To sponsor a Nitzotzos Dvar Torah please email us at Nitzotzos@gmail.com and help us continue our important work. אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֹתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם: וְנָֽתַתִּ֥י גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם בְּעִתָּ֑ם וְנָֽתְנָ֤ה הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֥ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה יִתֵּ֥ן פִּרְיֽוֹ: If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them, I will give your rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit. (Vayikra 24:3,4) Rashi explains the meaning of the words אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ: אם בחקתי תלכו: יכול זה קיום המצות, כשהוא אומר ואת מצותי תשמרו, הרי קיום המצות אמור, הא מה אני מקיים אם בחקתי תלכו, שתהיו עמלים בתורה: If you follow My statutes: I might think that this refers to the fulfillment of the commandments. However, when Scripture says, “and observe My commandments,” the fulfillment of the commandments is [already] stated. So what is the meaning of “If you follow My statutes”? It means that you must toil in the study of Torah — [Torath Kohanim 26:2] The Baal HaTurim explains that the gematria of the words, אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ, if you follow My laws, is equal to עמלים דברי תורה, toiling in the words of Torah.” Several questions immediately jump out at us. If the passuk is referring to Ameilus B'Torah, why does it say teileichu, you will walk and not tilmedu, you will study?
Rashi specifically uses the term ameilim, toil. Why not oskim, to engage, or lomdim, to learn? (This
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