אם בחקתי תלכו וגו' (ויקרא כו ג). זש"ה אם חרוצים ימיו [ומספר חדשיו אתך חקיו עשית ולא יעבור] (איוב יד ה), מהו אם חרוצים ימיו, כשברא הקב"ה את העולם חרץ ימיו של כל אחד ואחד, שנאמר והיו לאותות ולמועדים [ולימים ושנים] (בראשית א יד), ולמי נתנם לישראל, שנאמר מגיד דבריו ליעקב [חקיו ומשפטיו לישראל] (תהלים קמז יט), מספר חדשיו אתך חקיו עשית (איוב שם), אמר הקב"ה לישראל, אם עשיתם (חוקיו) [חוקי], אין השטן נוגע בכם, שנאמר מדי עברו יקח אתכם (ישעיה כח יט), חקיו עשית ולא יעבור (איוב שם), כך אמרתי לשלמה בשעה ששאל את החכמה, ומה אמרתי לו, גם אשר לא שאלת נתתי לך גם עושר גם כבוד (מ"א ג יג), ואם תקיים את התורה, אין מלאך המות נוגע בך, שנאמר לו והארכתי [את] ימיך (שם שם יד), חוקיו עישת ולא יעבור וגו'. אדם הראשון אילו שמר את התורה ואת המצות נתתי לו לא מת, לפיכך כתיב אם בחקותי תלכו וגו'. (Lev. 26:3:) IF YOU WALK IN MY STATUTES (huqqim)…. This text is related (to Job 14:5): IF HIS DAYS ARE DETERMINED, [THE NUMBER OF HIS MONTHS IS WITH YOU; YOU HAVE SET LIMITS (huqqim) THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS]. What is the meaning of IF HIS DAYS ARE DETERMINED?1Tanh., Lev. 10:1. When the Holy One created the world, he determined the days of each and every one, as stated (in Gen. 1:14): AND LET THEM BE FOR SIGNS, SEASONS, [DAYS, AND YEARS]. Now to whom did he give them? To Israel, as stated (in Ps. 147:19): HE DECLARES HIS WORDS TO JACOB, [HIS STATUTES (huqqim) AND HIS ORDINANCES TO ISRAEL]. (Job 14:5, cont.:) THE NUMBER OF HIS MONTHS IS WITH YOU; YOU HAVE SET HIS LIMITS (huqqim). The Holy One said to Israel: If you have carried out {his} [my] statutes (huqqim), the Adversary (Satan) shall not touch you, although it is stated (of Death in Is. 28:19): AS OFTEN AS HE TRANSGRESSES, HE SHALL SEIZE YOU.2Buber has noted the amplified, more understandable parallel in Tanh., Lev. 10:1: The Holy One said to Israel: “If you have carried out my statutes (huqqim), the Adversary shall not touch you, as stated (in Job 14:5): THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS. But if you do not carry out my statutes (huqqim), then the Adversary shall touch you, as stated (in Is. 28:19): AS OFTEN AS HE TRANSGRESSES, HE SHALL SEIZE YOU.” In other words, Israel is safe from the death-dealing Adversary as long as the statutory limits (huqqim) remain intact through Israel’s observance of them. (Job 14:5, cont.:) YOU HAVE SET HIS LIMITS (huqqim) THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS. I said so to Solomon, when he asked for wisdom. And what did I say to him? (I Kings 3:13:) I HAVE ALSO GRANTED YOU WHAT YOU DID NOT ASK, BOTH RICHES AND HONOR. So if you fulfill the Torah, the angel of death shall not touch you, as stated to him (in I Kings 3:14): THEN I WILL LENGTHEN YOUR DAYS. (Job 14:5:) YOU HAVE SET LIMITS (huqqim) THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS…. If the first Adam had observed the Torah, the ordinances that I gave him, he would not have died. Therefore, it is written (in Lev. 26:3:) IF YOU WALK IN MY STATUTES (huqqim)….