Commento su Deuteronomio 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,