Pisqa’ 556H:112-113; JN1:179-180. 1. “And it shall happen, when HASHEM your God brings you” (Dt.11:29)— and it shall happen implies immediately. “When HASHEM your God brings you” (Dt.11:29)— accept upon yourselves the commandment stated in this scriptural context, as a reward for which you shall enter the Land.7This commonplace of rabbinic thought appears often in Sifre, e.g., Pisqa’ot 75.1, 156.1, 170.1, etc. “Which you are entering there to inherit” (Dt.11:29)— as a reward for entering it, you shall inherit it.
2. “And you shall place the blessing on Mt. Gerizim” (Dt.11:29). Now, what is this verse trying to teach us— that the blessing is from Mt. Gerizim, and the curse is from Mt. Ebal? But [don’t we know this,] since it is already stated: “These tribes shall stand to bless the people on Mt. Gerizim, and those tribes shall preside over the curse on Mt. Ebal” (Dt.27:12)? But still, what does the Teaching add by stating: “You shall place the blessing on Mt. Gerizim (Dt.11:29)?” Now, might it not have been possible for all the blessings to precede the curses? But the Teaching states: “You shall place the blessing on Mt. Gerizim” (Dt.11:29)— a single blessing might precede a single curse, but a series of blessings should not precede a series of curses!3. Moreover, by juxtaposing curses and blessings, we learn that just as the curses are uttered by Levites (cf. Dt.27:14), so blessings are also uttered by Levites; just as curses are uttered in a loud voice (cf. Dt.27:14),8Cf. T. Sotah 8:10. so blessings are also uttered in a loud voice; just as curses are uttered in the Holy Tongue, so blessings are uttered in the Holy Tongue; just as curses are framed as general rules and their particulars, so blessings are framed as general rules and their particulars;9//M. Sotah 7:2. just as with curses, both groups respond, “Amen” (cf. Dt.27:15ff.); so with blessings, both groups respond, “Amen.” Finally, during the blessing, both groups turn their faces toward Mt. Gerizim, and, during the curse, toward Mt. Ebal.
(דברים יא כט) וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ, אֵין וְהָיָה אֶלָּא מִיָּד. כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ, קַבֵּל עָלֶיךָ מִצְוָה הָאֲמוּרָה בָּעִנְיָן, שֶׁבִּשְׂכָרָהּ תִּכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ. אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ, בִּשְׂכַר שֶׁתָּבֹא תִּירַשׁ.
Pisqa’ 556H:112-113; JN1:179-180.
1. “And it shall happen, when HASHEM your God brings you” (Dt.11:29)—
and it shall happen implies immediately.
“When HASHEM your God brings you” (Dt.11:29)—
accept upon yourselves the commandment
stated in this scriptural context,
as a reward for which you shall enter the Land.7This commonplace of rabbinic thought appears often in Sifre, e.g., Pisqa’ot 75.1, 156.1, 170.1, etc.
“Which you are entering there to inherit” (Dt.11:29)—
as a reward for entering it,
you shall inherit it.
וְנָתַתָּ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה עַל הַר גְּרִזִים וְגוֹ׳, וְכִי מַה בָּא הַכָּתוּב לְלַמְּדֵנוּ שֶׁהַבְּרָכָה עַל הַר גְּרִזִים וְהַקְּלָלָה עַל הַר עֵיבָל? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר (דברים כז יב): ״אֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת הָעָם עַל הַר גְּרִזִים״ ״וְאֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ עַל הַקְּלָלָה בְּהַר עֵיבָל״! מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְנָתַתָּ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה עַל הַר גְּרִזִים? שֶׁיָּכוֹל שֶׁיְּהוּ כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת קוֹדְמוֹת לַקְּלָלוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְנָתַתָּ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה עַל הַר גְּרִזִים, בְּרָכָה קוֹדֶמֶת לִקְלָלָה וְאֵין הַבְּרָכוֹת קוֹדְמוֹת לַקְּלָלוֹת. וּלְהַקִּישׁ קְלָלוֹת לִבְרָכוֹת: מַה קְּלָלוֹת בַּלְוִיִּם אַף בְּרָכוֹת בַּלְוִיִּם, מַה קְּלָלוֹת בְּקוֹל רָם אַף בְּרָכוֹת בְּקוֹל רָם, מַה קְּלָלוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ אַף בְּרָכוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, מַה קְּלָלוֹת בִּכְלָל וּפְרָט אַף בְּרָכוֹת בִּכְלָל וּפְרָט, מַה קְּלָלוֹת אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ עוֹנִים וְאוֹמְרִים אָמֵן אַף בְּרָכוֹת אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ עוֹנִים וְאוֹמְרִים אָמֵן, כְּשֶׁהָפְכוּ פְנֵיהֶם בִּשְׁעַת בְּרָכָה אֶל הַר גְּרִזִים וּבִשְׁעַת קְלָלָה אֶל הַר עֵיבָל.
2. “And you shall place the blessing on Mt. Gerizim” (Dt.11:29).
Now, what is this verse trying to teach us—
that the blessing is from Mt. Gerizim,
and the curse is from Mt. Ebal?
But [don’t we know this,]
since it is already stated:
“These tribes shall stand to bless the people on Mt. Gerizim,
and those tribes shall preside over the curse on Mt. Ebal” (Dt.27:12)?
But still, what does the Teaching add by stating:
“You shall place the blessing on Mt. Gerizim (Dt.11:29)?”
Now, might it not have been possible
for all the blessings to precede the curses?
But the Teaching states:
“You shall place the blessing on Mt. Gerizim” (Dt.11:29)—
a single blessing might precede a single curse,
but a series of blessings should not precede a series of curses!3. Moreover, by juxtaposing curses and blessings, we learn that
just as the curses are uttered by Levites (cf. Dt.27:14),
so blessings are also uttered by Levites;
just as curses are uttered in a loud voice (cf. Dt.27:14),8Cf. T. Sotah 8:10.
so blessings are also uttered in a loud voice;
just as curses are uttered in the Holy Tongue,
so blessings are uttered in the Holy Tongue;
just as curses are framed as general rules and their particulars,
so blessings are framed as general rules and their particulars;9//M. Sotah 7:2.
just as with curses, both groups respond, “Amen” (cf. Dt.27:15ff.);
so with blessings, both groups respond, “Amen.”
Finally, during the blessing,
both groups turn their faces toward Mt. Gerizim,
and, during the curse,
toward Mt. Ebal.