Kommentar zu Dewarim 11:29

ונתת את הברכה THEN THOU SHALT PUT THE BLESSING [UPON MOUNT GERIZIM] — Understand this as the Targum renders it: ית מברכיא those who pronounce the blessing.

AND THOU SHALT PUT ‘ETH HABRACHAH’ UPON MOUNT GERIZIM. “This is to be understood as the Targum [Onkelos] rendered it: yath m’vorchaya — ‘the blessers’ [i.e., those who will pronounce the blessings]. Upon Mount Gerizim — toward Mount Gerizim.”¹The Levites who were to pronounce the blessings (further, 28:14) were only to face Mount Gerizim, but not to be on the mountain. This is Rashi’s language, but it is not correct according to the plain meaning of Scripture, for he has not yet instructed concerning [the identity of] those who were to pronounce the blessing [which is only mentioned further on, in Chapter 27:11-14; hence the verse here could not refer to them with the definite article — habrachah which implies that their identity was already known]. Rather, the meaning of the verses is as follows: “I have set ‘before you’ a way [to attain] blessing and a way [to attain] curse.²Verse 26. And the expression before you signifies that you are to choose for yourselves what you desire, and I inform you that the blessing will be yours when you perform the commandments, and the curse if you do not fulfill them.” This is similar to what he further said. See, I have set before thee this day the life and the good, the death and the evil etc.³Further, 30:15. [This verse clearly does not pertain to the setting at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, thus disproving Rashi’s interpretation that the blessing refers to “those who will pronounce the blessings.”] Then he stated here [in the verse before us], that they were to bestow this blessing of which he speaks, upon them [i.e., the tribes] on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal, this [“bestowal”] being by word of mouth [rather than by some physical act of placing the blessers there, as Rashi rendered it]. In a similar way is the interpretation of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, on this verse, and he shall ‘put’ them upon the head of the goat⁴Leviticus 16:21. Here too, no physical object is placed on the head of the goat. “Putting” refers to the confession of sins. This coincides with the interpretation of Ramban that the “bestowal” does not refer to the blessers, but to the recitation of the blessing. [meaning that the High Priest, by confessing the sins of the people, “puts” them upon the head of the goat that was to be sent to Azazel]. Thus he is saying here by way of admonition that they are to “put” [or pronounce] the blessing on Mount Gerizim, blessing the people if they will hearken to the commandments of G-d; and the curse on Mount Ebal, saying, “Cursed be he that will not hearken to the commandments and will turn aside from the way which G-d has commanded.” Now it would have been possible [in accordance with the plain meaning of this verse] that all the tribes utter the blessing and all of them [utter] the curse, or that the Levites pronounce them all, or that one individual proclaim them all. Hence he later reverted to explain there, These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people,⁵Further, 27:12. And these shall stand for the curse,⁶Ibid., Verse 13. and he further declared, And the Levites shall speak,⁷Ibid., Verse 14. and he explained the whole subject.⁸Ibid., Verses 15-26. For here, because of his admonition which he stated, Behold, I set before you etc.,²Verse 26. he mentioned part of the commandment and then he reverted to explain it [fully] in its proper place. It is possible that Mount Gerizim is to the south which is “the right” [side of a person who turns eastward facing the sunrise, in which case his right hand is to the south],⁹See Vol. II, p. 467. and Mount Ebal is to the north, as it is said, Out of the north the evil shall break forth.¹⁰Jeremiah 1:14. It is important to note that Ramban’s conjecture [“It is possible that … “] is indeed correct, for Mount Gerizim is south of Shechem, while Mount Ebal is north of it (see Biblical Encyclopedias on these places).

ונתת את הברכה, bless the people who observe G’d’s commandments,

ונתתה את הברכה על הר גריזים, “you shall deliver the blessing to Mount Gerizim;” Rashi writes: כתרגומו, meaning that he agrees with Onkelos’ translation of the word הברכה as “the ones pronouncing the blessing, i.e. the Levites.” Nachmanides does not agree. He argues that seeing that Moses had as yet not instructed the Levites to pronounce these blessings, how could they be the subjects in this verse? He feels therefore that the meaning of our verse is that Moses encourages the people to choose the path of blessing (instead of the path that leads to a curse). This is why he first warned of the alternative in verse 28, explaining that the curse would result from failure to heed the laws of the Torah. Moses commanded that the blessing be dispensed on Mount Gerizim, i.e. that there they would bless the people that hearken to the commandments of Hashem, whereas the ones failing to do so would be cursed on Mount Eyval. It is also possible that all the tribes would be blessed, conditionally, and all the tribes would be cursed conditionally. Another scenario could be that the Levites pronounced both the blessings and the curses, or even that a single person pronounced both the blessings and the curses. After that (27,12) Moses explained which tribes were to position themselves on which of the two mountains at that time, and all had to confirm both the blessings and the curses by answering “Amen” when they heard same. The reason why this whole procedure is reported in two sections, part here and part in chapter 27, is that Moses had introduced it here when the people were not on location, whereas in chapter 27 he is at pains to point out that this procedure is to be one of the very first commandments performed as soon as the people had crossed the river Jordan.

את הברכה, “you will give the blessing, etc.” The word “you will give” in this instance refers to something you will say. Pronouncing blessing while standing on Mount Gerizim is equivalent to “giving” the blessing on Mount Gerizim. We have a similar construction In Leviticus 26,21 ונתן אותם על ראש השעיר, “he will place them (the iniquities) on the head of the billy goat.” [Clearly, Aaron could not literally place the peoples’ sins on the head of that he-goat. He consigned the sins onto the head of that animal so they would be removed when the he-goat was taken to the desert. Ed.]

As Targum [Onkelos] renders the blessers, etc. I.e., the Levites who will bless the Jewish People. For if הברכה refers literally to the blessing, then why is it written, “you shall place”? For a blessing is intangible [and cannot be placed]! Rather, it refers to the Levites. In other words, “Place the ones who will bless the Jewish People,” which refers to the Levites. Another explanation [why it does not refer to the blessing]: For if הברכה refers literally to the blessing, then the entire Jewish People should place the blessing on Mount Gerizim — which is not so. For in Parshas Ki Savo (below 27:12) [See Rashi and Sifsei Chachomim there] it says that only the Levites are to place the blessing. Rather, the commandment is for the entire Jewish People — they should place the Levites as the ones to bless, on Mount Gerizim. [According to this explanation] the reason is not because the word “place” does not apply to a blessing. For we find the verse (Vayikra 16:21), “And place them on the head of the goat,” which means “through speech.” (Re”m).

V. 29. ונתתה die Personbezeichnung ist hervorgehoben. Die Segen- und Fluch-Alternative, die Gott vor sie hingegeben, die soll, wenn sie ins Land gekommen, die Gesamtnation als solche öffentlich in Vertretung Gottes "geben", d. h. als jedem zur Selbstentscheidung aussprechen, und damit die Verwirklichung des göttlichen Gesetzes durch alle als das, die nationale Wohlfahrt bedingende Gesamtanliegen der Nation proklamieren. Wie Kap. 29 weiter ausgeführt, hatte sich die ganze Nation, die Hälfte auf den Berg Gerisim und die andere Hälfte auf den Berg Ebal, um die in der Mitte im Tal befindlichen Priester und Leviten aufzustellen, und Segen und Fluch durch die Leviten aussprechen zu lassen und deren Ausspruch durch Amen zu dem ihrigen zu machen. Es stand somit das Volk verteilt auf dem Gerisim und dem Ebal und gab sich und allen seinen gegenwärtigen und künftigen Gliedern die Segen- und Fluchalternative. Den Segen sprachen die Leviten mit dem Angesicht zum Gerisim, den Fluch mit dem Angesicht gegen Ebal gewendet. Segen und Fluch, wie wir sehen werden, finden nämlich in dem Anblick dieser beiden gegensätzlich verschiedenen Berge ihre sinnliche Vergegenwärtigung. Das Volk steht auf beiden Bergen, und als auf dem Gerisim stehend, spricht es den Segen, als auf dem Ebal stehend, den Fluch aus, das heißt ונתת את הברכה על הר גריזים ואת הקללה על הר עיבל.

ונתתה את הברכה, “you shall set the blessing;” verbally, as the author has explained in Deuteronomy 27,1114; example: Leviticus 16,21: ונתן אותם על ראש השעיר, “he will place them on the head of the hegoat” (the sins of Israel).

על הר גרזים means “towards Mount Gerizim”: they (the Levites) turned their faces towards it and began with a formula of blessing: “Blessed be the man that doth not make any graven or molten image etc.”. For each of the paragraphs beginning with the expression ארור as set forth in the chapter (Deuteronomy 27), they first recited in a converse form, beginning with the expression ברוך, “Blessed be etc.” and only afterwards did they turn their faces towards Mount Ebal and began to recite the corresponding curse (Sifrei Devarim 55:2; Sotah 32a; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 27).

ואת הקללה, and curse those who violate them deliberately.

Towards Mount Gerizim, etc. For it is written in Parshas Ki Savo (below 27:12-13) that six tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim, and six on Mount Eival. If so, this indicates that the Jewish People stood on Mount Gerizim, and the Levites stood between the mountains.

Gerisim und Ebal sind zwei zum Gebirge Ephrajim gehörende Berge, die noch den entschiedensten Gegensatz in ihrem Anblick bieten. Der Gerisim, südlich vom Tale Sichem, ein grüner, mit terassenförmig sich erhebenden Gärten bedeckter fruchtbarer Berg; der Ebal auf der Nordseite, steil und nackt und wüst. Der Ebal soll etwa 800 Fuß hoch sein, etwas höher der Gerisim (siehe Raumer und Schwarz Palästina). Diese beiden neben einander liegenden Berge sind daher die sprechendste, lehrreichste Vergegenwärtigung des Segens und des Fluchs. Auf einem und demselben Boden erheben sich beide, ein und derselbe Regen- und Tauestropfen netzt beide, über beide streift dieselbe Luft, und derselbe Blütenstaub weht über den einen wie den andern hin: und doch bleibt der Ebal in unfruchtbarer Starrheit, während der Gerisim sich bis zum Gipfel hin in fruchtreichen Pflanzenschmuck kleidet. So ist Segen und Fluch nicht durch äußere Verhältnisse, sondern durch unsere eigene innere Empfänglichkeit für das eine oder andere, durch unser Verhalten zu dem bedingt, was Segen bringen soll.

על הר גריזים, “next to Mount Gerizim.” The word על meaning “next to,” is also used in this sense in Exodus 40, 3 וסכות על הארון, “you shall screen the ark.”

They turned their faces and opened with the blessing, etc. Even though the verse in Parshas Ki Savo only says, “Cursed is the man who makes a sculpture, etc.,” and it does not say, “Blessed is the man, etc.” Nevertheless, since it is written here, “The blessers,” we can infer that there was a blessing. And it is logical to assume that they began with the blessing first.

Den Jarden überschreitend und den Boden des Gesetzes unserer Heiligung betretend, bringt uns der Anblick dieser beiden Berge die ewige Lehre entgegen, wie wir zwischen die Alternative des Segens und des Fluches gestellt sind und wir durch unser eigenes sittliches Verhalten uns selbst für die Gerisim- oder Ebalzukunft entscheiden.

Auch Abraham betrat zuerst diese Stelle im heiligen Lande und baute dort zuerst seinen Altar Gott, der ihm wieder sichtbar geworden und, wie wir bereits zu Bereschit 12. 6 u. 7 (siehe daselbst) bemerkt, ist es nicht unwahrscheinlich, dass eben wegen dieses "lehrenden" Charakters dieser Örtlichkeit sie den Namen מורה trägt.