As stated earlier, Moses’ main objective in Deuteronomy had been to review those commandments that
had been broached earlier in the Torah, but were needful of clarification. Nonetheless, the prophet had
other goals as well. One was inculcating belief in divine reward and punishment.
“Therefore you shall love God your Almighty, and keep His charge, and
His statutes, and His ordinances, and His commandments – always.”
Abravanel shows how Deuteronomy 11 covers divine reward and punishment. Instinct told Moses that
his audience did not need abstract proof when it came to believing in divine consequence. This is
because the prophet was not addressing a generation who had not seen God’s methodology with their
own eyes. Indeed, up close they had seen the fate of those who violated God's will. Consider the fate
that plagued idolatrous Egypt, “and His signs, and His works, which He did in the midst of Egypt unto
Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land.” True to their incorrigible form, surviving Egyptians
defied the Maker, provoking Him to plunk the Red Sea down on them, drowned to the last charioteer –
“and what He did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how He made the
water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how God had destroyed them…”
In the desert, the generation, too, experienced His wrath first-hand. Literally. How often, owing to their
sins, had He struck them with His outstretched arm? God's fury practically proved a fixture in the
wilderness, in response to non-compliance. To list a few:
- Aftermath to the Golden Calf
- Fire of Taberah
- Venomous snakes
In all of these episodes and up to their present encampment, the Hebrew campers could vividly recall
divine wrath as if current affairs.
By the same token, that generation had been eyewitnesses to God's kindnesses, favors, and wonders.
Consider, for example manna from heaven, and a ready water source in an arid desert. All in all, the
surviving Jews would have no problem making the very simple calculation: love-based Torah compliance
pays handsomely; noncompliance hurts – fostering fear.
Interestingly, Abravanel points out, when our verses recap the desert punishments, they leave out Korah
and his co-conspirators. Why? This is due to an unexpected development: ringleader Korah's sons did
not meet their father’s demise for they abandoned the revolt. Out of respect for them, Moses edited
out the entire nasty narrative. In contrast, Dathan and Abiram brought their families to complete ruin:
“and what He did unto Dathan and Abiram…how the earth opened her mouth…”
To sum up, Abravanel holds that these last verses find Moses addressing his brethren, goading them to
mentally replay what their eyes had seen: open miracles. Their eyes saw more. Like, wild successes.
Wonders. Indescribable deeds had the Maker wrought for His people. On the other side of the ledger,
they also witnessed divine punishment meted out to those who openly defied Him.
As for the takeaway: "Therefore shall you keep all the commandments…” The prophet encouraged his
co-religionists to observe positive or proactive commandments, those injunctions that promote service
to the Maker out of love. See Abravanel’s World for more on divine reward/punishment.
