Ki Tavo 3rd-5th Portions
Follow the Lord’s Commands
16 The Lord your
God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws [Let them always be
new in your eyes, as if He is commanding you “this day.” A heavenly voice
blesses the bringer of the firstfruits, viz. as you have brought the
firstfruits this day]; carefully [merit to] observe them [the following year]
with all your heart and with all your soul.
Rashi’s Commentary
The Lord your God commands
you this day—This suggests: each day they (God’s
commandments) should be to you as something new (not antiquated and something
of which you have become tired), as though you had received the commands that
very day for the first time (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tavo 1; cf. Rashi on Deu
11:13).
Carefully observe them—A heavenly voice pronounces by these words a blessing upon him
(the worshiper): “You have brought the first fruits today—you will be
privileged to do so next year, too!” (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tavo 1).
17 You
have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will
walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and
laws—that you will listen to him.
Berakhot 6a:21
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak continues: Is
the Holy One, Blessed be he, glorified through the glory of Israel? Rav
Ḥiyya bar Avin answered: Yes, as indicated by the
juxtaposition of two verses; as it is stated: “You have declared this
day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in
obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you
will listen to him.” And the subsequent verse states: “And
the Lord has declared this day that you are his treasured
possession as he promised, to keep his commands” (Deu 26:17-18). From these two
verses it is derived that the Holy One, Blessed be he, said to Israel:
You have made me a single entity in the world, as you singled me out
as separate and unique. And because of this, I will
make you a single entity in the world, and you will be a treasured
nation, chosen by God.
18 And
the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured
possession as he promised [Exo 19:5], and that you are to keep all his
commands.
19 He
has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the
nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your
God, as he promised [Exo 20:26].
The Altar on Mount Ebal
1 Moses
and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep [always] all these
commands that I give you today.
Rashi’s Commentary
Keep all these commands—The word שָׁמֹר is a frequentative present tense, gardant in old French, keeping in
English.
2 When
you have crossed the Jordan into the land the Lord your God is giving
you, set up [in the Jordan] some large stones and coat them with plaster.
Rashi’s Commentary
Set up—In
the Jordan, and afterwards you shall take out from there others and build an
altar of them on Mount Ebal. Consequently you must say that there were three
sets of stones: twelve in the Jordan, an equal number in Gilgal, and another
twelve on Mount Ebal, as is stated in Treatise Sotah 35b.
3 Write
on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land
the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey,
just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 And
when you have crossed the Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I
command you today, and coat them with plaster.
5 Build
there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use
any iron tool on them.
6 Build
the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt
offerings on it to the Lord your God.
7
Sacrifice fellowship offerings there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence
of the Lord your God.
8 And
you shall write very clearly [in seventy languages] all the words of this law
on these stones you have set up.”
Rashi’s Commentary
Very clearly—i.e. in seventy languages (Sotah 32a; cf. Rashi on Deu 1:5).
Sotah 32a:13
And afterward they brought the
stones as commanded in the Torah, and they built
the altar and plastered it with plaster, and they wrote on it all of the words
of the Torah in seventy languages, as it is stated: “And you shall
write clearly elucidated all the words of this law on these stones” (Deu
27:8), indicating that it was to be written in every language. And they then took
the stones from there and came.
Sotah 35b:8
The Sages taught: How did the Jewish
people write the Law? Rabbi Yehuda says: They wrote it on stones, as it is
stated: “And you shall write . . . all the words of this law on these stones” (Deu 27:8). And afterward they plastered them over with
plaster.
Sotah 36a:5
The Gemara continues its description of
the entrance into the land of Israel during the period of Joshua: And
afterward they brought the stones and built the altar on Mount
Ebal, and plastered it over with plaster, and wrote on the
stones all of the words of the Law in seventy languages, as it is
stated: “And you shall write clearly elucidated all the words
of this law on these stones” (Deu 27:8).
Curses From Mount Ebal
9 Then
Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and
listen! You have now become the people of the Lord your God [let it
be in your eyes as if you have entered into the covenant with him this day].
Berakhot 15b:15
Rav Yosef said: The dispute as to whether or not a deaf
person fulfills his obligation is only in the
case of the recitation of Shema, but with regard to the
rest of the commands, everyone agrees that he does not fulfill his
obligation if he does not hear his recitation, as it is written: “Pay
attention, Israel, and listen” (Deu 27:9); meaning that one is required to
be silent and listen.
Berakhot 63b:10
And Rabbi Yehuda again began to speak in honor of the Law and taught: When
Moses took leave of Israel on his last day in this world, he said: “Be
silent, Israel, and listen! You have now become the people of
the Lord your God” (Deu 27:9). This is surprising: Was the
Law given to Israel on that day? Wasn’t that day at the end of forty years since
the Law was given? Rather, it comes to teach that each
and every day the Law is as dear to those who study it, as it
was on the day it was given from Mount Sinai.
Rashi’s Commentary
Be silent—Understand this as the Targum does: meaning, “Listen!” or “Be
silent!”
You have now become the people of
the Lord your God—On each day it should
appear to you as though it were “today” that you have entered the covenant with
him (Berachot 63b).
10 Obey
the Lord your God and follow his commands and decrees that I give you
today.”
11 On
the same day Moses commanded the people:
12 When
you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless
the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. [Six tribes
went up to the top of Mount Gerizim and six to the top of Mount Ebal, the
priests and the Levites standing with the ark, below, in the middle. The
Levites turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and opened with blessing,
viz.: “Blessed is anyone who does not make an idol,” and all (on both
mountains) answered Amen. Then they turned to Mount Ebal and recited the
corresponding curse, viz. (15): “Cursed is anyone who makes an idol, etc.",
and so with all, until (26): “Cursed is anyone who does not uphold, etc.” (see
11:29)]
13 And
these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher,
Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.
14 The
Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:
15 “Cursed
is anyone who makes an idol—a thing detestable to the Lord, the work of
skilled hands—and sets it up in secret.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
16 “Cursed
is anyone who dishonors their father or mother.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
17 “Cursed
is anyone who moves their neighbor’s boundary stone [thus stealing his land].”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
18 “Cursed
is anyone who leads the blind astray on the road [i.e., one who gives the
unknowing bad advice].”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
Rashi’s Commentary
Who leads the blind astray—This means: one who is blind (inexperienced) in a matter and one
gives him bad advice (cf. Rashi on Lev 19:14).
19 “Cursed
is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the
widow.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
20 “Cursed
is anyone who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s
bed.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
21 “Cursed
is anyone who has sexual relations with any animal.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
22 “Cursed
is anyone who sleeps with his sister, the daughter of his father or the
daughter of his mother.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
23 “Cursed
is anyone who sleeps with his mother-in-law.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
24 “Cursed
is anyone who kills their neighbor [i.e., who slanders him] secretly.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
Rashi’s Commentary
Who kills their neighbor secretly—It is of slander that it here speaks (slander may be termed
“smiting in secret”) (PirkeiDeRabbiEliezer 53). I have seen in the Work of R.
Moses the Preacher; There are here eleven verses beginning with the words
“cursed is” corresponding to eleven tribes. In allusion to Simeon, however, he
(Moses) did not write down a formula beginning with “cursed is anyone . . . ,” because
he had no intention to bless him before his death when he blessed the other
tribes (the tribe of Simeon is the only one not mentioned in chapter XXXIII.
which contains the blessings that Moses bestowed on the tribes), therefore he
did not want to curse him either.
25 “Cursed
is anyone who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!”
26 “Cursed
is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”
Then all the people shall say,
“Amen!” [The entire Law is herein included, and
they accepted it under imprecation and oath.]
Rashi’s Commentary
Who does not uphold the words of
this law—Here (in these words) he included the entire
Law under a curse and they took it upon them pledging themselves by an
execration and an oath.
Blessings for Obedience
1 If
you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his
commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above
all the nations on earth.
2 All
these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey
the Lord your God:
3 You
will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The
fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of
your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your
basket and your kneading trough [i.e., what is dry and does not ooze out of the
vessel] will be blessed.
Rashi’s Commentary
Your basket . . . will be blessed—i.e. your fruits (which are kept in baskets). Another explanation
of טַנְאֲךָ is that it means liquids which you filter through baskets (wicker
work).
And your kneading trough accordingly means dry produce that remains (נִשְׁאָר) in the vessel and does
not flow out.
6 You
will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out [you will leave
the world without sin, as when you entered it].
BavaMetzia 107a:12
The Gemara asks: Is that so? But
when Rabbi Abba encountered Rav’s students he said to them: What does
Rav say with regard to the meaning of these verses of blessing: “You
will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country” (Deu 28:3), and: “You
will be blessed when you enter and blessed when you exit?” (Deu 28:6)
Rashi’s Commentary
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