Deeds have consequences – B’chukkotai
Much of B’chukkotai is comprised of the Tochechah, the blessings and curses that follow upon our choice of actions, blessings if we obey God’s laws, curses if we disobey.
The lesson is that nothing is without its consequences.
Someone who opted out of Jewish observance told me recently, “I decided not to fast on Yom Kippur so I ate – and I wasn’t struck down by a bolt of lightning from above… so why shouldn’t I do exactly what I choose without worrying that punishment will follow?”
This might possibly be a common view, but it is highly regrettable because it is based on a false premise.
The premise is that everything comes in one instant fell swoop.
Surely there are several types of consequence. Bolts of lightning are not the only possibility. What about being eaten by remorse? What about feeling abandoned and bereft?
What about the creeping long-term problems that take time to manifest themselves?
