Derasha 1 on Vayikra 26:14

Parashas Bechukosai · beginning of tochacha · Passuk 14 · Unit 1

The Complete Passuk

וְאִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ לִ֔י וְלֹ֣א תַעֲשׂ֔וּ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הַמִּצְוֺ֖ת הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

Chabad.org

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Toras Kohanim: “if you will not listen to Me” includes the midrash of the Sages.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
“וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי” — יָכוֹל רַק לְמַה שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר “וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת כָּל הַמִּצְוֺת” — הָא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם “וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי”? לְמִדְרַשׁ חֲכָמִים.

English: “If you will not listen to Me” — one might think only to what is written in the Torah. How then do I fulfill “if you will not listen to Me”? (It refers) to the midrash of the Sages.

Type of Learning

Parallel residual derasha (counterpart to the ameilus reading of 26:3).

What Is Learned

“Not listening to Me” includes failure to heed the interpretive tradition of the Sages, not only the bare written text.