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“Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Torah, Hashem will bring them upon you.” (28:61)

One would think that ninety-eight curses should be sufficient warning to impact the nation. One has only to read the curses specifically, and his hair would stand on end from fright. Yet,  it appears that Hashem seems  to “throw in” one more curse  for “good measure.” In case there might be something that was missed, any sickness or plague that was not specifically mentioned, it too will be included. Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, explains that the Tochachah is more than an admonition. It is referred to as Divrei HaBris, Words of the Covenant. Indeed, the tragedies, the misfortunes that are…

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If you will not be careful to perform all the words of this Torah… to fear this honored and awesome Name: Hashem your G-d. (28:58)

The Torah is admonishing us to guard the Torah by observing its tenets, the mitzvos which  Hashem  has given  us.   A lack  of observance  is indicative  of a lack  of fear concerning the awesome Name of Hashem. The Torah intimates that Torah observance is intrinsically connected to a Jew’s reverence and fear of Hashem. One who understands and reflects on the awe-inspiring, exalted nature of Hashem simply must respond with total observance and complete devotion to His Torah. There just cannot be any other way. To acknowledge the awesome nature of Hashem is to fear Him. To fear Hashem is to…

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You will grope at noontime as a blind man gropes in darkness. (28:29)

The Talmud Megillah 24b quotes Rabbi Yosi who asks: What difference does it make to the blind man whether he is groping around in the afternoon or in the evening? Regardless of the external light, the blind man’s world remains dark. Rabbi Yosi says that he was troubled by this question for some time, until once he was walking through the streets on a very dark night. As he walked, he noticed a blind man groping his way down the street. What was unusual about the blind man was that he was carrying a torch in his hands. “Why carry…

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Hashem will strike you with madness…You will go mad from the sight of your eyes. (28:28, 34)

Twice we are cursed with the dreadful affliction of she’gaon, insanity. Is once not enough? If we peruse the Tochachah, Rebuke, we note that with each successive curse of the ninety-eight curses, the misfortune that has to befall us gets greater and greater. Since each curse is associated with a harsher punishment, it is strange that the Torah repeats the curse of insanity. Insane is insane! Does making a person “more” insane add to the curse? The Ketzos HaChoshen explains that there are truly variant levels of insanity. When a person loses his mind, when he no longer thinks rationally,…

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All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you hearken to the voice of Hashem, your G-d. (28:2)

The word v’he’sigucha, “will overtake you,” is enigmatic. Are we running from blessing, that it must overtake us? If that is the case, let us stop running! The answer is simple. At times, a person thinks he is chasing blessing, when, in truth, what he is pursuing is far from a blessing. What he thinks is beneficial and fortuitous could actually catalyze his downfall. Thus, the Torah tells us that the blessing, the real blessing – the one which we mistakenly thought was not a blessing – will overtake us, even though we have done everything to prevent it from…

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