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Misc 10 "See! I am putting in front of you today a blessing and curse..." (11:26). · When one hears a Rabbi exhorting his flock to lead more spiritual lives and spurn the "flesh-pots," the thought might cross one's mind: "What does he know about flesh-pots that he can tell me how much better a spiritual life is? Maybe if he had a Rolls Royce, he wouldn't be so quick to reject a good time!" That's what Moshe is hinting at here: "See! Look at me! I was a prince in Egypt; I'm one of the richest men in the world; I know what material wealth is. On the other hand, I've ascended to spiritual realms that no other mortal has reached. I spent 120 days speaking to Hashem "face-to-face." As a result, I now wear a veil over my face except when I teach Torah, because my face radiates a light that you can't look at! Look at me-I know both worlds and I'm telling you-Choose the spiritual path!" (The Ohr HaChaim haKadosh) · There are two different kinds of "today"-the "today" of blessing and the "today" of curse. Consideration of the present moment as an impetus for action can be either positive or negative: "If not now, when?" spurs a Jew on to do good, whereas "Eat - drink for tomorrow we die" leads him down the path of evil. (Rabbi Chanoch Henich) · Our Sages teach us that a person should constantly imagine that whole world is in a state of precise balance-half meritorious and half culpable. He should think that if he does just one mitzvah, he will tip the world's scales of judgment to the side of credit, but if he does one aveirah (transgression) he will tip the scales to the negative side...(Kiddushin 40). Consequently, the Torah tells each individual here "See!" Every single action that you do "I am putting in front of you a blessing and a curse" that you have the power to tip the scales in either direction. · Wealth and poverty do not always have the same effect on a person. There are those whose wealth influences them for the good, and through the blessing of their wealth they come to a greater appreciation of Hashem. However, had they been poor, they would have been so occupied trying to find food, that they would have forgotten their Creator. This was the case in Egypt, where the Bnei Yisrael were so exhausted by the hard labor that they didn't listen to Moshe. On the other hand, there are those whom wealth removes from the path of righteousness, as we see so often in our history, that the Jewish people become successful and self-satisfied and forget Who gave them what they have. However, when a person is poor and "broken," Hashem never ignores his supplications. That's what the verse is saying here: "See-I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse" -- and don't think that the blessing is wealth and the curse is poverty; rather everything depends on how a person deals with his riches or poverty. And whether he be rich or poor, if he turns his focus to the Torah and mitzvos, then whatever his status is in life he receives the blessing. (L'Torah U'Moadim) · The blessing in this verse does not refer to anything specific; rather, it is a comprehensive statement which includes all the blessings G-d confers on every Jew. First and foremost, therefore, it refers to the ultimate blessing of all-the complete Redemption through Moshiach. By using the emphatic "See!" the Torah stresses that the Messianic Redemption is not something theoretical or academic, but rather something that will be evident with our eyes of flesh-and this very day! (The Lubavitcher Rebbe Zt"l, Observe and hear all these words which I command you (Deut. 12:28) "Observe" refers to the study of Torah, explains Rashi, the great Torah commentator. Studying Torah preserves the G-dly spark within each of us, preventing it from becoming nullified and lost in the body's physicality and coarseness. (Sefer Hamaamarim 5672) You are the children of the L-rd your G-d (Deut. 14:1) Just as the child is drawn down from the brain of the father, so are the souls of the Jewish people drawn down from G-d's Supernal wisdom. However, the connection between the Jew and G-d is even loftier than that between a father and son, for G-d's wisdom is not a separate entity from Him, but "He and His wisdom are one." (Tanya) You shall not shut your hand from your needy brother (Deut. 15:7) In Hebrew, the first letters of this verse spell out the word "Tehillim"-Psalms. Reciting Psalms on behalf of a poor person is not enough; one must open his hand and give him material sustenance also. (Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhin) Observe the month of spring, and keep the Passover to the L-rd your G-d (Deut. 16:1) The Egyptians believed in the supremacy of natural law and worshipped man's ability to influence the world through science. G-d therefore took the Jewish people out of Egypt in the springtime, when the workings of nature are most evident, to demonstrate that nature is only a tool in His hands and has no intrinsic power of its own. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT"L) |
