Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34

Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14

In this Torah portion, God tells the people of Israel that if they follow God’s commandments, they will be provided with rain to feed their crops. God then describes the long list of punishments that will be inflicted on the Israelites if they do not follow God’s laws.

FULL SUMMARY
HAFTARAH SUMMARY

Anxiety: A Jewish Telegram

The first curse described in this portion hinders our ability to listen — even to ourselves.

More on this Torah Portion

The Impossible World

How to restore the world to a single divine reality.

The Blessing of Rain

We must pray for beneficial rain, and then follow through with environmental action.

No Food, No Torah; No Torah, No Food

The curses in Bechukotai were actualized during the Holocaust.

Rebuke and Reward in this World

The fate of the individual is often determined by the behavior of the community as a whole.

Unifying Towards Redemption

We can achieve redemption only when striving for unity, holiness, and justice.

Science Vs. Sabbath?

The environmental destruction intended as a punishment for failing to observe the sabbatical year raises contemporary questions of how to prevent environmental devastation.

Faith In Difficult Times

Jeremiah's deep faith despite the impending exile predicted in Parashat B'hukotai can teach us to turn to God in the most troubling of times.

Preserving The Covenant

Incentives to keep the covenant are directed at Israel because of Israel's power, through its behavior, to break the covenant.

Jealousy

Jealousy can paralyze us and force us to define ourselves by another person's successes.

Sharing the Wealth

Bechukotai: A resource for families.

Corrupt Leadership

The global community has an opportunity to oppose Robert Mugabe's tyranny in Zimbabwe.

Parashat Bechukotai: Summary

God enumerates the rewards for keeping the commandments and the punishments for violating them; the laws of tithes are then listed.

Stubbornness And Chance

Two interpretations of a word illustrate different understandings of punishments listed in Parashat Bechukotai.