Ki Savo – Peninim on the Torah

גם כל חלי וכל מכה אשר לא כתוב בספר התורה הזאת יעלם ד' עליך עד השמדך

Even any illness and any blow that is not written in this Book of the Torah, Hashem will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. (28:61)

This pasuk caps it off. If there were not enough curses (98) to punish us, we are informed that, just because the curse did not appear in the Torah, we will not be exempted from it. Every illness or blow, in other words, everything that could possibly be imagined – is included in the punishments available for disciplining us, if necessary. This presents us with a very bleak outlook. Horav Mordechai Pogremonsky, zl, addressed this issue, when the Telshe students who were displaced from their yeshivah were living in Shidlov, at the beginning of World War II. Tensions were rising,…

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אלה יעמדו לברך את העם... ואלה יעמדו על הקללה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Savo, 5777

These shall stand to bless the people… and these shall stand for the curse. (27:12,13)

There appears to be a change in the vernacular between blessing and curse. Concerning blessing, the Torah writes l’varech es ha’am, “to bless the people,” implying proactive blessing, while regarding curse, it states, “stand for curse,” almost as if the curse happens by itself. The Kli Yakar explains that this is, indeed, the case. Blessing is actively bestowed by Hashem to the person who deserves it. Curse, however, is the result of hastaras Panim, Hashem concealing Himself (so to speak) from he whose actions warrant curse. Hashem removes Himself, takes off the protective covering that spares us from pain. Once…

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והיה בעברכם את הירדן תקימו את האבנים האלה... בהר עיבל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Savo, 5777

It shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall erect these stones… on Har Eival. (27:4)

Har Gerizim was the site of the blessings; Har Eival served as its counterpart, the site reserved for the curses. Would it not make sense that the Mizbayach, Altar, upon which the Korbanos Shelamim, Peace-offerings and Festive-offerings were brought, would be situated on Har Gerizim, the mountain of blessing? Har Eival was the mountain upon which the curses were pronounced. One would consider it an unlikely candidate for the Mizbayach. Horav Moshe Feinstien, zl, illuminates us with an insight into the meaning of — and the distinction between –blessing and curse. Blessing is defined as abundance, fulfillment of all one’s…

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השקיפה ממעון קדשך מן השמים וברך את עמך ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Savo, 5777

Gaze down from Your abode, from the heavens and bless Your people Yisrael. (26:15)

Rashi explains that this prayer implies: “Hashem, we have carried out Your wishes. We have done that what You decreed upon us; now, You do what behooves You.” The word hashkifah, “gaze (down)” is unique in that it is almost always used to denote careful examination to determine the appropriate punishment. In other words, it is not used in connection with something positive about to occur. Rashi observes this in his commentary to Bereishis 18:16, Vayashkifu al pnei Sodom; “They (the angels) gazed towards Sodom.” The angels who had come to visit and participate in the healing of Avraham Avinu,…

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ואמרת לפני ד' אלקיך ביערתי הקדש מן הבית

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Savo, 5777

Then you shall say before Hashem, your G-d, “I have removed the holy things from the house.” (26:13)

Viduy Maaser, the confession one makes proclaiming that he has fulfilled his sacred duty to give the various tithes and other gifts apportioned from his crops, is a mitzvas asei, positive commandment. The commentators struggle with the term viduy, a word reserved for confessing a sin or wrongdoing. In this case, however, the person is carrying out a mitzvah. Why would confession be necessary? The Satmar Rebbe, zl (Divrei Yoel), met with the Vishnitzer Rebbe, zl, (Ahavas Yisrael) and, in the course of the conversation, this question came up. The Vishnitzer quoted Horav Levi Yitzchak, zl, m’Berditchev, who comments concerning…

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ונצעק אל ד' אלקי אבותינו וישמע ד' את קלנו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Savo, 5777

Then we cried out to Hashem, the G-d of our forefathers, and Hashem heard our voice. (26:7)

The Chassidic Masters teach that, when Klal Yisrael was enslaved in Egypt, they lost the power to articulate their needs to Hashem. Sagar aleihem ha’midbar; “The wilderness has locked them in” (Shemos 14:3). Pharaoh claimed that the Jews were confused and lost in the wilderness; literally, they were locked in. Midbar is interpreted by the Masters as medaber, to speak. Their ability to speak, to pray to Hashem properly, to voice their concerns and plead their case was locked, i.e., they were unable to speak. Thus, the only manners of expression left for them were: anachah, groaning; zaakah, crying out;…

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גם כל חלי וכל מכה אשר לא כתוב בספר התורה הזאת יעלם ד' עליך עד השמדך

Even any illness and any blow that is not written in this Book of the Torah, Hashem will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. (28:61)

אלה יעמדו לברך את העם... ואלה יעמדו על הקללה

These shall stand to bless the people… and these shall stand for the curse. (27:12,13)

והיה בעברכם את הירדן תקימו את האבנים האלה... בהר עיבל

It shall be when you cross the Jordan, you shall erect these stones… on Har Eival. (27:4)

השקיפה ממעון קדשך מן השמים וברך את עמך ישראל

Gaze down from Your abode, from the heavens and bless Your people Yisrael. (26:15)

ואמרת לפני ד' אלקיך ביערתי הקדש מן הבית

Then you shall say before Hashem, your G-d, “I have removed the holy things from the house.” (26:13)

ונצעק אל ד' אלקי אבותינו וישמע ד' את קלנו

Then we cried out to Hashem, the G-d of our forefathers, and Hashem heard our voice. (26:7)

YEARS

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