B"H

Tuesday, Menachem Av 21, 5786 / August 4, 2026

This week's Parsha, Re'ay, begins with Moshe telling the Jewish people, "See, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.  The blessing, if you will listen to the commandments of the L-rd your

G-d, which I command you this day and the curse if you shall not hearken to the commandments.”

Moshe reminds the Jewish people that G-d gave us "freedom of choice."  He gave us the ability to choose the path which leads to blessings or, G-d forbid, the opposite.

“See, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse.” To determine whether our days are blessed or not is, “set before you.” It mostly depends on us how we set our priorities and view blessings.  Each day G-d gives us the choice if we are going to view the day as a blessing or the opposite.  It is up to us to set our priorities in life right and then we will realize that our days are indeed blessed.   

Q.   In Pirkei Avot we learn that one should not serve G-d for the sake of reward.  Why would G-d tell us in the Torah about the blessings and the good which will come as a result of adhering to G-d's commandments?

A.   The Magid of Dubna explains this with the following parable:  A merchant hired a coachman to drive him and his merchandise to the fair which was held in a distant city, to sell his wares and to buy new merchandise.  He made a condition with the driver that he would get paid for the trip only upon their return from the fair. 

After a few days of traveling, the coachman asked the merchant for his pay.

"My condition was that I would pay you upon our return.  It's not the first time I'm traveling with you.  You know that you can trust me.  When we return home I will pay you in full!"

"In that case, can you at least give me a partial payment so that I can buy hay to feed the horses?"

"Sure," replied the merchant. "This I will gladly give you.  If you can't feed the horses then how will we get to our destination?"

The same, says the Magid, is with the reward mentioned in the Torah.  What we get in this world is not the reward for the mitzvot.  The true reward for mitzvot is in the World-to-Come. 

However, just like the merchant will help the coachman feed the horses or whatever other expenses he may incur to get to their destination, for without it they cannot proceed, so too, G-d promises that if we adhere to his commandments, He will give us His "blessings" - that He will supply us with what we need to continue to perform His commandments and continue in the destination He set out for us in this world.  However, the true reward is in the World-to-Come.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY