(כו) רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃ (כז) אֶֽת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ (כח) וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה אִם־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃ {ס}
(26) See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: (27) blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I enjoin upon you this day; (28) and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn away from the path that I command you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced.
(א) אֵ֣ת כׇּל־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֹת֥וֹ תִשְׁמְר֖וּ לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לֹא־תֹסֵ֣ף עָלָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א תִגְרַ֖ע מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ {פ}
(א) ולא תסור מכל הדברים נמשך עם כי תשמע (דברים כ״ח:י״ג) שיבואו עליך כל הברכות האלה כאשר תשמע למצותיו וכאשר לא תסור ימין ושמאל מכל הדברים אשר אנכי מצוך בענין עבודה זרה שאם תלך אחרי אלהים אחרים לעבדם כבר סרת מכל מצותיו ואין חפץ כלל בכל המצות שתעשה:
(1) AND THOU SHALT NOT TURN ASIDE FROM ANY OF THE WORDS WHICH I COMMAND YOU THIS DAY. This is connected with the expression [in the preceding Verse 13] if thou shalt hearken, meaning that all these blessings will come upon you when you will hearken to God's commandments, and when you will not turn aside to the right, or to the left from any of the words which I command you concerning idolatry. For, if you will go after other gods to serve them you will already have turned aside from all God's commandments and God shall have no desire whatever for any of the commandments you may observe.
(א) ולא תסור מכל הדברים אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום ימין ושמאל. שלא ישנו את מצות האל ית' בפרט ענין המשפט. ולא ימירו את שאר המצות במנהגי הדיוט ומצות אנשים מלומדה כ''ש כשיעשו זה לכבוד קדמונים שהנהיגו אותם המנהגים לא לכבוד קונם ולא לשמור מצותיו.
Moses concludes the blessings applicable to the period of the Second Temple by warning "and thou shalt not turn aside from any of the words that I command you all this day, to the right or to the left." By this he means that the people are not to introduce changes in the mitzvot of the Torah, and especially not to make any changes in the social legislation known as "Mishpatim." Neither are they to introduce variations in the observance of certain commandments in accord with the culture of nations living in Canaan, which were entrenched in the entire region. This is especially forbidden if by adopting habits, which, though unrelated to idolatry and of no religious significance, you adopt them to show respect for the culture of those tribes still residing in your midst. In the Torah’s view this would constitute "to go after other gods to worship them,"that you are on the path to adopt idolatrous practices, eventually even worshipping those idols.
...דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר רַבִּי חַגַּי וְלֹא עוֹד שֶׁנָּתַתִּי לָכֶם שְׁתֵּי דְרָכִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁנִּכְנַסְתִּי לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין וְאָמַרְתִּי לָכֶם (דברים ל, יט): וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים.
...Another thing, Rabbi Chagai said (that God said): And it's not just that I gave you two ways (ie. two different paths to choose). Rather, I went into the underlying sense of the rules and said to you all, "Choose life!" (Deut. 30:19)
Writing on the women's liberation movement, Rabbi Laura M. Rappaport reflects on the process of tearing down false "gods" and building up a society aligned with the God of Israel (ie. the true God):
At each point in the process we ask, Have we surrendered our gains, or successfully incopororated our past? Have we torn down when we should have built up? Built up when we should have torn down? Achieving balance is a delicate procedure. We see the scale tip to one side and then to the other. Ours is eternal vigilance...finding the path of truth requires a lifelong search with hearts and minds open wide to life--and God-affirming possibilities (The Women's Torah Commentary, pp. 356-7).
We’re Goin’ on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
We’re goin’ on a bear hunt,We’re going to catch a big one,
I’m not scared. What a beautiful day!
Oh look! It’s some long, wavy grass! Can’t go over it, Can’t go under it, Can’t go around it, Got to go through it!
Oh look! It’s a mushroom patch, Got to go through it...
Oh look! It’s a wide river, Got to swim across it...
Oh look! A deep, dark cave, Got to go in it.
Uh, oh! It’s dark in here.I feel something. It has lots of hair! It has sharp teeth!
It’s a bear!
Hurry back through the river...mushroom patch...long grass.
Run in the house and lock the door. Phew! That was close!
I’m not afraid!