(כו) רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃
(26) See, this day I put before you blessing and curse:
ראה אנכי נותן וג'. צריך לדעת למה אמר לשון ראיה על הדברים, עוד אמרו אנכי, עוד למה אמר לשון יחיד כיון שכל הפרשה כולה בלשון רבים נאמרה.
ראה אנכי נתן היום, "Behold, I have given this day, etc." Why did Moses employ the term "seeing," in connection with words, i.e. the words of a blessing? Furthermore, why did he describe himself as אנכי? Moreover, why does Moses address the people in the singular i.e. ראה instead of ראו, although during the whole passage he addresses them in the plural?
Colors blind the eye…Thoughts weaken the mind. Desires wither the heart. The master observes the world, but trusts his inner vision. (S)He allow things to come and go. Her heart is open as the sky ~Tao te Ching, 12, translation Mitchell
(כט) וְהָיָ֗ה כִּ֤י יְבִֽיאֲךָ֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אֶת־הַבְּרָכָה֙ עַל־הַ֣ר גְּרִזִ֔ים וְאֶת־הַקְּלָלָ֖ה עַל־הַ֥ר עֵיבָֽל׃
(29) When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are about to enter and possess, you shall pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.—
(ד) אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵ֤ךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ יהוה בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ֥ נַחֲלָ֖ה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃(ה) רַ֚ק אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֔ע בְּק֖וֹל יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
(4) There shall be no needy among you—since your God יהוה will bless you in the land that your God יהוה is giving you as a hereditary portion—(5) if only you heed your God יהוה and take care to keep all this Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day.
How many times must a man turn his head
and pretend that he just doesn't see
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
~Bob Dylan
Dylan teaches by asking questions. We are called to be awake, and not turn our heads to the inhumane things happening around the world, on our streets, in our forests.
Yes, and how many times must a man look up.Before he can see the sky?
This couplet is a spiritual question!
בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּיהוה, וְהָיָה יהוה מִבְטַחוֹ. נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַּם זָקַנְתִּי, וְלֹא רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב, וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ לָחֶם. יהוה עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן, יהוה יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם.
From Birkat HaMazon Blessed is the man that trusts in the Holy One and whose trust the Holy One is. I have been a youth and now I am elder; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
III. The witchery of living is my whole conversation with you, my darlings.
Look, and look again. This world is not just a little thrill for the eyes.
It's more than bones.
It's more than the delicate wrist with its personal pulse.
It's more than the beating of the single heart.
It's praising.
It's giving until the giving feels like receiving.
You have a life—just imagine that!
You have this day, and maybe another, and maybe still another.
IV. Someday I am going to ask my friend Paulus, the dancer, the potter,
to make me a begging bowl which I believe my soul needs.
And if I come to you,
to the door of your comfortable house
with unwashed clothes and unclean fingernails,
will you put something into it? I would like to take this chance.
I would like to give you this chance.
V. We do one thing or another; we stay the same, or we change. Congratulations, if you have changed.
~ Mary Oliver
One sees clearly with the heart, anything essential is invisible to the eyes ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery
(א)אפס כי לא יהיה בך אביון. וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר "כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן"? אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֶבְיוֹנִים בַּאֲחֵרִים וְלֹא בָכֶם, וּכְשֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אֶבְיוֹנִים בָּכֶם:(ב)אביון. דַּל מֵעָנִי, וּלְשׁוֹן אֶבְיוֹן שֶׁהוּא תָּאֵב לְכָל דָּבָר (עי' ויקרא רבה ל"ד):
(1) אפס כי לא יהיה בך אביון HOWBEIT THERE SHALL BE NO NEEDY AMONG YOU — But further on (v. 11) it states, “For the needy shall never cease out of the land”! But the explanation is: When you do the will of the Omnipresent the needy will be amongst the others and not amongst you, if, however, you do not the will of the Omnipresent, the needy will be amongst you (Sifrei Devarim 114:1).(2) אביון denotes a person who is more destitute than an עני. The term אביון (from the root אבה “to long for”, “to desire”; cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:6) denotes one who longs for everything (because he lacks everything) (Leviticus Rabbah 34:6).
והקללה אם לא תשמעו. פירוש המונע עצמו משמיעת התורה הרי הוא מקולל מעצמו, וזה הוא שיעור הכתוב והקללה אם לא תשמעו זו היא הקללה, ועוד לו שיסובבנו לסור מכללות דרך החיים כמו שגמר אומר וסרתם מן הדרך וגו' ולא זו אלא יחצוב לו בארות נשברים כאומרו ללכת אחרי וגו':
והקללה אם לא תשמעו, "And the curse in case you will fail to hearken, etc." Moses means that anyone who prevents himself from hearkening to the voice of G8d has already cursed themself. This s why the word והקללה appears before the words "if you will not hearken." Moses adds that in addition you will have demonstrated that you depart from the path of life by preparing for yourselves alternate but leaking water cisterns. In effect this is what the words: "you will depart from the way and follow other gods" are all about.
(כז) אֶֽת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ יהוה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃(כח) וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ יהוה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ {ס}
(27) blessing, if you hearken to the commandments of the YHVH your G8d that I command you this day;(28) and curse, if you do not hearken to the commandments of the YHVH your G8d, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow after other gods, whom you have not experienced.
Note the echo: אַחֲרֵ֛יacharei, acherim - follow behind and other, same root! As though the fact that you are drawn to follow it is what makes it "other", ie the "worship" of the addictive. In addition,לֹֽא־יְדַעְתֶּֽםlo y'datem "you have not known"uses the word for intimate knowing, including sexual "knowing". If we follow only one part of life, rather than the Unity and Totality, we will be drawn away from Truth. Not just heroine: even love, even money.
Note: Aleph-tav points to the Shechina את
עוד ירמוז על יהוה שקרא ואמר אנכי וזה הוא שיעור הכתוב ראה כי אותו שקרא ואמר לכם אנכי הוא נותן לפניכם וגו', ואומרו ראה לשון יחיד כי בערך דבר זה כלן יהיו שוים כאחד לדעת כי יהוה הוא הנותן לפניהם ברכה וגו':
Another hint remez to be found in our verse is an allusion to G8d who is in the habit of referring to G8d-self as אנכי. As the meter of the verse is written "look at the One who is called אנכי; G8d is about to give blessing before you this day, etc..." Moses used the singular ראהbecause all of the Israelites were as one in knowing that it is The Holy One who places blessing before them.
שמח
This word means Joy. A search of this word root in Deuteronomy 12-16 reveals seven times the command to be joyful! Seven points to Sheva - Shabbat, completion.
את הברכה אשר וגו'. אמרו את, להעיר כי מלבד הברכה המושגת מדרך יהוה עוד לו עמה יעוד הטוב, והוא אשר תשמעו כי השמיעה בתורה הוא תענוג מופלא ומחיה הנפש כאומרו (ישעי' נ''ה) שמעו ותחי נפשכם, והמרגיש בטעם התורה תשיחנו נפשו כי עליו לשלם גמול טוב למתן מתנה טובה מופלאת ואין צריך לומר שאין לתבוע שכר עליה:
8את הברכה אשר תשמעון, "The blessing if you will hearken, etc." It is said "את" which often means "with", so in addition to the blessing which is the result of walking in G*d's paths there would be a bonus, i.e. they would hearken to G*d's Torah. Hearkening to G*d's Torah is a pleasurable experience by itself. It helps the soul to feel "alive" as we know from Isaiah 55,4: שמעו ותהי נפשכם, "hearken and your souls will come alive." Whenever someone who studies Torah gains an understanding of what the Torah has in mind he experiences a physical and spiritual sense of wellbeing. They owe G8d a debt of gratitude for affording them such pleasure. There is no need to add that such a person cannot demand a reward from G8d for having allowed him to experience such joy.