The Mitzvah Shiur # 611 - Parshat Ki Tavo The Obligation to Emulate The Ways of God

(9) The LORD will establish you as His holy people, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.

(1) The commandment to walk in - and make oneself similar through - the ways of God, may He be blessed: That we were commanded to perform all our actions in the way of straightness and goodness with all our strength and to incline all our affairs that are between ourselves and others towards the way of kindness and mercy; as we have known from our holy Torah that this is the way of God, and this is God’s desire for His creatures so that they merit God’s goodness - as He desires kindness. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 28:9), "and you shall walk in His ways." And this commandment was further repeated in another place, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:12, 11:22), "to walk in all His ways."

(2) And they, may their memory be blessed, said, in explanation of this commandment, "Just like the Holy One, blessed be He, is called merciful, so too you be merciful; just like the Holy One, blessed be He, is called compassionate, so too you be compassionate; just like the Holy One, blessed be He, is called righteous, so too you be righteous; just like the Holy One, blessed be He, is called holy, so too you be holy." And the whole matter is to say that we should teach ourselves to follow good actions like these and glorious traits through which He, may He be blessed, is described by way of analogy - to say that He acts with these good traits towards His creatures. But He, blessed be He, is more elevated than any great elevation; as we do not have the power or the knowledge to grasp the greatness of His elevation and the largeness of His kindness - nor do any of the creatures (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Human Dispositions 1:6). And in this way that we have [explained], the prophets called God all [these] appellations: righteous; straight; strong; of great kindness; of long patience. When they said, "of long patience," the matter is not, God forbid, that there ever be anger in front of Him ever. As why should He get angry - it is in His hand to kill and to make live, to destroy the world and to create; and there is none who says to Him, "What are you doing." Also because anger is a lack of perfection in the one getting angry, whereas all perfection is His, may He be blessed. Rather the matter is in truth like the way that we described - meaning to say that they are the elevated traits with which He acts towards His creatures; and that we should study and follow His ways, in imitation of Him.

(3) And maybe, my son, you will think to come to me with that which is written (Psalms 7:12), "and God gets furious every day" - and they, may their memory be blessed, said (Berakhot 7a), "And how much is His fury? An instant." And you, my son, should not err in this, God forbid, that there be evil to God, and that your heart believe about Him, blessed be He, anything but all perfection. And the matter of anger only happens in us from the angle of our being inferior physical beings. And in truth the fury that they mentioned about Him is only by way of analogy to a matter of the world. Their intention [with it] was to say that in that the majority of people in the world are pulled after their desires and there are many among them that worship the sun, the moon and the constellations - and even trees and stones - the world constantly becomes liable for extinction. And maybe the reason for their saying that His fury is for an instant every day is that since the world is judged according to its majority and that the world becomes liable because of their bad deeds on each and every day; they, may their memory be blessed, compared that small moment when a sinner completes the majority [of the world's actions] with his sin, to the fury of God. As everything is fit at the instant for extinction from the power of [God's] trait of justice, except that [His] trait of kindness immediately determines [otherwise] and preserves it. And accept this, my son, from me until you hear [something] better than it.

(4) The root of this commandment is well-known to all, as it and its root are one thing.

(5) Its laws are also short. Its content is generally that a man choose for himself in all of his matters and in all of his actions - whether in eating, drinking, [commerce], words of Torah, prayer, conversation or in any other thing - the good and moderate path; and never to remove himself to the extremes. And about this general principal, they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sotah 5b) that a man always examine his dispositions - meaning to say that he think about his affairs, to do them in the moderate and good path. And they based this upon a verse, as it is written (Psalms 50:23), "and to him who orders his way, I will show him the salvation of God" - they expounded (Moed Katan 5a), 'Do not read it [as] "and orders (vesam)," but rather "and evaluates (vesham)."'

(6) And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses it and does not make efforts to straighten his ways, to conquer his impulse, to improve his thoughts and deeds for the Love of God and to fulfill this commandment, has violated this positive commandment.

(1) It is a rabbinic positive precept to visit the sick, comfort the mourners, escort the dead, dower the bride, accompany the [departing] guests — — as well as to cheer the bride and the groom, and to assist them in whatever they need. Even though all these precepts are of rabbinic origin, they are implied in the biblical verse: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18); that is, whatever you would have others do to you, do to your brothers in Torah and precepts.

The 8th mitzvah is that we are commanded to emulate G‑d, blessed be He, to the best of our ability.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He) "And you shall walk in His paths."

This commandment is repeated in the verse, "To walk in all his ways." This is explained in the words of the Sifri: "Just as G‑d is called merciful, so too, you must be merciful. Just as G‑d is called kind, so too, you must be kind. Just as G‑d is called righteous, so too, you must be righteous. Just as G‑d is called pious, so too, you must be pious."

This commandment is also repeated in the verse, "Walk after G‑d your Lord." This too is explained as emulating the good deeds and fine attributes which are used to allegorically describe G‑d (exalted be He), Who is immeasurably exalted over everything.

(5) One who controls himself with increased restrictions, and distances himself even from the mean tendency, a little one way or a little the other way, is called devout. How may one do it? One who will distance himself from the extreme point of arrogance and become exceedingly humble is called devout for, this is the tendency of piety. If one distances himself to the mean point only and practices meekness he is called a wise man for, this is the tendency of wisdom. A like pathway exists in all the rest of the tendencies. The ancient devotees diverged their tendencies from the middle-path facing the two extremes; some tendency they bent opposite to the last extreme and some tendency they bent opposite the first extreme. This is more than being within the limits of the law.³Baba Mezi’a 30a. G. As for us, we are charged to walk in these middle-paths, which are the good and straight paths, even as it is said: "And thou shalt walk in His ways" (Deut. 28 9).

(6) In explaining this commandment the sages taught thus: Even as He is called gracious, be thou gracious; even as He is called merciful, be thou merciful; even as He is called holy, be thou holy. In this wise did the prophets attribute to God all such terms as long-suffering, abundant in benificence, just and right, perfect, mighty and powerful and others like these, to proclaim that they are good and straight paths, and that man is obligated to lead himself in them, and to be like unto Him in proportion to his power.

And Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “After the Lord your God shall you walk, and Him shall you fear, and His commandments shall you keep, and unto His voice shall you hearken, and Him shall you serve, and unto Him shall you cleave” (Deuteronomy 13:5)? But is it actually possible for a person to follow the Divine Presence? But hasn’t it already been stated: “For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and one cannot approach fire. He explains: Rather, the meaning is that one should follow the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He. He provides several examples. Just as He clothes the naked, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21), so too, should you clothe the naked. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, visits the sick, as it is written with regard to God’s appearing to Abraham following his circumcision: “And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, consoles mourners, as it is written: “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, buried the dead, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.

(6) Therefore keep the commandments of the LORD your God: walk in His ways and revere Him.

(12) And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God demand of you? Only this: to revere the LORD your God, to walk only in His paths, to love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and soul,

(22) If, then, you faithfully keep all this Instruction that I command you, loving the LORD your God, walking in all His ways, and cleaving to Him,