Congregation B’nei Israel, San José, Costa Rica
“Veatem hadvekim baAdonai Eloheichem chaim kulhem haiom”,
“But you, who cleave to Adonai your G”d, are alive, all of you this day”
(Devarim 4:4).
This is a very well-known verse because it is read at the synagogue as an introduction, before calling the first person honored for an aliyah. I would like to pause here to analyze this verse, which appears in this week’s parashat, Va’etchanan.
A feature that can be clearly seen is the evident relationship between the adhesion to Adonai and being alive. What does this connection mean? Several exegetes comprehend the adhesion to G”d in relation with the fulfillment of the Mitzvot, given that it is one of the Jewish ways to connect with divinity, and in one of the verses prior to the text it refers to the fulfillment of the Mitzvot. In this sense, it could be understood that if one adheres and follows the Mitzvot, the reward will be life itself.
Ibn Ezra analyzes these lines by keeping in mind the previous verse: “…for every man who went after Baal Peor, the Lord your God has exterminated from your midst.” (Devarim 4:3), and explains that whoever adheres to other gods such as Bahal Pehor will die; on the other hand, whoever is faithful to Adonai, will live. Ibn Ezra understands that here the concept of life refers to the biological life, and that the issue is drastically to die or to live, depending on the path each one chooses.
On the other hand, Rab Kuk explains this verse saying that a life without Elohim (without G”d) is no life at all. Following Rab Kuk’s idea, life is what can be lived following the Mitzvot, the values, and a quest for the sacred and transcendent. A life without a spiritual search, without a reflection about existence, divinity, and the sacred world, loses its meaning and becomes vane and empty.
We can see two very different answers. On one hand, a more literal level, in which life and death depend on the loyalty to Adonai. On the other hand, life deals with living in a way that transcends the animal and material aspects, which makes us to have “real” lives, more relevant and filled with meaning.
Rabbi Mordejai Ederi understands the concept of life from this verse and the prior one “which I teach you to do, in order that you may live …” (Devarim 4:1), in this way: “the survival of the Jewish people doesn’t hold any secrets. If there is Torah, there is life”. Ederi refers to the life of the Jewish people in general: if they are guided by the values of the Torah, the people will live. The Torah is the great treasure of the people, and if they do not respect it, it then loses its meaning, its heart, and its life.
Continuing with this idea, it’s not a coincidence that we recite this verse just before reading the Torah at the synagogue, as a way of reminding us about the importance of the reading, of study, and practicing the content of our sacred book.
Another idea retrieved from this verse is the importance of following the Mitzvot without getting to the point of sacrifice, without losing your life for following a Mitzvah. As the book Vaikra say: “vachai baem”, “which a man shall do and live by them” (Vaikra 18:5). The sages explain that it means to live and not to die, “vajai baem velo sheiamut baem”, the mitzvot should be fountain of life and not of death.
These words have served as a source to the concept of “Pikuaj nefesh dojé et hashabat”, which means that whenever a human life is in threat, we should profane the Shabbat to save that life. (Talmud Babli Ioma 85 a y b). The concept that the life of a human being is first is very important in our tradition, and we should not sacrifice ourselves for our precepts but live in a way that no lives are endangered. This value helps to avoid certain fanaticism and lead us to become reasonable individuals.
Another aspect that can be drawn from this verse is the emphasis that our tradition gives to praise and become closer to G”d in life and not after death. In general, Jewish tradition gives the emphasis in this world and not in the beyond. Psalm 115 clearly expresses: “It is not the dead who praise Adonai […]it is we who extol Adonai, both now and forevermore” (Psalm 115: 17 y 18).
A last explanation could be that when we live in agreement with our values - both ethical and ritual - we feel more alive, with more energy and enthusiasm of belonging to an alive and vibrant tradition. As I understand it, it is not about life depending on observance, but more likely that when someone adheres to divinity and tradition, it brings us a different life; a meaningful life, a more deep and inspirational life. It stimulates us to think, reflect, critique, and question. It makes us sensitive beings, which are passionate about the rhythm of the events and experiences in this world.
Shabbat Shalom!
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