28 May PARSHAS BECHUKOSAI: BECHUKOSAI AND DESTROYING CHOMETZ

A Medrashic
Machlokes in
Bechukosai that Tracks
with a Halachic
Machlokes in Pesachim
Parshas Bechukosai
begins with the blessings
the Ribono shel Olam promises if we will keep
the Torah. It is very encouraging.
Unfortunately, the Torah also shares the “flip
side” of this situation: “And if you will not
listen to Me and will not perform all of these
commandments…” [Vayikra 26:14].
One of the beautiful blessings that the Ribono
shel Olam promises Klal Yisrael is, “And I
will provide peace in the land, and you will lie
down with none to frighten you; I will cause
wild beasts to withdraw from the land, and a
sword will not cross your land.” [Vayikra
26:6] We must realize – as we see from Tanach
– that (at least at one time in history) there
were lions that were indigenous to Eretz
Yisroel. This is the whole story of “the lion
converts” [Melachim II 17:25-41]. In Biblical
times, people worried about wild animals
roaming the countryside and thus “I will cause
wild beasts to withdraw from the land” was a
significant blessing.
I would like to share an observation that is

somewhat atypical of the type of insights we
usually say on Chumash, but I think it is
brilliant nevertheless:
There is a dispute in the Yalkut Shimoni
regarding the promise that Hashem will cause
wild beasts to withdraw from the land. Rabbi
Yehuda says it means that these wild beasts
will be withdrawn from the world entirely.
Wild animals will cease to exist: No lions, no
leopards, and no cougars – all these animals of
prey will become extinct! Rabbi Shimon
interprets this blessing to mean that the
animals will still exist, but they will become
pacified so that they do not attack. The lions,
leopards, cougars, etc. will become tame and
domesticated, but they will still be around.
According to Rabbi Shimon, this promise of
“withdrawing the wild animals” is akin to the
promise of Yeshaya [11:6] that the wolf will
live in peace with the sheep in Messianic
times. The wolf will still be around, but its
nature will change.
The great Rogotchover Gaon writes a
beautiful piece of lomdus [subtle halachic
analysis], in his Tzafnas Pa’neach. He
comments that this Medrashic dispute between
Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon in Yalkut
Shimoni corresponds to another dispute
between them in the Talmud. In the Mishna in
Pesachim [Chapter 2 Mishna 1], Rabbi Yehuda

holds that the mitzvah of
destroying Chometz can only
be fulfilled by burning the
Chometz. The Sages in that
Mishna (who the Rogotchover
assumes is Rav Shimon) hold
that Chometz can be destroyed
in any fashion. It does not need
to be burned. It may simply be
crushed up and thrown into the
wind or tossed into the sea.
The Rogotchover explains that
we learn the obligation that one
needs to get rid of his Chometz
from the pasuk “Tashbeesu
se’or m’bateichem” [eliminate
leaven from your homes]
[Shemos 12:15]. The verb Tashbeesu that we
find by Chometz is the same root word that we
find here in Becuhosai: v’heeshbati chaya
ra’ah min ha’aretz” [I will destroy wild
animals from the land]. The Rogotchover says

that Rav Yehudah and Rav Shimon have a far-
reaching dispute regarding how to translate

the word shveesa. Rav Yehuda holds that when
the Torah uses the word shveesa, it means to

actually eradicate something, to make it non-
existent. Therefore, here in Bechukosai when

we are taught v’heeshbati chaya ra’ah, it
means they will not be around at all, just like

tashbeesu se’or means the Chometz will cease
to exist (by being incinerated). Rav Shimon
disagrees. A person only needs to remove the
essence of the Chometz. Simply make it
inedible. It can still be here, it just needs to be
crumpled up, thrown in the ocean, doused with
Clorox, etc. It still exists but it loses its nature
and essence. That is the definition of tashbeesu.
Therefore, when it says over here v’heeshbati
chaya ra’ah min ha’aretz, it also means that the
animals might still be around, they will just
lose their essence – their evil nature that makes
them animals of prey.