Bechukotai

Resisting Corrupt Governments

by Carol Towarnicky

sponsored by the American Jewish World Service

Parshat Bechukotai makes many readers cringe. It promises abundant blessings to those who obey God's commandments and ghastly disasters for those who do not. It follows a pattern of legal codes from the ancient Near East: a statement of laws, followed by a promise of blessings for those who obey and curses for those who resist. This was also the pattern for treaties made by powerful rulers with the vassal kings whom they "protected." If the vassal kings did not live up to their oaths, their rulers exacted terrible punishments, not only on the kings, but also on the people they ruled.

Biblical scholar Robert Alter notes that in this parashah, "after each set of punishing blows, God pauses to see if Israel will correct its ways. When this does not happen, God intensifies the catastrophes." These include pestilence, environmental degradation, and the scattering of the people.

Parshat Bechukotai makes more sense when read as a code for communities and their leaders rather than for individuals. When a nation's leaders enact wise and just policies, their communities regularly reap prosperity, contentment, and peace. In contrast, corrupt leaders often bring unmerited suffering on their people.

We should recognize international humanitarian crises as the kind of "pause" that Robert Alter mentions. In each pause, the global community has an opportunity to help end the downward spiral of disasters. We should call on members of our governments and support public and private aid organizations to protect those who suffer from corrupt leadership.

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