Because according to the Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrashim on the Book of Deuteronomy, absolutely nothing in the Torah is empty or without purpose.
Deuteronomy 32:47 tells us, "For it is not an empty thing for you; for it is your life, and by this thing you shall prolong days." This isn't just flowery language. The Sifrei Devarim understands this to mean that every single commandment, every single detail, holds profound significance. If you fulfill it, you will be rewarded, not just in the World to Come, but even here, in this world. And the reward in the World to Come? That's just the principal, the big payoff!
To illustrate this point, the text turns to a seemingly obscure passage in Genesis. Remember when the Torah mentions Timna? Genesis 36:22 tells us "And the sister of Lotan was Timna," and then, just a few verses later, in 36:12, "And Timna was a concubine to Elifaz (the son of Esav)."
Why does the Torah bother telling us this? What’s the big deal?
Well, the text highlights Timna’s desire to be connected to the family of Abraham, even if only as a concubine. She essentially said, "I am not worthy of being his wife; (at least) let me be his concubine." The Sifrei Devarim sees this as evidence of how highly regarded Abraham and his descendants were, even by royalty. Timna, a daughter of royalty herself, desired to be associated with them. Kings and sultans wanted to marry into Abraham’s family!
The passage then makes a powerful argument a fortiori, a method of argument based on deductive reasoning. If Esav, who, let’s be honest, wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue, only fulfilled one mitzvah (commandment) – honoring his father – and yet kings and sultans desired to marry into his family, how much more so would they have desired to marry into the family of Jacob, the tzaddik (righteous one), who fulfilled all of the mitzvot? Genesis 25:27 even describes Jacob as a "whole man!"
So, what’s the takeaway here? It's that even seemingly minor details in the Torah, like the story of Timna, point to a larger truth: the immense value and power of living a life dedicated to fulfilling God's commandments. It's not just about following rules; it's about connecting to a legacy of righteousness and holiness that resonates throughout history. And maybe, just maybe, understanding that even the smallest details matter can inspire us to find new meaning in the text, and in our own lives.