will suffice. The (merit of) each suffices (in itself) to suspend the (punishment of) the world.

7) And why is "remembering" stated in respect to Avraham and Yaakov, but not in respect to Yitzchak? Because G d (more than "remembering," constantly) sees his ashes as heaped upon the altar, (which he ascended as a willing sacrifice). And why in respect to Avraham and Yitzchak is it written "af" ("also"), but not in respect to Yaakov? Because the "bed" of our father Yaakov was "whole" (i.e., all of his sons were virtuous).

8) This tells me only of the patriarchs. Whence do I derive (the same for) the matriarchs? From (the triple) eth, eth, eth, "eth" signifying the matriarchs, viz. (Bereshith 49:31), "There they buried Avraham and ('ve'eth') Sarah his wife." And whence is it derived that a covenant has been made with the land? From "and the land will I remember" (as I remember the covenant with the patriarchs.)

9) "And the land will be abandoned of them, and it will requite its Sabbaths": I told them to sow for Me six (years) and to let it lie fallow for Me for one year, so that they should know that the land is Mine, and they did not do so — Arise and be exiled from it, and it will lie fallow of itself, all the shemitah years that it owes Me, viz.: "And the land will be abandoned of them, and it will requite its Sabbaths in being desolate of them." "And they will requite their sins for the certain cause ('ya'an uveya'an')": Now did I punish Israel "head for head"? Did I not exact only one hundredth of what they sinned before Me? Why, then, is it written "ya'an uveya'an"? They will be smitten "measure for measure" in the manner that they sinned against Him. "They despised My judgments": These are the (written) laws. "and My statutes were abhorred by their souls": These are the midrashoth (the oral laws).

10) (Vayikra 26:44) "And notwithstanding also this": "this": This is the sin of the desert, (e.g., the golden calf); "also this": This is the sin (in the incident) of Ba'al Peor; "and even also this": This is the sin (of their desire to emulate) the Emorite kings. "I did not despise them and I did not abhor them to destroy them": Now what remained to them that they were not despised and not abhorred! Were not all the goodly gifts that had been given to them taken from them? And if not for the Torah scroll that remained to them, they would not differ from the nations at all! (The meaning is rather;) I did not despise them (to allow them to be destroyed) in the days of Vespasian, and I did not abhor them in the days of Greece. "to destroy them": in the days of Haman. "to break My covenant with them": in the days of the Kasdim. "for I am the L–rd their G d": in the days of Gog and Magog, when no nation or tongue will prevail over them. And whence is it derived that the covenant (that Israel will not be destroyed) was (also) made with the (twelve) tribes? From (Vayikra 26:45) "And I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I took out of the land of Egypt." (Vayikra 26:46) "These are the statutes and the judgments and the teachings": "the statutes": These are the midrashoth; "and the judgments": These are the laws; "and the Toroth": This teaches us that two Toroth were given to Israel, one written, and one, oral. R. Akiva said: Did Israel have only two Torahs? Were not many Torahs given to them? (viz.) "This is the Torah of the burnt-offerings," "This is the Torah of the meal-offerings," "This is the Torah of the guilt-offerings," "This is the Torah of the sacrifice of peace-offerings," "This is the Torah — a man if he die in the tent." "which the L–rd set forth between Himself and the children of Israel": Moses merited becoming the messenger between Israel and their Father in heaven, (viz.) "on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses": We are hereby taught that the (entire) Torah — its halachoth, inferences, and interpretations — was given by Moses at Sinai.