Sifra Bechukotai Chapter 2

¹1) (Vayikra 26:6) "and you will lie down and not tremble": without fear of any animal. "and I will eliminate vicious beasts from the land." R. Yehudah says: He will eliminate them from the world. And thus is it written (Tehillim 92:1) "A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbath": for the cessation (mashbith [like "Shabbath"]) of harmful agents from the world. R. Shimon says: He will prevent them from causing harm. R. Shimon said: What redounds more to the praise of the L–rd, the absence of harmful agents or their existing but not causing harm? Certainly, the second. ²2) And thus is it written (Isaiah 11:6-8) "And the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and a calf, a lion whelp and a fatling (will walk) together, and a young child will lead them. A cow and a bear will graze, and their young will lie down together; and a lion, like cattle, will eat hay. A suckling will play by a viper's hole, and a newly weaned child (will stretch) his hand to the 'lightener' of an adder." ("gemul yado hadah") We are hereby taught that a Jewish child is destined to stretch his hand into the ocular orb (thus, "lightener") of an adder and to extract bile from its mouth. And this (the italicized phrase) is the intent of "gemul yado hadah." This ("hadah") is a man-killing animal. ³3) "and a sword will not pass through your land": Not only will they not come against you for war, but the passers (for war) will not (even) pass from one land (Eretz Yisrael) to the other, as they did in the days of Yoshiyahu (viz. II Chronicles 35:21) ⁴4) (Vayikra 26:8) ("And there will pursue of you, five, one hundred; and one hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.") "And there will pursue of you, five, one hundred; and one hundred of you will pursue ten thousand": of the weaker among you, and not of the stronger. "and one hundred of you will pursue ten thousand": Now is this the count? (If five pursue one hundred,) should it not be that one hundred will pursue two thousand? But there is no comparison between many who observe the Torah and few who observe it, (the many having disproportionately far more power). "and your enemies will fall before you by the sword.": Not in the usual manner, (but in abject surrender). ⁵5) (Vayikra 26:9) ("And I shall turn to you, and I shall make you fruitful, and I shall expand you, and I shall establish My covenant with you.") "And I shall turn to you": To what may this be compared? A king hired many workers, and there was one among them who worked with him for many days. The workers came to claim their wage and he among them. The king says to the worker: "My son, I shall turn to you. These many did little work for me and I will give them a small wage. But, as for you, there is a great reckoning that I am destined to make with you." So, Israel in this world claim their wage before the Holy One Blessed be He, as do the nations of the world. And the Holy One Blessed be He says to Israel: My sons, I will turn to you. These nations of the world did little work for Me, and I will pay them a small wage; but you — there is a great reckoning that I am destined to make with you" — thus, "And I shall turn to you": with good. "and I shall make you fruitful": with children. "and I shall expand you": with an upright stature. "and I shall establish My covenant with you": not as the first covenant, which you broke, as it is written (Jeremiah 31:31) "'They broke My covenant, and I mastered them,' says the L–rd," — but a new covenant, which will not be broken, as it is written (Jeremiah 31:30) "Behold, days are coming, says the L–rd, when I will seal with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant" — which will not be broken.