Deuteronomy 11 closes one Torah portion (Ekev) and opens another (Re’eh). Abravanel asks about the
timing and venue of this Torah portion, as an upcoming verse may confuse readers. “And it shall come
to pass, when God your Almighty shall bring you into the land whither you go to possess it, that you shall
set the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal.”
“Consider. I place before you today blessing and curse.”
If, Abravanel asks, this is instruction for what will transpire after the Hebrews cross the Jordan River,
why does our lead verse say: “I place before you today blessing and curse?” At that moment in time,
Moses and his brethren had still not crossed the Jordan.
Before Abravanel answers, he stresses something we have already said elsewhere. Moses’ main
intention in Deuteronomy was to fully explicate to the people those commandments that needed a
follow-up. That is, the prophet wanted to comprehensively cover certain directives that until now were
only glossed over. "Moses began to explain this Law saying" is the operative or supportive verse.
However, before the prophet tutored his co-religionists, he prefaced by retelling some desert narratives
that served to set the scene, in a manner of speaking. Thus, each of Deuteronomy’s first three portions
(Devarim, Va'etchanan, and Ekev) do just that, Moses creates conducive ambience – each with their own
poignant lesson.
With those three Torah portions behind him, Moses sets out to accomplish his express goal, as we shall
see in our portion plus the following ones (Shoftim, Ki Tetzei, and part of Ki Tavo). Packed into those
three portions are all of the commandments of which Moses will deal, without digressing for narrative
or moral instruction. Subsequent to them, he will deliver words of the covenant, including delivering a
heaping dose of encouragement for the Hebrews to fulfill Heaven’s commands. In addition, the prophet
will infuse blessing and curse into the conversation (portions Ki Tavo, Nitzavim, Vayelech, and Haazinu),
as we shall see.
Moses' introduction to our portion, therefore, commences "Consider. I place before you today blessing
and curse." Importantly, the blessing/curse he broaches at this juncture is not the same proclaimed on
Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, for they had not been given on this particular day in history. To wit, our
opening verse writes,"I place before you today." Besides, Moses had not intended the verse here
regarding the Gerizim/Ebal blessing/curse to effectuate the upcoming event in Canaan. To be sure, later
in Deuteronomy (portion Ki Tavo), when Gerizim/Ebal are fully discussed, that’s where the prophet sets
the future stage. Here rather, the prophet will begin to speak of those commandments he deemed
crucial for his brethren to hear.
Interestingly, Moses refers to these particular commands as blessing and curse. Legitimately, readers
wonder how something can be a blessing and curse simultaneously. Are they not opposites?
Contradictory?
These points would pique man's curiosity had Moses not elaborated. But he did. Blessing comes as a
result of heeding commandments. For those who defy them, though, malediction follows.
Abravanel explains further. Divine commandments, to state the obvious, are intrinsically good. Things
get murky, shall we say, when we consider the perspective of the individual vis-à-vis the commands. For
him, commandments bear blessing – in the event he performs them. Yet, they curry curse – when he
ducks duty. Add another demerit to the man who flouts directives; they detonate, as if he wandered
into a minefield.
Think about nutritious foodstuff, Abravanel suggests. Take bread or meat or wine. Everyone knows that
these products are good for you. When a healthy man eats (or drinks) them, he derives benefit. In
contrast, should someone with food allergies to these staples ingest them, they inflict harm. In the
extreme, he may suffer anaphylactic shock and die. It is not the nutritious food that sends him reeling,
but instead his dire reaction occurs because of an impaired immune system.
