Derasha 2 on Vayikra 26:3

Parashas Bechukosai · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 3 · Unit 2

The Complete Passuk

אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Kiddushin 61b (R’ Meir: every condition that is not like the condition of the children of Gad and Reuven is not a valid condition).

E-Daf / source link
HebrewBooks / classical text

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנֵי, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל תְּנַאי שֶׁאֵינוֹ כִּתְנַאי בְּנֵי גָד וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן אֵינוֹ תְּנַאי,
וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב “אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ” וְ“אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תִּמְאָסוּ.”

English: It was taught: Rabbi Meir says, any condition that is not like the condition of the children of Gad and the children of Reuven is not a (valid) condition — and that is why Scripture writes both “If you walk in My statutes” and “If you reject My statutes.”

Type of Learning

Halachic derasha / formal condition — double condition (tenai kaful) modeled on Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven.

What Is Learned

The blessing and curse sections form a double condition: the positive and the negative must both be stated. Without the explicit opposite, the condition would be incomplete according to R’ Meir’s rule.