Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Deuteronomy, tackles this very question. It starts with a bold statement. Rabbi Elazar says that after God spoke at Sinai, "From the mouth of the Most High, evil and good do not emerge" (Lamentations 3:38). What?! Does that mean God isn't in control? Not exactly. Rabbi Elazar clarifies: evil befalls those who do evil, and good to those who do good. It's a system of cause and effect, action and consequence.
Then Rabbi Ḥagai adds another layer. It’s not just about consequences, but about choice. God didn’t just give us two paths, good and evil; He went above and beyond, urging us: "You shall choose life!" (Deuteronomy 30:19). The choice is ours. We are active participants in creating our own realities.
But how do we stay on the right path? What empowers us to choose life?
Well, the text then explores the idea of tishmerun – observance. Before God tells us to choose life, He says, "For if you will observe this entire commandment" (Deuteronomy 11:22). So, what's this "entire commandment?" Rabbi Levi says it's the recitation of Shema – the central Jewish prayer affirming God's oneness. Other Rabbis say it’s Shabbat, the Sabbath, which is considered equal to all the mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah. Both emphasize the importance of dedicated, mindful practice.
Then bar Kappara offers a powerful image. He compares the soul and the Torah to lamps. "The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord" (Proverbs 20:27), and "a mitzva is a lamp, the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23). God says, "My lamp is in your hand and your lamp is in My hand… If you observe My lamp [the Torah], I protect your lamp [the soul]. If you extinguish My lamp, I extinguish your lamp." It's a beautiful metaphor for the reciprocal relationship between us and the Divine. Our actions directly impact our spiritual well-being, and vice versa. We have to shamor tishmerun – observe, so that we are guarded.
Rabbi Shimon takes it further with an analogy: imagine two people, each with a vineyard in the other's territory. They agree to guard each other's vineyard. If one fails, both suffer. "So the Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My Torah is in your hand and your soul is in My hand – if you observe mine, I protect yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours.’" It’s all interconnected.
And it's not just about abstract concepts. Rabbi Yehuda bar Sima connects observance to tangible protection. If you observe the words of the Torah, God will protect you from demons! Whoa, demons? Rabbi Abba bar Ze’ira says there’s not a single beit rova – a small space of about 24 square meters – in the world without thousands of demons. These demons normally wear masks, but when we act iniquitously, they remove their masks and can harm us. But don’t panic! (Psalm 55:19) tells us, "He redeemed me unharmed from the battle against me." When are we protected? When "there were many with me" (Psalm 55:19) – the angels that guard us.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi adds that when we are observant, an image goes before us, and heralds proclaim, "Make room for the image of the Holy One blessed be He!" See how many guards are protecting you! It’s a powerful image of divine protection that comes from living a life of meaning and purpose.
Ultimately, it all comes back to choice. God has placed before us two paths – blessing and curse. Blessing if we heed His words, curse if we do not.
So, what does all this mean for us today? Maybe it's a reminder that our actions have consequences, not just in this world, but on a deeper, spiritual level. Maybe it's an invitation to choose life, to embrace the Torah, to nurture our souls. And maybe, just maybe, it's a little reassurance that we're not alone on this journey. We have the Torah, our souls, and, if we choose to observe, a whole host of angels watching over us.
Another matter, “see I” – Rabbi Elazar said: When the Holy One blessed be He said this matter at Sinai, from that time: “From the mouth of the Most High, evil and good do not emerge” (Lamentations 3:38). Rather, on its own, evil befalls those who perform evil, and good occurs to those who perform good. Alternatively, Rabbi Ḥagai said: [God said:] ‘Not only did I give you two paths; I went beyond the letter of the law, and said to you: “You shall choose life”’ (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Another matter, what is written prior to this passage? “For if you will observe [this entire commandment]” (Deuteronomy 11:22). What is “this entire commandment”? Rabbi Levi said: This is the recitation of Shema. The Rabbis say: This is Shabbat, which is equivalent to all the mitzvot in the Torah. Another matter, “for if you will observe [this entire commandment]” – bar Kappara said: The soul and the Torah were likened to a lamp. The soul, as it is written: “The soul of man is the lamp of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27). And the Torah, as it is written: “For a mitzva is a lamp, the Torah is light” (Proverbs 6:23). The Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My lamp is in your hand and your lamp is in My hand. My lamp is in your hand – this is the Torah. Your lamp is in My hand – this is the soul. If you observe My lamp, I protect your lamp. If you extinguish My lamp, I extinguish your lamp.’ From where is this derived? As it is written: “Only beware, and protect yourself greatly, [lest you forget the matters that your eyes saw]” (Deuteronomy 4:9). That is, “for if you will observe.”3The verse states “if you will observe [shamor tishmerun],” with a double usage of the Hebrew term for “observe.” The midrash reads the verse as though it says “if you will observe [tishmor], you will be guarded [tishamerun]” (Matnot Kehuna). Another matter, Rabbi Shimon said: To what is the matter comparable? To two people; one of them had a vineyard in the Galilee, and one….4A fuller version of this analogy appears in other midrashic texts. One man lived in Judah and had a vineyard in Galilee, and one lived in Galilee and had a vineyard in Judah. One day they met, and one said to the other: ‘Guard mine and I will guard yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours’ (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim 671). So the Holy One blessed be He said to man: ‘My Torah is in your hand and your soul is in My hand – if you observe mine, I protect yours. If you ruin mine, I will ruin yours.’ That is, “for if you will observe.” Another matter, Rabbi Yehuda bar Sima said: If you observed two hundred and forty-eight…until “will be broken.”5The reference here is possibly to a statement in a different midrash (Tanḥuma, Buber ed., Kedoshim 6): “Be careful about reciting Shema, for it has two hundred and forty-eight words, corresponding to the limbs of a man…the Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘If you observe mine, reciting it properly, I will guard yours.’” Another matter, what is “for if you will observe”? The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you observe the words of the Torah, I will protect you from the demons.’ Rabbi Abba bar Ze’ira said: There is no beit rova6This is a small space, defined as the area required for sowing one-quarter of a kav of seed. According to Rav Avraham Ḥayyim Naeh, it amounts to 24 square meters. of space in the world in which there are not thousands of demons. Each one has a mask on its face so it will not look at a person and harm him. But when a person’s iniquities warrant it, it removes the mask from its face, and it looks at him and harms him. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “He redeemed me unharmed from the battle against me” (Psalms 55:19). When? [When He protects me, as in the verse:] “For there were many with me” (Psalms 55:19). Who are they? They are the angels that protect a person. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: An image goes before a person,7Human beings are created in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27). The meaning here is that man’s divine image is noticeable to the demons as the man approaches. and the heralds proclaim before him. What do they say? ‘Make room for the image of the Holy One blessed be He.’ See how many guards are protecting you. When [is this so]? When you observe the words of the Torah. I have placed two paths before you – blessing and curse; blessing, if you heed My words, curse, if you do not heed My words.
