How Can We Hear God’s Voice? A Powerful Teaching from the Or HaChaim

"You have declared the Lord this day to be your God, and to walk in His ways, and to observe His statutes, His commandments, and His ordinances, and to listen to His voice." (Deuteronomy 26:17)

The Or HaChaim HaKadosh finds several profound lessons about serving God within this verse. He first explains that a person should continue to praise and acknowledge God even when experiencing Divine judgment. The Jewish people affirm their relationship with God not only when they experience obvious blessing and kindness, but also when His conduct toward them reflects the attribute of justice.

The Or HaChaim explains that the Jewish people will exalt God even when He brings a person to judgment and repays him according to his actions. The Divine name Elokim is traditionally associated with the attribute of judgment, yet even then, a person continues to recognize, trust, and bless God.

The Or HaChaim explains each phrase in the verse. The words "to walk in His ways" refer to emulating God's conduct. Even when the Torah does not explicitly command a particular act in that verse, we can recognize certain behaviors as God's ways because the Torah describes God Himself performing them. For example, God visited Avraham after his circumcision, teaching us the importance of visiting the sick, and God buried Moshe Rabbeinu, demonstrating the importance of caring for the dead. When a person recognizes that a particular behavior reflects the ways of God and chooses to imitate that behavior, he fulfills the ideal of "walking in His ways."

The words "to observe His statutes" refer to chukim, commandments whose reasons are not readily apparent to human understanding. They are accepted as decrees of the King. Classic examples include the laws of the Red Heifer and shatnez, the prohibition against wearing certain mixtures of wool and linen.

"His commandments" refers to mitzvot that human reason can also recognize as morally necessary, such as the prohibitions against murder and theft. Even without an explicit Torah command, human intellect can appreciate the necessity of such laws. "His ordinances" refers to the laws governing relationships and disputes between people, establishing justice and providing a framework for resolving conflicts fairly.

Finally, the words "to listen to His voice," the Or HaChaim explains, refer to the mitzvah of Torah study.

Hearing the Voice of God

Why does the verse specifically say to listen "to His voice"? The Or HaChaim sees a profound message in this wording. He cites the Midrash in Bamidbar Rabbah, which asks how we know that someone who hears Torah taught even by a young or seemingly insignificant person should regard it as though he were hearing it from the Almighty Himself.

The answer is derived from the verse, "If you diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God." When we hear authentic words of Torah, we are not merely listening to the person teaching them. Through those words, we are encountering the Divine voice expressed through Torah.

This transforms the experience of Torah study. A Torah class is not simply the transmission of religious information from one human being to another. Studying Torah gives a person the opportunity, in a profound spiritual sense, to listen to the voice of God.

Torah Study Is a Mitzvah in Its Own Right

The Or HaChaim asks an intriguing question: Why does the verse mention Torah study only at the end, after describing all the other aspects of serving God?

His answer teaches a fundamental principle. A person might imagine that the purpose of Torah study is simply to discover what God wants him to do. If so, someone who had already mastered all the relevant laws and knew exactly how to fulfill every mitzvah may reasonably ask: Why should I continue studying? I already know what I am supposed to do.

The Torah therefore places "to listen to His voice" after describing all the other obligations. Even if a person has already learned everything necessary to know how to live properly, and even if he is successfully observing everything he has learned, he must still continue studying Torah.

Torah study is not merely preparation for performing other mitzvot, butis a mitzvah in its own right. Its purpose is not exhausted once a person knows what to do. Torah study itself creates a relationship with God and allows a person to encounter His wisdom and listen to His voice.

The obligation therefore accompanies a person throughout life. The Or HaChaim connects this with the verse, "This is the law of the Torah: When a man dies in a tent" (Numbers 19:14), emphasizing that a person's devotion to Torah continues throughout his lifetime.

There is no point at which a person can say, "I already know enough. I no longer need to learn." Torah is not merely an instruction manual that we put aside once we understand the instructions. It is an ongoing encounter with the Divine, and every time we open a Torah text and truly listen, we have another opportunity to hear God's voice.