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השקיפה ממעון קדשך מן השמים וברך את עמך ישראל

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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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)

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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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)

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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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 על הר גרזים בעברכם את הירדן שמעון ולוי ויהודה ויששכר ויוסף ובנימין

These shall stand to bless the people on Har Gerizim, when you have crossed the Yarden: Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissachar, Yosef and Binyamin. (27:12)

As soon as the nation entered the Land, the people were to assemble at two mountains to re-accept the Torah. Twelve commandments would be enumerated, which the people would acknowledge publicly, affirming their understanding that those who observed these commandments would be blessed and those who reneged them would be cursed. Representatives of six tribes would stand on one mountain (Har Gerizim) for blessing, and representatives of the other six tribes would stand opposite on the other mountain (Har Eival) for curse. The twelve commandments which were Divinely selected are such acts that can be carried out covertly. A subtle…

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ובאו עליך כל הברכות האלה והשיגך כי תשמע בקול ד' אלקיך

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

A common attitude of (which we will refer to as) spiritual entitlement exists among some of us, which is indicative of feeling of spiritual superiority and self-righteousness: “Es kumt es mir; “I deserve it/it is coming to me” is a notion that some of us maintain, although we do not explicitly articulate it. The attitude is, “I am good, and, thus, I deserve to be the recipient of abundant reward.” This applies to those who observe Torah and mitzvos and expect a Heavenly check in the mail, as well as to those who have been victims of various forms of…

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בניך ובנותיך נחנים לעם אחר... בנים ובנות תוליד ולא יהיו לך כי ילכו בשבי

Your sons and daughters will be given to another people… you will bear sons and daughters, but they will not be yours, for they will go into captivity. (28:32,41)

At first glance, these two separate curses appear redundant. Upon closer perusal, however, one sees a striking difference. In the first pasuk, the Torah refers to the children as your sons and daughters. In the second pasuk, it is simply sons and daughters to whom you will give birth. Furthermore, in the first pasuk, your sons and daughters are “given” over to another nation. In the second pasuk, the children are taken away from you, captive of another nation. These are two curses which I think are progressive. At first, the children still belong to us. They are at home…

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והיו חייך תלואים לך מנגד ופחדת לילה ויומם ולא תאמין בחייך

Your life will hang in the balance, and you will be frightened night and day, and you will not be sure of your livelihood. (28:66)

Blessing and curse are a matter of perspective. Two people can view the same situation through different prisms, allowing them to derive separate conclusions. The Torah writes that, as a result of the nation’s break with Hashem, they will be subject to various curses: “Your life will hang in the balance… you will not be sure of your livelihood.” Rashi explains that Jews will not be sure of their safety. Concerning their livelihoods, they will be forced to subsist on what they can purchase daily. They will never be sure that the markets will not be shut down – in…

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ובאת אל הכהן אשר יהיה בימים ההם ואמרת אליו הגדתי היום לד' אלקיך כי באתי אל הארץ

You shall come to whoever will be the Kohen in those days, and you shall say to him, “I declare today to Hashem, your G-d, that I have come to the land.” (26:3)

Once Eretz Yisrael was conquered and allocated among the tribes, the farmers were able to take their first ripened fruit to the Sanctuary and present them to the Kohen in a ritual which included a moving declaration of gratitude to Hashem. Hakoras hatov, gratitude, is one of the most basic middos tovos, positive character traits, without which one is not a mentch, decent human being. Only a person who is a makir tov, one who recognizes and appreciates the good which he receives from others, has a chance of achieving shleimus, perfection, in his relationship with Hashem. One who does…

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וענית ואמרת... ארמי אבד אבי... וירעו אותנו המצרים ויענונו... ושמחת בכל הטוב

Then you shall call out and say… “An Aramean tried to destroy my forefather… the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us…” You shall rejoice with all the goodness. (26:5,6,11)

I met someone the other day who a number of years ago had been at the brink of bankruptcy. His financial profile was in such serious straits that, at one point, he could not afford food on the table. Hashem blessed him, and he flowered exponentially; today, he is a very successful, wealthy man. We began talking about “old times,” and the topic of his not so recent past came up. When I alluded to how far he had come, he practically became indignant and said, “We do not talk about those times. What was – was, and it is…

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