It's still not

the most common practice, but it's a very meaningful one based on the verses in the Bible and then the way the rabbis interpreted them.

So what's going on? What is the rationale behind this commandment? So it appears in two places in the Bible, one in Leviticus chapter 19 and one in Deuteronomy chapter 22.

In the first one, Leviticus, It's prefaced by this remarkable statement.

It says, you shall observe my laws at Chukotai Tishmaru.

And some people think that the word for laws here, chukim, means some sort of a declaration by God with no explanation.

And so the purpose then would just be to obey the divine word because no explanation is offered.

connected, yes? Yes.

[clapping] That was magnificent.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, my dear friend, Rabbi Jeremy.

This is ...

What a warm ...

Yes, it's a warm room, but that was a very warm introduction, and I'm so grateful, so grateful to be here in your magnificent synagogue.

[music] Welcome to Torah from JTS, a weekly commentary from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

This is Rabbi Daniel Nevins, Pearl Resnick Dean of the JTS Rabbinical School with commentary on Parshat Bechukotai.

Remember the land.

Spring is my favorite season because it draws me outdoors, enticing me to leave the city and enjoy the rivers, fields, and mountains of this glorious earth.

Even near the city, I often find myself in nature, biking along the Hudson and up the Palisades, past waterfalls and nesting eagles.

Returning to the land reminds me of the many blessings of our world, filling me with gratitude and awe.

It also causes foreboding, since the signs of stress on the natural systems that make our lives possible are everywhere evident.