וידעתם היום כי לא את בניכם אשר לא ידעו, “and you will know this day, that not with your children who did not know, etc.” This verse tells that all the wonderful deeds performed by the Lord which Moses speaks about are not events which will happen in the future [like the promises of prosperity in the land of Canaan he had told them about. Ed.] Rather, “you yourselves have seen all this with your own eyes.” Everything we read here is an introduction to verse 7: “for you have seen.” Moses recalls that the people (or most of them, those 40 years and over) have been witnesses to what he is describing. If we find Moses relating to Datan and Aviram and what happened to them while omitting mention of Korach who was the leader of that rebellion, the reason may well be that he felt ashamed that a member of his own family had become guilty of such a sin. Or, he may have singled out Datan and Aviram as they had exceeded everyone else in their demagoguery and their effrontery, strutting around cursing, etc. (compare Tanchuma Korach 8).

You are already aware that the “hidden” miracles are performed by the attribute Shaddai, the attribute which G’d employed in His dealings with the patriarchs. That attribute is referred to here as the שם הנכבד והנורא הזה, את ה' אלו-היך in Deut. 28,58. The “manifest” miracles are the ones orchestrated by G’d’s attribute Hashem, the tetragram. This is the attribute of G’d which manifested itself to Moses all the time. This is why you find at the beginning of this passage when Moses refers to all the miracles which affected the bodies of the people, i.e. “hidden miracles,” not dramatic changes in the laws of nature, that Moses employs the attribute ה' אלו-היך for the G’d who had performed them, just as Moses had done since the beginning of the Book of Deuteronomy. When he switches to recalling “manifest” miracles, the ones which changed the laws of nature, such as the descent of people into the bowels of the earth after this event had been announced in advance, suddenly Moses mentions only י-ה-ו-ה, the attribute Hashem as orchestrating that event.

את גדלו ואת ידו החזקה וזרועו הנטויה, “His greatness, His powerful hand and His outstretched arm” Every intelligent person knows that terms such as “hand,” “arm,” “mouth,” “nose,” etc., cannot be applied to G’d in the literal sense of these words. They merely represent celestial equivalents of extensions of the essence of G’d just as these parts of the body are extensions of the essence of people on earth, extensions which enable the essence to carry out its will. Every such term used by the Torah in connection with G’d describes a specific function such an extension performs. Just as we do not call a “hand” once “a hand,” and another time “a foot,” the same is true of these terms when used in connection with G’d. We do not lump “arm” and hand together when describing these organs as part of a human being. Similarly, we do not do so when we describe them as extensions of the essence of G’d. The definition of יד, “hand,” includes the surface of the hand up until the beginning of the fingers. The part from the wrist to the elbow is known as קנה, whereas the part from the elbow up is known as זרוע. This is the part of the arm on which we put the phylacteries. On occasion this is known as the higher region of the hand, the part on the same level as the heart. Concerning this arm the sages in Menachot 43 said that proof that Israel is beloved of the Lord is that He assigned this part of the arm for them to place the phylacteries of the hand, and the head to place the phylacteries of the head. The proof that the part of the arm above the elbow is called זרוע is found in Job 31,22 כתפי משכמי תפול ואזרועי מקנה תשבר, “may my arm drop off my shoulder; my forearm break off at the elbow.” Job enumerated parts of the arm beginning with his shoulder, followed by זרוע, continuing with קנה, the arm below the elbow, the part which links up with the hand. We find similar terminology in the Mishnah in Oholot 1,8 where 248 limbs (bones) of man are enumerated, thirty of them being considered part of the פסת היד, ‘the hand;’ 6 of these bones of the hand are attributed to each of the fingers. The Mishnah enumerates 2 bones as being part of the forearm (below the elbow) and 2 more as part of the elbow, one in the upper arm and four in the shoulder. This Mishnah is proof that the part called קנה are the bones linking the hand to the elbow. The term עציל is a word found in the Baraitha describing the word מרפק in the Mishnah (elbow). In Biblical language the עציל of the Baraitha is identical with אציל as described in Ezekiel 13,18 על כל אצילי ידי, “upon all my elbows.” Targum Yonathan clearly translates the word אצילי as “my elbows,” [in contrast to Rashi who considers it as “my armpits”. Ed.] In Massechet Sofrim 3,15 we find the halachah “a man is not to place a Torah scroll upon his knees and hold it down with his elbows (so it does not fall) as it is unseemly (to place one’s weight upon the Torah scroll).” Having explained the difference between יד and זרוע, the author of Masechet Sofrim continues: “it is a well known fact that the זרוע is “greater” (more powerful) than the יד, seeing the power of the hand is derived from the arm and not vice versa.” This makes it clear that whenever the Torah speaks of both hand and arm, the arm is always considered as describing something even more forceful than the hand.

Both the mention of G’d’s “hand” and mention of G’d’s “arm” are references to the attribute of Justice at work. The attribute of Justice operates on different levels of intensity, however. Just as red wine comes in different shades of red so the attribute of Justice becomes manifest in different degrees of severity. The manifestation of a weak form of the attribute of Justice presupposes that there must be a stronger form from which the weaker form derives its input. I have explained this in connection with the two letters ה in מי כמוכה in Exodus 15,11. This is also the meaning of Isaiah 53,1: וזרוע ה' על מי נגלתה, “against whom has the “arm” of the Lord become manifest?” When David (Psalms 44,4) speaks of כי ימינך וזרועך, “Your right hand and Your arm,” he also refers to G’d employing His power against the Canaanites as first relatively mildly, ימינך, followed by a stronger dose, i.e. זרועך. I have alluded to all this in my commentary on Exodus 14,31 “Israel saw the great hand, etc.”

When the Torah speaks here of G’d’s “greatness, גדלו,” followed by His “strong hand, ידו החזקה,” and “His outstretched arm וזרועו הנטויה,” this is similar to what we read in 5,21. הן הראנו ה' אלו-הינו את כבודו ואת גדלו ואת ידו החזקה וזרועו הנטויה describes “His strong hand and outstretched arm, The word כבדו describes the “weak” manifestation of the attribute of Justice, a manifestation containing also part of the attribute of Mercy. This fact is underscored by use of the tetragramצשאםמ for G’d in that verse. It is as if the Torah had written 'כי בי-ה ה' a combination of Justice, i.e. י-ה,and Hashem, i.e. Mercy. Solomon used similar terms when he prayed at the dedication of the Temple (Kings I 8,42) asking G’d to respond when the people would first hear G’d’s attribute of Mercy mentioned,שמך הגדול followed by the attribute of Justice, i.e. את ידך החזקה וזרועך הנטויה.

לא כארץ מצרים היא, “it is not like the land of Egypt;” a land which depends on manual irrigation, i.e. though water is always available it must be brought by man to the fields. The land of Canaan receives its irrigation directly from heaven, through rainfall, not requiring man to bend down and to do back-breaking labour. As long as you observe the laws of the Torah G’d will provide this rainfall for you and the land will produce its yield. If not, (verse 17) G’d will lock the heaven and there will not be any rain, hence no crops either. Even though G’d could have stopped the river flowing in Egypt if the Jews had remained there and failed to keep the laws of the Torah, Nachmanides already dealt with this by writing that G’d prefers to use minimal interference with natural events. Seeing that the land of Israel, as opposed to the land of Egypt, consists of mountains and valleys, an absence of rain means that whatever moisture there had been before will run off much faster than in a flat land like Egypt in which the moisture is retained longer. Sick people need to possess some merit in order to regain their health. Similarly, if Israel or the land of Israel becomes ”sick” as evidenced by an absence of rain, it has to acquire some merits to be healed, i.e. for G’d to make the rain descend again.

ארץ אשר ה' אלו-היך דרש אתה תמיד, עיני ה' אלו-היך בה, “a land which the Lord your G’d seeks out; the eyes of the Lord your G’d are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end.” According to the plain meaning of the text Moses means that G’d’s supervisory activities are concentrated on this land more than on any other. Once G’d has found out what goes on in the land of Israel, His gaze extends further and further and encompasses the rest of the globe. The matter is similar to man’s organs. First and foremost the heart is examined to determine its condition, seeing that life or death depend in large measure on the condition of the heart, the centre of man’s organisms. Subsequently, a physician examines other limbs and organs which are more peripheral than the heart. The major point of our verse is that the condition of the land of Israel is not left to G’d’s agents, horoscopic influences, etc., but that G’d Himself super-vises this land on an ongoing basis. This is also what David referred to in Psalms 87,7 when he said כל מעיני בך, “all My fountains are within you.” The word מעין is perceived as related to עין, eye; David quotes G’d as saying that His principal supervision is concentrated on “you,” the land of Israel. From there it will extend throughout the rest of the world.

A kabbalistic approach: the words ארץ אשר ה' אלו-היך דורש are a reference to the Sanctuary in the celestial regions. Concerning this celestial Sanctuary the prophet Isaiah 66,1 already quoted G’d saying that whereas the heavens are “My throne, the earth is My footstool.” “Feet” symbolize a lower extremity. The reason Moses speaks here of two attributes, i.e. ה' אלו-היך, is because he wants to display the linkage between the terrestrial and the celestial Sanctuary, i.e. two extremities of the concept Sanctuary. The terrestrial Sanctuary is known as בית קדשנו ותפארתנו, “the house of our holiness and glory,” i.e. dedicated to the One Who is our Holy One and our glorious One. The word קדשנו refers to the attribute כבוד, and we find this reflected in Psalms 96,6 עז ותפארת במקדשו, “strength and glory are found in His Sanctuary.”

In this connection you must appreciate the previous verse (11) והארץ אשר אתם עוברים שמה, “and the land which you are passing over to, etc.” In that verse the Torah refers to the terrestrial land of Israel, the one on which the terrestrial Sanctuary is to be erected. To make this distinction clear Moses describes the mountains and hills in that land which receives its rainfall from heaven (obviously not heaven itself) as distinct from the celestial regions. However, the land mentioned in our verse (12) is a “land” in the celestial regions, the “tenth” emanation as alluded to by the word תמיד better read as מדת י, “the tenth attribute, emanation.” Seeing that this is so, i.e. the correlation of the celestial Sanctuary and the terrestrial Sanctuary, “our” land is blessed with ten blessings as spelled out in Deut. 8,8 where we explained how, although only seven species are explicitly mentioned there, actually 10 are meant. This entire verse is an allusion to the word הארץ mentioned at the beginning of Genesis.

מרשית השנה, “from the beginning of the year.” The word מרשית is spelled without the customary letter א after the letter ר [and can thus be read מתשרי]. This is an allusion to the New Year, the first of the month of Tishrei, anniversary of the creation, the day on which G’d sits in judgment of His creatures. Our sages in Rosh Hashanah 8 see in this the source for G’d predetermining our fates for the whole ensuing year, based on our past performance.

ולעבדו בכל לבבכם, “and to serve Him with all your hearts.” Our sages in Taanit 2 ask rhetorically: “what kind of service can one perform for G’d with one’s heart?” They answer: “Prayer.” They prove this from Daniel 6,17: “your G’d, the one whom you serve constantly, He will save you.” Was there then a Temple for the Jewish G’d in Babylon where Daniel could have offered sacrifices? Clearly the King must have referred to the G’d to whom Daniel prayed in his heart. In verse 11 of that same chapter Daniel is described as opening the window of his room facing Jerusalem when praying. David also said in Psalms 141,2: “take my prayer as an offering of incense.” Moreover, our sages in Berachot 26 have said that the daily prayers nowadays are in lieu of the daily communal offerings, the תמידים.

It is important to appreciate that the power of prayer is such that it can bring about changes in the laws of nature, save people from mortal danger, and bring about cancellation of evil decrees by G’d. We know that it can effect changes in the laws of nature from Yitzchak whose prayer in the presence of Rivkah brought about the new-found ability of Rivkah to conceive (Genesis 25,21). She had previously been barren, and our sages explain that this was so as G’d wanted to encourage Yitzchak to pray to Him to reverse this situation. (compare Shir Hashirim Rabbah 2,31). Our sages explained to us that the barrenness of our matriarchs was due only to the absence of the prayers of either themselves or their husbands. Proof that prayer can save one from mortal danger is found in Psalms 107,23: “the ones who descend to the sea in ships.” We know that from when Jonah prayed inside the fish, surely a mortal danger if ever there was such. Not only this, but David continues in that psalm describing how the mariners in time of a storm pray to G’d Who saves them from these dangers. As a result of their prayers G’d silences these turbulent waters (verse 29). Proof that prayer is able on occasion to reverse evil decrees by G’d is found in Isaiah 38,8 where G’d tells King Chizkiyah that his prayer has been granted that he will enjoy a 15 year extension of his lifespan after the prophet had told him in the name of G’d to make his last will and testament as he would not recover from his sickness. (Compare Berachot 10 on what the king told the prophet.) The Talmud tells us not to despair even if the sword is poised to fall on one’s neck, that G’d is still able to help. They quote Job 13,15 to prove their point. Incidentally, our sages there reveal that the power of prayer exceeds the power of prophecy. In this connection we must remember that in the period between Moses and the men of the Great Assembly (over 900 years later) prayer was not formalized as it is nowadays. Every person formulated his prayers in his own words in accordance with his knowledge and ability. The men of the Great Assembly organised the formula which serves until this day as the principal prayer commonly known a the Shmone Esreh, (“18,” according to the number of benedictions which it contains). The main reason the men of the Great Assembly formulated this prayer was to ensure that everyone would learn it by heart and be familiar with it. This is why the language of that prayer is very plain and simple. This would prevent people from becoming confused and making errors. The sages wanted the prayers of both fools and wise men to be identical so that the fools would not feel at a disadvantage. These benedictions were composed with the utmost care and with regard to such formulas having proved successful. The introductory benediction, known as אבות introduces the petitioner as a descendant of the patriarchs and as such entitled to a hearing. It is followed by a benediction known as גבורות, a declaration of our awareness of G’d’s mighty deeds. The third benediction is called קדושה, a prayer in which we extol G’d’s Holiness. These three benedictions are followed by a string of בקשות, requests (12 in all) which are arranged both in terms of our spiritual needs, our physical needs, our national needs and our individual needs. The final three benedictions consist of עבודה, a prayer asking for the restoration of the Temple and the sacrificial service in the Temple, followed by a benediction known as הודאה, thanksgiving. This is followed by the blessing by the priests, the prayer for peace, without which all the other blessings are short-lived. If you will examine the letters in the tetragrammaton י-ה-ו-ה you will find that if the letters of that name are spelled in a different sequence you have a total of 12 variations, known as צירופים, permutations. An example of these variations is that starting with the first letter י you could follow it with either a ו followed by two letters ה, or by the letter ה twice followed by the letter ו. The three basic letters in the tetragrammaton, the letters י-ה-ו lend themselves to six permutations, i.e. יהו,יוה,הוי,היו,ויה,והי giving you a total of 6 such צירופים. The tetragrammaton, having four basic letters, doubles the number of permutations possible so that you wind up with basically 12 צירופים. [Some authorities speak about 24. Ed]. The number 12 corresponds to the numerical value of the word זה in the verse זה שמי לעולם, “this is My name forever” (Exodus 3,15). The three first permutations, i.e. the ones using the letter י at the beginning, correspond to the first three of the benedictions representing אבות, גבורות, קדושה. The final three צירופים in that series correspond to the last three benedictions עבודה, הודאה, ברכת כהנים. The 6 permutations in the middle correspond to six of the 12 central requests, i.e. אתה חונן, השיבנו, סלח לנו, גאולה, רפואה, פרנסה. The other six benedictions do not have a specific permutation of the tetragrammaton assigned to them and one can perceive them as being used interchangeably. The reason that the 19th benediction, the one added by later sages as a request to ward off the potential damage caused to Jews and Judaism by its defectors and maligners cannot be assigned any of these permutations of the tetragrammaton is that this benediction is addressed in the first instance to the attribute of Justice, not the tetragrammaton as we want that attribute to neutralize these anti Jewish forces. This nineteenth benediction and its significance has already been alluded to in Psalms 29 where after mentioning the tetragrammaton 18 times, David adds the words ואל הכבוד הרעים, in verse 3, a reference to the attribute of Justice. The only reason David changes the attribute he addresses there after having referred to the tetragrammaton 18 times is that he hints that this attribute ought to be poised, ready to strike these virulent anti-Semites unless they retract. Another reason that David introduces an additional attribute of G’d in that psalm is that he conveys the message that not only our external enemies but our internal enemies, the evil urge, should be taken care of by the attribute of Justice. We encourage the attribute of Justice, so to speak, to vent its anger on our internal enemies.

Among the 12 requests we observe that 6 address human needs whereas the other 6 are the plea for the restoration of G’d’s kingdom on earth and His closeness to His people as it had been prior to the destruction of the Temple. By means of the addition of the 13th request, the one to liquidate the hostile heretics, we have a total number of 13 requests corresponding to the 13 attributes of Himself which G’d revealed to Moses after the episode of the golden calf. This is an allusion to the fact that all the good on earth, be it for the benefit of man or G’d Himself, is channeled our way by means of these attributes in one form or another. It is therefore incumbent upon us to address the Essence of G’d, Who operates by means of these attributes. This is what Moses had in mind when he quoted the Gentile nations (Deut. 4.7) as describing our relationship to that Essence as אשר לו אלו-הים קרובים אליו. The Gentiles felt that no other nation established such a close relationship to the Divine Essence, the tetragrammaton, by means of the attributes as did the Jewish people. This is conditional on בכל קראנו אליו, “providing that when we pray we always call out to Him, the Essence” (Deut. 4,7). The word אליו specifically excludes any of the attributes as being the address to which our prayers are to be directed.

ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו, “I will give the rain for your land at its appropriate time.” At the hours when it is most beneficial for newly seeded fields. You will be pleased with the timing of the rain, which, according to our sages in Taanit 22 and 23 will descend at night when it does not interfere with any of your activities. In Leviticus 26,3 the Torah words this blessing somewhat differently, writing “ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם, “I will give your rains at their respective seasons.” Our sages interpret the wording there to mean that the rain will neither be sparse nor excessive. Too much rain soaks the earth so that it does not produce fruit. Another meaning of these words is that the word בעתם, refers to the nights from Tuesday to Wednesday and on Friday nights, periods when everyone is at home. We have a tradition that during the period of Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach this blessing was fulfilled and the rains in Israel descended only on these two nights of the week. As a result, the wheat kernels were as big as kidneys and the barley as big as the pits of the olives, and lentils grew to the size of golden dinars. Our sages used this period to illustrate to what extent sins by the people can reduce the fertility of the Holy Land. They used Jeremiah 5,25 to illustrate their point. The prophet wrote: “it is your iniquities that have diverted these things, your sins have withheld the bounty from you.” We also find that during the reign of Herod when the people were busy with major renovations of the Temple, rain descended only at night so as not to interfere with the work of restoring and enlarging the Temple. On the morning following such rain, the clouds would disperse quickly, the sun would shine and work could proceed without impediment. The people would rise at an early hour and go to work at the Temple site.

יורה ומלקוש, “early (seasonal) rain and late rains.” The rain called יורה descends during the first quarter of the season shortly after sowing. It moistens the earth after a dry summer and provides critical moisture for the seedlings (Taanit 6). According to this view the word יורה is derived from רוה, “irrigated, well-watered.” Alternatively, the word may allude to “teaching”, forecasting a good year, i.e. if that rain materialises at the proper time in the proper quantities it is a good omen for the agriculture of the year which just commenced. מלקוש is the rain which descends much later in the season shortly before the barley is ripe for cutting. The reason the Torah called it by that name is because it descends on מלילות, ears of corn already fully formed on their stalks. The second half of the word, קש, may be an allusion to the straw, part of the grain. At any rate, it refers to the rain that descends near the end of the rainy season. It may be an allusion to the grain gaining volume while on the stalks. Onkelos also translates the word עטופים in Genesis 30,42 as לקישא, “born late.” It may also be an allusion to מל קשיותן של ישראל, that it “circumcises the obstinate posture of the Jewish people” [when they observe G’d’s blessing arriving on time. Ed.] Our sages in Taanit 6 interpret it thus: ‘when the rains are late in arriving the people will be motivated to pray for rain. They will also become penitents in order not to forfeit the needed rainfall’.

ואספת דגנך ותירושך, “you will gather in your corn harvest and your grape harvest.” The sages (Berachot 35) ask how it is possible to reconcile the commandment that “the Torah should never be absent from your mouth” (Joshua 1,8), with these instructions to pursue an agricultural career, ploughing, sowing harvesting, etc.? They answer that there are times set aside for both of these activities. This is also what Kohelet 7,18 had in mind when he said: “it is best that you grasp the one without letting go of the other.”

ונתתי עשב בשדך, “I will provide grass in your field, etc.” Moses attributed the provision of grass in the field to G’d personally in order to counter the opinions of the people that the world as we know it has been handed over by G’d unconditionally to planetary forces and terrestrial forces encouraging the growth of vegetation. Seeing this was a widely held view, the Torah had to phrase some things in such a way that people will remember that it is only He Who provides the celestial input without which no growth of any sort will manifest itself in our world. David also reminds us of this in Psalms 104,14: “Who makes the grass grow for the cattle, and herbage for man’s labour.” Just as the rainfall is attributed to G’d in verse 14, so the growth of grass is attributed to Him in this verse. The same idea is also expressed in Zecharyah 10,1

ואכלת ושבעת, “you will eat and be sated.” These words refer to the earlier verse which spoke about the grain harvest and the grape harvest. They do not mean that you will eat grass. The words could also be understood thus: When I provide plenty of grass and grazing in the fields, the animals which fed on this and whose meat you will eat will be a source of satisfaction for you. Our sages in Berachot 40 derive a moral lesson from our verse. Seeing G’d speaks first about the feed for the livestock before assuring us that we will eat our fill, this teaches that we are not to sit down to eat until after we have made sure that our animals have food to eat.

השמרו לכם פן יפתה לבבכם, “Be very much on guard that your hearts will not be seduced, etc.” The seduction might result from the very serenity and affluence of your existence in the land of Israel. You might, G’d forbid, become attracted to idolatry and depart from the path G’d has earmarked for you. If that were to happen, G’d will become very angry at you and lock the heavens so that there will not be any rain (next verse). The reason that Moses uses the example of absence of rain as indicating G’d’s anger is because the pagans attribute the very presence of rain to their worshipping their various deities faithfully. This is why it was important to point out to the Israelites that if they would depart from the path of the Torah the very opposite would occur; instead of their assuring themselves of their rain supply through idolatry they would lose that life-giving rain. Isaiah 30,22-23 is on record that when the Israelites who had been guilty of worshipping idols will throw out the silver overlays of these images they will be provided with rain as acknowledgment of their penitence. The prophet also picked rainfall as his example of G’d’s positive reaction to a penitent Israel to remind them that such basics as rainfall are provided only through the Lord our G’d. We have to pin our hopes on Him and not on anyone else.

ועצר את השמים ולא יהיה מטר, “He will lock the heaven and there will not be any rain.” This is a reference to verse 11 where the drinking of water is credited to the rain which emanates in heaven. The reason G’d did not provide the Israelites with a land irrigated by rivers is in order that such irrigation should not be dependent on their own labor and they would not feel dependent on G’d. A land which requires rainfall to provide its water resources is a land whose inhabitants must turn to G’d pleading for such rainfall to materialize.

We find a disagreement between the scholars Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Eliezer in Taanit 9 as to the precise origin of rain. Rabbi Eliezer holds that all the waters in our terrestrial universe originate in the oceans (and are recycled via the sky). He bases his opinion on Genesis 2,6 that a mist rose from earth before it had ever rained. Rabbi Joshua believed that the earth gets its rainfall directly from heaven, seeing the Torah told us in our portion “you will drink water which originates in the rain from heaven.” Each one of the scholars has weighty arguments. Rabbi Eliezer cites a powerful proof from Psalms 33,7: “He heaps up the ocean waters like a mound, stores the ‘deep’ in vaults. Who caused the vaults to be filled with water? The “deep”, i.e. the waters of the ocean.” This appears to be proof that rain water originates in the ocean. How do we account for the salt in the waters of the ocean and the absence of such salt in rain water? We assume that while traveling as clouds the waters that had emerged from the ocean are being sweetened. Rabbi Joshua cites proof for his opinion that the rain waters originate in heaven from Psalms 104,13: “He waters the mountains from His lofts.” Rabbi Yochanan said that the word מעליותיו in that verse refers to “celestial lofts.” He quotes a Baraitha in Taanit 10: “the waters of the ‘upper’ regions are suspended by an utterance of G’d, their ‘fruit’ is the rain water.” We know this from Psalms 104,13 which describes them as פרי מעשיך תשבע ארץ, “by the fruit of Your works the earth is sated.” The words of these scholars are truly divinely inspired.” It is entirely possible that both scholars are correct and that sometimes the rain waters originate in the oceans whereas on other occasions they are of celestial origin. The key to understanding the phenomena in question lies in the use by the Torah of two different words for the word rain, גשם and מטר, respectively. The word גשם refers to something physical, i.e. rain originating in the ocean, whereas the rain originating in the celestial spheres is described by using both the name גשם and the name מטר, (compare Isaiah 5,10, or Deut. 28,12). When the deluge occurred we also find that it consisted both of מטר and of גשם, compare Genesis 7,4 and 7,12.

I have found support for my thesis in Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer chapter 5. The text there reads as follows: “the thick clouds draw their water from the ‘deep,’ i.e. oceans as we know from Psalms 135,7: “He makes clouds rise from the end of the earth.“ In every place where the King directs them they unload their rain and the earth immediately responds by becoming pregnant and growing vegetation much like a woman who was a widow and has become pregnant through engaging in harlotry.” However, when G’d really wants to bless the vegetation on earth the rain originates in the celestial spheres which are masculine regions. The earth then becomes pregnant immediately and produces vegetation which reflects G’d’s blessing. This is the meaning of Deut. 28,12: “may the Lord open for you His good store, the heaven.” Thus far Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer.

If you will peruse the Torah you will find that the word מטר, is associated with שמים, “heaven,” in most instances when it occurs. There is a considerable difference in the meanings of גשם and מטר respectively. The distinctions between different meanings as reflected by different words in a language reflect a deep-rooted wisdom. Consider for a moment the combination of the words וגשם מטר in Job 37,6. Elihu had previously said that the snow which originates beneath the throne of G’d’s glory returns to earth whereas the rain which is of physical origin turns into מטר, a most remarkable and inexplicable phenomenon. Our sages have already stated G’d turns flesh into streaks of lightning. This is the meaning of Psalms 135,7 “He turns flashes of lightning into rain.” If we were to accept the verse at face value the meaning is that rain should always be accompanied by lightning, something which contradicts our experience. We may therefore conclude that the מטר mentioned there is not a phenomenon visible on earth. Clearly, the only thing we can be sure about is that the terms גשם and מטר cannot always be used interchangeably.

ואבדתם מהרה, “and you will perish quickly, etc.” if you were G‘d forbid to serve idols you will be exiled from Eretz Yisrael, a good land which does not tolerate sinners for long. We also have a verse in Isaiah 13,9 which states וחטאיה ישמיד ממנה, ”and it wipes out the sinners on it (the earth).” Our sages (Sifri Eikev on the word והשתחויתם) have illustrated this concept by a parable. A father leads his son on the way to a feast and warns him not to overeat there so that he would return home from the feast looking clean. The son paid no heed to the warning; he overate, vomited and returned home in utter disgrace after he had dirtied all the other participants at that feast. How did the other guests at that feast react to such conduct? They took the son in question by his hands and feet and tossed him out of the palace.

ושמתם את דברי אלה, “you are to put these My words on your hearts, etc.” our sages in Sifri Eikev comment on this that even after you will be in exile you continue to be obligated to obey the commandments of the Torah. You are to put on the phylacteries, attach mezuzot to your houses, in order that all these commandments will not be strange to you when you return to your homeland. We have a verse in Jeremiah 31,20 reflecting this same theme when the prophet says הציבי לך ציונים, “erect markers, set up signposts!” The prophet means that though the performance of the commandments which require our bodies in order to fulfill them are applicable everywhere and therefore automatically obligatory in exile, the whole Torah was given primarily in order to be observed on holy soil (Nachmanides).

ולמדתם אותם את בניכם לדבר בם, “You shall teach them to your children to speak about them.” From the time your son (or daughter) is old enough to talk you must instruct him in Torah. One of the first lessons should be the verse תורה צוה לנו משה, as well as שמע ישראל .

To give them. The verse teaches you that the land of Israel was given to the Jewish people forever, like the heaven is over the earth forever. If you are exiled from the land, you will return to it. No other nation will possess it or settle it except for the Jewish people.

כי אם שמר תשמרון, “For if you will surely observe, etc.” If you will observe the laws of the Torah Hashem will expel your enemies from before you, seeing you enter the land in order to fulfill the commandments.

A Midrashic approach (based on Tanchuma Bereshit 1): the reason the words שמר תשמרון are repeated is to tell us that the merit of the commandments which we fulfill will protect us, i.e. the Torah will protect us against our enemies. This is also the reason the previous paragraph commenced with the repeated והיה אם שמע תשמעו. The message is that if you will listen to G’d’s instructions He in turn will listen to your prayers. You may infer the reverse to be true in the event that we do not listen to G’d’s instructions.

והוריש ה' את כל הגוים האלה מלפניכם, “Hashem will drive out all these nations from before you.” This refers to the ones that reside near the Israelites’ present location. Afterwards He will also do so to the nations which reside further away, הרחוקים, i.e. wherever you will set foot. Seeing that G’d here indicates a certain order in which the conquest of the land of Canaan has to proceed, we know that David erred when he did not follow this sequence by first driving out the nations which lived further away from the Israelites such as Aram Tzovah, Aram Naharayim. He conquered the nearby countries only afterwards including Jerusalem, i.e. the Jebusite (compare Sifri Eykev 51 ). Our sages also ruled that lands conquered by an individual (with fewer than 600,000 Israelite soldiers) does not have the legal status of a conquest based on milchemet mitzvah. When the land is conquered in the true order, the conquered territories all become part of the Holy Land with all that this entails, i.e. the need to tithe its product, and to give the Levites and Priests all the gifts prescribed by the Torah. Lands conquered as כבוש יחיד, as the result of a private initiative is not subject to the Shemittah and Yovel legislation by Biblical decree. The Rabbis applied this legislation to such lands only so as not to encourage Jews to settle in such lands and to circumvent the intent of Torah legislation.

לא יתיצב איש בפניכם, פחדכם ומוראכם יתן ה' אלו-היכם על פני כל הארץ אשר בה כאשר דבר לכם, “no man will remain standing upright before you (on account of you); the Lord your G’d will give the fear of you and the terror of you all over the land on which you set foot, just as He has said.” This verse contains 72 letters corresponding to the 72 letters (number 72) in the tetragrammaton when spelled in a certain manner, adding the following letter to the original one. [י+יה+יהו+יהוה =72. Ed.]. This name is invoked by people familiar with Kabbalah when they want G’d to counteract fears experienced on journeys into uncharted territory. When Moses adds the words כאשר דבר לכם, “as He has said to you,” he refers to Exodus 23,27: “the fear of Me I shall send ahead of you.” This is also what Moses had prayed for at the end of the Shirah in Exodus 15,16: “may fear and terror fall upon them.” He wanted the attribute of Justice to be constantly poised against the enemies of the Israelites both then and in the future. This is also the method employed by G’d in His dealings with the righteous as we know from Psalms 91,11: “for He will order His angels to guard you wherever you go.” This is a reference to G’d’s “sword” which has 16 facets which are instructed to smite the adversaries. I have explained this matter in connection with Genesis 3,24. We have three veses in Scripture referring to this “sword of G’d” in Leviticus 26,25, Isaiah 27,1 and Genesis 3,24. In our paragraph the Torah simply assures us that if we keep all the commandments He will deliver into our hands all the far more powerful nations surrounding us and that we would inherit their possessions. This is why the Torah also had to caution us not to be afraid of the pagans. Anyone who is afraid of someone made of flesh and blood is deficient in his trust in G’d’s promise. This is the reason why fear itself is one of the greatest obstacles our soul encounters in its effort to trust G’d absolutely. Such people may become the architects of their own misfortune although none had been decreed against them. People who are saved from all troubles are the ones who take to heart Deut. 20,5 and Psalms 40,8: “he puts his trust in the Lord.”

מחרף עצל לא יחרוש, ושאל בקציר ואין, “in winter the lazy man does not plough; at harvest time he seeks but finds nothing” (Proverbs 20,4).

Solomon has made it a point in the Book of Proverbs to explain the value of all the good character traits in order that we learn how to avoid the negative virtues. One of the positive virtues is זריזות, diligence, and eagerness to carry out one’s duties. Laziness, by contrast, is a negative virtue, one to be avoided. In fact, laziness is at the root of many of the problems one experiences in one’s life. There are different kinds of laziness. Some people’s laziness becomes manifest in the manner in which they neglect their homes, other people’s laziness we can recognize by the way they neglect their bodies. A third form of laziness is the way one relates to the requirements of one’s soul; a fourth kind of laziness involves one’s attitude to Torah study and performance of the Torah’s commandments. An example of laziness or slovenliness in one’s house is failure to repair a leaky roof during the summer. Not only will immediate steps taken to make the repairs presumably save one greater expense the longer one waits, but one will save oneself discomfort when it starts to rain. Concerning people who put off the inevitable such as the need to repair their roof, Solomon says in Kohelet 10,18: “through slothfulness the ceiling sags, through lazy hands the house caves in.” Concerning laziness, i.e. neglect of one’s body’s needs it is well to remember that if one attends to the need to assure oneself with a livelihood and is satisfied if one attains an average standard of living without trying to attain what one does not need, one is liable to achieve what one sets out to do. This is the secret of “enjoying one’s share.” If one neglects one’s basic needs relying on miracles to happen instead, one is liable to die from hunger. Concerning people who are too lazy to fend for themselves and prefer to wait for miracles, Solomon writes in Proverbs 13,4: “a lazy man craves but has nothing; the diligent shall feast on rich fare.” There are people whose laziness is manifest in the neglect of the requirements of their soul. Such people, though aware of shortcomings in their character, make no effort to correct these shortcomings. They forget that the soul has much in common with the earth; some earth is easy to work and it does not take too much time to make things grow from such earth. Other parts of the earth are by nature hard, difficult to work; nonetheless the farmer must not abandon it in despair; he must invest extra time and will find that eventually even such earth will yield its produce. Concerning such “earth,” i.e. soul, Solomon says in Proverbs 18,9: “one who is slack in his work is a brother to a vandal.”. Some people (their souls) respond to minimal encouragement and discipline. Others require a great deal more. However, if the latter person makes an effort to respond to rebukes, teachings and exhortations he will find that eventually he will rehabilitate himself completely so that positive characteristics will become second nature for him. Concerning such a person (before rehabilitation) Solomon says in Proverbs 24,30: “I passed by the field of a lazy man, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense; it was all overgrown with thorns, its surface was covered with weeds.” In this simile Solomon compared greed and lust to a field seeing it is a derivative of raw material [I believe that by “raw material” the author means something physical, not divine such as the soul. Ed.]. If one does not treat raw material in the manner it is intended to be treated and used and allows one’s urges free reign one will wind up destroying both one’s body and one’s soul. When Solomon goes on in verse 31 to describe that he saw a stone fence lying in ruins, this describes the result of what happens to people who neglect body and soul. There are also people to whom the negative virtue of laziness can be applied as they neglect Torah study and the performance of good deeds. If someone is guilty of this in this world how will he attain eternal bliss in the world to come? This is the person whom Solomon had in mind in our opening verse, “he who does not plough in the winter will surely have nothing to show in summer.” Solomon’s definition of laziness is not just failure to do one’s duties, but failure to do the requisite duty on time. There are times which are meant for certain activities. If one wastes these times by not performing the requisite activities such as plowing in winter, such failure will backfire. Solomon uses the farmer as his model par excellence for describing the results of laziness. He compares our life on earth to “winter” and the hereafter to “summer,” the time for reaping what one has sown. The winter is perceived as under the relatively weak domain of the moon whereas the summer is under the far more powerful domain of the sun. Everyone knows that in a comparison between moon and sun as luminaries, the sun is primary whereas the moon is secondary. Compare what Solomon wrote in Song of Songs 2,11: “here the winter has passed, etc.” Our sages in Avodah Zarah 3 phrased it thus: “the present world is comparable to Sabbath eve whereas the world to come is comparable to the Sabbath itself.” They therefore ask: what is he going to eat on the Sabbath who has not toiled on the Sabbath eve?” Amongst other things the sages explained to us by means of their simile that whereas the present world is one of מעשה, deeds, the world to come is one of מנוחה, “rest and compensation.” It is not a world in which activities which are meant to store for the future are performed. Searching for work in the world to come is a non-starter, אין, one will find nothing (if one had not amassed it previously). Why does Solomon write: מחורף when speaking about the winter, instead of בחורף, as he does when speaking about בקציר, “at harvest time?” The word מחורף must be understood as מפחד החורף, “because of the fear of winter.” It is typical of lazy people to look for any excuse (including weather) to justify their putting off essential tasks which they ought to perform. An example of this is found in Proverbs 26,13: “the lazy man says: ‘there is a lion on the path, a fierce lion in the streets.” He excuses his failure to sow in winter by his fear of the inhospitable climate at that time. The reason that Solomon harps so many times on the subject of laziness is in order to thoroughly delegitimize such laziness in the eyes of people. He wants people to shun this negative virtue and to copy the ways of the ant instead. This is why he writes in connection with the ant: “go to the ant, you lazybones; study its ways and wise up!” (Proverbs 6,6) He means that although the ant is a most insignificant appearing little creature, even brainy man can learn a lesson from such a creature when he observes how the ant stores up food to be consumed at a time when it will not be found lying around ready to pick up. Not only this; the ant has sense enough not to collect its food immediately it has been made wet by the rain but it waits until the wind has dried it so that when it is stored it does not rot. When Solomon adds in 6,7 “which though having no ruler, captain, or overseer,” he means that the ant has no intelligence of its own which dictates its behaviour but is simply prompted by its instincts. It follows that creatures equipped with intelligence would do well to consider the ant as their model. The three words: קצין, שוטר, מושל, “captain, overseer, and ruler,” which Solomon says the ants do not have, correspond to three aspects of human intelligence, שכל, known as חכמה, תבונה, דעת, “wisdom, insight, knowledge.” All of these three attributes are only found in man. They are basically sub-categories of the same attribute. This is why Solomon uses three terms each of which represents different degrees of authority, in describing them. By acquiring and nurturing the attribute of זריזות, diligence, man can assure for himself eternal life, whereas by indulging his laziness he is sure to forfeit such eternal life. The former characteristic prompts him to fulfill G’d’s commandments whereas the latter keeps him from doing so. After all, man has been given free choice and our salvation or otherwise lies in our own hands. We are to make the choice between good and evil and only by making the right choice do we qualify for the eventual reward promised by the Lord.. ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, “See, I place before you this day blessing and curse.” The reason Moses commences with the singular ראה, followed by the plural form לפניכם is that he addresses everybody, both the individual and the community (Ibn Ezra), and because blessings and curses respectively are influenced and channeled from two different attributes Justice and Mercy, both of which were active in creating the universe and both of which are capable of being appreciated only by a select few individuals. When addressing these select few, Moses says ראה, a reference to “seeing” with one’s mental eye. The word corresponds to Kohelet 1,16 ולבי ראה הרבה חכמה ודעת, “I have seen (acquired) great wisdom and knowledge.” Seeing that the promise of a blessing and the threat of a curse are an important factor in encouraging observance of the commandments of the Torah by the people at large, Moses used the plural form when addressing the nation, i.e. לפניכם. We find that the Torah used this combination of singular and plural also in Deut. 4,5: ראה למדתי אתכם חקים ומשפטים, “See I have taught you statutes and social laws.” The singular form ראה was addressed to the individuals who have some appreciation of the statutes, whereas the plural form was used when speaking of the social laws whose merit can be appreciated by the whole nation. The word אתכם in the plural emphasizes that the entire Torah, all of its commandments were given to the masses, not to select individuals. Our verse here makes plain that the right to choose has been given to man. If he wants to conduct himself in a manner acceptable to G’d he is free to do so; if he chooses to contravene G’d’s commandments he cannot be coerced by G’d. We have already referred to this in connection with Deut. 5,26: “who would give, etc.” We pointed out there that If G’d had not granted freedom of choice, He would not have to “wish” for the people to remain on a spiritual high but could legislate it. The whole premise of this freedom of choice is understood easily by the fact that G’d bothers again and again to command us what to do and what not to do. If we were not free to chart our own course, it would not make sense for G’d to have to give us all these commandments. All He would have to do is to program us according to His wishes. Seeing the principle of man’s freedom to choose is so fundamental, the Torah mentions it already at the beginning such as in Genesis 3,27 where G’d explains the need to expel Adam from Gan Eden by referring to his freedom to help himself to the fruit of the tree of life so that “he would live forever.” Had G’d been able to physically prevent Adam from reaching for the tree He would not have to had to place the tree out of reach for him. In the verse just quoted, G’d makes plain that as a result of having eaten from the tree of knowledge both good and evil have become viable options for man. The words הן האדם in Genesis 3,27 are G’d’s way of saying that man as a species is unique in the universe in that he possesses this freedom of choice. There is no other species like man in either heaven or on earth. The celestial beings have all been programmed by G’d to do His bidding with a minimum of delay and opposition. The reason that man is basically different is that he is the only species composed of both matter and spirit. The celestial beings are totally disembodied, whereas all other creatures on earth are earth-bound, equipped with a minimal “spiritual” equipment, one that merely strives to keep its body physically alive, i.e. the נפש of an animal. At the end of the Torah too the theme of man’s freedom of choice is dealt with once more when Moses says: “see I place before you this day life and goodness or death and evil.” (Deut. 30,15.) Our verse here basically reflects a similar message. Concerning this whole subject of what G’d is able to do and how He has voluntarily limited His options, Maimonides in chapter 5,4 of Hilchot Teshuvah has this to say: “Do not be amazed that we read in Psalms 135 6: “G’d does all He wants to do in heaven or on earth, in the oceans and in the deep.” There is no question that everything He does, He does as a result of His will. This is so in spite of the fact that what we do is subject to our own volition. How do we illustrate that this apparent contradiction is in fact no contradiction at all? Just as G’d wants that fire and wind rise upwards whereas water and earth are programmed through the forces of gravity to always strive downwards [the four basic raw materials the universe is made of], and the planets orbit in space around the globe, so all other phenomena in the universe behave in accordance with the way G’d has programmed them. Man’s freedom of choice is part of G’d’s expressed desire, i.e. this is part of how He decreed in His own free will that the universe should function. As a result of this system man is judged in accordance with his deeds. If he chooses the right way he will be rewarded, if not he will be punished. This is what the prophet meant when he said in Isaiah 50,11: מידי היתה זאת לכם, “Do you think this was decreed for you by ME?” The same theme occurs in Isaiah 66,3 גם המה בחרו בדרכיהם, “they have also chosen their own paths” Concerning the above Solomon said in Kohelet 11,9: “Rejoice young man in your childhood let your heart cheer you in your youth; but remember that for all these things G’d will call you to account.” Solomon warns that though it is within your power to do what you fancy and to lead a life of frivolity, remember that the day of accounting is not far off. Thus far the comment of Maimonides in Hilchot Teshuvah.

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה, “See, I place before you this day blessing and curse.” The reason Moses commences with the singular ראה, followed by the plural form לפניכם is that he addresses everybody, both the individual and the community (Ibn Ezra), and because blessings and curses respectively are influenced and channeled from two different attributes Justice and Mercy, both of which were active in creating the universe and both of which are capable of being appreciated only by a select few individuals. When addressing these select few, Moses says ראה, a reference to “seeing” with one’s mental eye. The word corresponds to Kohelet 1,16 ולבי ראה הרבה חכמה ודעת, “I have seen (acquired) great wisdom and knowledge.” Seeing that the promise of a blessing and the threat of a curse are an important factor in encouraging observance of the commandments of the Torah by the people at large, Moses used the plural form when addressing the nation, i.e. לפניכם. We find that the Torah used this combination of singular and plural also in Deut. 4,5: ראה למדתי אתכם חקים ומשפטים, “See I have taught you statutes and social laws.” The singular form ראה was addressed to the individuals who have some appreciation of the statutes, whereas the plural form was used when speaking of the social laws whose merit can be appreciated by the whole nation. The word אתכם in the plural emphasizes that the entire Torah, all of its commandments were given to the masses, not to select individuals. Our verse here makes plain that the right to choose has been given to man. If he wants to conduct himself in a manner acceptable to G’d he is free to do so; if he chooses to contravene G’d’s commandments he cannot be coerced by G’d. We have already referred to this in connection with Deut. 5,26: “who would give, etc.” We pointed out there that If G’d had not granted freedom of choice, He would not have to “wish” for the people to remain on a spiritual high but could legislate it. The whole premise of this freedom of choice is understood easily by the fact that G’d bothers again and again to command us what to do and what not to do. If we were not free to chart our own course, it would not make sense for G’d to have to give us all these commandments. All He would have to do is to program us according to His wishes. Seeing the principle of man’s freedom to choose is so fundamental, the Torah mentions it already at the beginning such as in Genesis 3,27 where G’d explains the need to expel Adam from Gan Eden by referring to his freedom to help himself to the fruit of the tree of life so that “he would live forever.” Had G’d been able to physically prevent Adam from reaching for the tree He would not have to had to place the tree out of reach for him. In the verse just quoted, G’d makes plain that as a result of having eaten from the tree of knowledge both good and evil have become viable options for man. The words הן האדם in Genesis 3,27 are G’d’s way of saying that man as a species is unique in the universe in that he possesses this freedom of choice. There is no other species like man in either heaven or on earth. The celestial beings have all been programmed by G’d to do His bidding with a minimum of delay and opposition. The reason that man is basically different is that he is the only species composed of both matter and spirit. The celestial beings are totally disembodied, whereas all other creatures on earth are earth-bound, equipped with a minimal “spiritual” equipment, one that merely strives to keep its body physically alive, i.e. the נפש of an animal. At the end of the Torah too the theme of man’s freedom of choice is dealt with once more when Moses says: “see I place before you this day life and goodness or death and evil.” (Deut. 30,15.) Our verse here basically reflects a similar message. Concerning this whole subject of what G’d is able to do and how He has voluntarily limited His options.

Maimonides in chapter 5,4 of Hilchot Teshuvah has this to say: “Do not be amazed that we read in Psalms 135 6: “G’d does all He wants to do in heaven or on earth, in the oceans and in the deep.” There is no question that everything He does, He does as a result of His will. This is so in spite of the fact that what we do is subject to our own volition. How do we illustrate that this apparent contradiction is in fact no contradiction at all? Just as G’d wants that fire and wind rise upwards whereas water and earth are programmed through the forces of gravity to always strive downwards [the four basic raw materials the universe is made of], and the planets orbit in space around the globe, so all other phenomena in the universe behave in accordance with the way G’d has programmed them. Man’s freedom of choice is part of G’d’s expressed desire, i.e. this is part of how He decreed in His own free will that the universe should function. As a result of this system man is judged in accordance with his deeds. If he chooses the right way he will be rewarded, if not he will be punished. This is what the prophet meant when he said in Isaiah 50,11: מידי היתה זאת לכם, “do you think this was decreed for you by ME?” The same theme occurs in Isaiah 66,3 גם המה בחרו בדרכיהם, “they have also chosen their own paths” Concerning the above Solomon said in Kohelet 11,9: “Rejoice young man in your childhood let your heart cheer you in your youth; but remember that for all these things G’d will call you to account.” Solomon warns that though it is within your power to do what you fancy and to lead a life of frivolity, remember that the day of accounting is not far off. Thus far the comment of Maimonides in Hilchot Teshuvah.

את הברכה אשר תשמעו, “the blessing, that you will listen, etc.” Interestingly, Moses did not use the conditional אם when speaking about the blessing, in contrast to his using this word when referring to the people not listening, i.e. את הקללה אם לא תשמעו, “the curse if you will not listen.” Seeing that the word אם implies that what follows is doubtful, Moses did not want the blessing to be associated with a word expressing doubt. The word אשר expresses that something is definite. This is why Moses chose to use this word as describing the blessing, i.e. its materializing.

אם לא תשמעו אל מצות ה' אלו-היכם וסרתם מן הדרך, “If you will not listen to the commandments of the Lord your G’d and you will deviate from the path, etc.” This verse teaches that anyone guilty of idolatry is as if he had abandoned all of G’d’s commandments. This verse also inspired the statement by our sages in the Sifri that anyone who acknowledges that idolatry has any substance to it is considered as having denied all aspects of Torah.

את הברכה, “you will give the blessing, etc.” The word “you will give” in this instance refers to something you will say. Pronouncing blessing while standing on Mount Gerizim is equivalent to “giving” the blessing on Mount Gerizim. We have a similar construction In Leviticus 26,21 ונתן אותם על ראש השעיר, “he will place them (the iniquities) on the head of the billy goat.” [Clearly, Aaron could not literally place the peoples’ sins on the head of that he-goat. He consigned the sins onto the head of that animal so they would be removed when the he-goat was taken to the desert. Ed.]

על הר גריזים, “on Mount Gerizim.” The meaning is not “on” but “facing” Mount Gerizim. The Levites would turn their faces toward Mount Gerizim and begin to pronounce the blessings. The reverse applies to the “curses” mentioned in Parshat Ki Tavo in connection with Har Eyvol, Mount Eyvol. The Levites would first pronounce the blessing before spelling out the curses for violating the eleven commandments listed there.

Nachmanides writes that possibly Mount Gerizim was to the south, i.e. the right of the people, whereas Mount Eyvol was on their left in the North. We have a tradition that evil, misfortune, always begins in the north (Jeremiah 1,14).

הלא המה בעבר הירדן אחרי דרך מבא השמש, “Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, far, in the direction of the sunset.” Moses gave the people a sign by which to recognize these two mountains. If they were to journey in its direction by bearing west they would find them in the land of the Emorite who dwells in the wilderness opposite Gilgal, close to Eloney Moreh.