Pensamiento judío sobre Levítico 26:3

Although in the affairs of man, numbers are used mostly for the purpose of keeping records, and the numbers themselves do not have independent significance, such is not the case in the Torah. Whenever numbers appear, they have an independent significance, imparted to them by their Creator. Of all the basic numbers that exist, the number ten is by far the most important. It represents the ten directives employed in creating the universe. It describes the ten steps used to reduce the infinite immanent to the material and finite which we call our lives and earth. The two tablets are divided into two groups. Group one is concerned with the spiritual and intellectual capacity of man, whereas group two is concerned with the physical, material aspect of man.

Some problems in the text of our Parshah. 1) Why are the curses in Parshat Ki Tavo so much longer than the ones in Bechukotai, and why are the blessings shorter in our Parshah, when compared with Ki Tavo? 2) What is the relationship between feeling secure and the earth's yield? (verse 5) 3) Why the disproportionate description of five putting a hundred to flight, (ratio of 1-20) whereas one hundred put ten thousand to flight (ratio of 1-100)? 4) Why does the Torah commence the curses with the severe punishments? There seems a lack of order in the list of punishments! 5) The word az in verse 41, is hard to understand! 6) Who are the rishonim whose remembrance causes G'd to recall the covenant? (verse 45) 7) Verses 34 and 35 describing the land making up for neglected shemittah observance, seems awkwardly phrased!

At the time the ten commandments were given, the cherubs mounted on the holy ark were not included in the prohibition of reproductions of things in heaven or on earth, since up to the moment of their construction they were original, nothing like it had ever existed. Once they had been constructed however, the very fact of their existence made them subject to the prohibitions included in "do not make images." The reason G-d describes Himself as a "jealous HUSBAND," is to emphasize the husband/wife relationship. This explains the extreme patience G-d has demonstrated towards other nations serving idols. Only because Israel is related to Him by marital vows, does the "husband" display jealousy if He is cheated. The punishment that may extend to the fourth generation for those that hate G-d, i.e. who commit acts of idol worship of one form or another, is only the result of mercy. Were G-d to eliminate the aspect of mercy present in that kind of punishment, the second generation already would never have seen the light of day, since the generation guilty of idol worship would have been wiped out. The sin of the golden calf is a prime example. Had G-d wiped out the Jewish people at that time, the chances offered subsequent generations would have been lost then and there. On the other hand, reward for good conduct will be a factor as much as two thousand generations hence.