Pisqa’ 54³

1. “A blessing and a curse” (Dt. 11:26)— the blessing, if you obey the Torah, the curse, if you disobey the Torah. And, similarly, you can say: “Surely, if you do well, you will be worthy” (Gn. 4:7). If you do well— you will be worth a blessing, but if you do not do well — you will be worth a curse, [for “sin will crouch at the door” (Gn. 4:7)]. R. Eliezer b. R. Yose the Galilean says: who inspired you [with this interpretation]? The Torah clearly said: “The blessing and . . . the curse” (Dt. 11:27-28). the blessing—if you obey the Torah, the curse—if you disobey the Torah. And, similarly, you can say: “Death and Life are under the power of the tongue; those who love will taste its fruit” (Prov. 18:21)— one who loves the good tastes its sweet fruit, but one who loves the evil tastes its bitter fruit. R. Eliezer b. R. Yose the Galilean says: who inspired you [with this interpretation]? The Torah clearly said: “Guard your tongue from evil” (Ps. 34:14). And, similarly, you can say: “If the Righteous are compensated on the earth, so, too, the Wicked and the Sinner!” (Prov. 11:31). R. Eliezer b. R. Yose the Galilean says: who inspired you [with this interpretation]? The Torah clearly said: “All that HASHEM creates serves His purpose, even the Wicked for the Day of Evil” (Prov. 16:4).

footnotes: ³ H:111-112; JN1:177-178.

2. “And the curse, if you do not obey” (Dt. 11:28)— as it turns out, we can learn that just as Father Jacob did not commission his sons until his days had expired, when he was about to die, after he had witnessed all the wonders that were worked on his behalf— so, too, Moses our Master did not rebuke Israel until his days had expired, when he was about to die, after he had witnessed all the wonders that were worked on his behalf. This is why it is said: “After he attacked Sihon, King of the Amorites . . .”⁴ 1.1 ff. See Pisqa’ 3.1 for comments relevant to Dt. 1:4. (Dt. 1:4)

footnotes: ⁴ On the theme of death-bed rebukes, see Pisqa’

3. “And wander from the path” (Dt. 11:28)— from the path of Life to the path of Death.

“Which I command you today, in order to follow foreign gods” (Dt. 11:28)— on this basis they taught: Whoever accepts a foreign cult denies the entire Torah; but whoever denies a foreign cult accepts the entire Torah.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ = Sifre Nu, 111.