Commento su Deuteronomio 29:11

לעברך means THAT THOU SHOULDEST PASS [INTO THE COVENANT]. It would not, however, be correct to explain it as meaning “to make thee pass” (when the suffix would be objective), but it must be explained like (Deuteronomy 4:14) לעשתכם אתם, “that ye may do them”.

לעברך בברית, you are all arranged in this order in order to signal your acceptance of the forthcoming covenant. It is clear from Moses’ addressing all the assembled, that they were of one mind at the time, all willing and eager to accept the covenant.

לעברך בברית…ובאלתו, "for you to enter (pass) into the covenant…and His curse" (if need be). The reason Moses added the word ובאלתו, "and His curse," will become clearer when we have explained the need for the covenant. Why was the Torah not satisfied with all the admonitions and curses which have already been recorded in the Torah? Some clever people who want to escape the cumulative curses and punishments recorded in chapter 28 may decide to commit a single transgression, such as violating the Sabbath or the laws of idolatry and to thereby become guilty of only a single one of all these penalties seeing that those laws are considered the cornerstones of Judaism. Such people prefer this to first accepting the authority of G'd and the Torah which would make them potentially liable to as many as 36 penalties of Karet. Moses acted astutely when he persuaded these people to accept upon themselves the covenant so that in the future they would be liable for each transgression separately. The oath (curse) would apply if any of these people deliberately flouted the laws he had undertaken to observe as a result of embracing this covenant. Once they had done this, even the intention of violating a fundamental law of Judaism would not safegaurd them against becoming culpable for each transgression separately.

לעברך בברית, “for you to enter the covenant;” Nachmanides writes that the word “covenant” here is another word for “oath.” It is possible, however, (author speaking) that the people now entered a new reciprocal covenant. Such a covenant would have paralleled the one the Jewish people entered into at Mt Sinai. At that time the covenant was sealed by a total offering, sprinkling of its blood on the people, etc. There was no need to spell out these details here.

So that you pass into the covenant. I.e., you yourself must pass and not through others. And thus he explains afterwards: But it would be improper to interpret this, etc., i.e., through others. Because if so, how could it say Into the covenant of Hashem, your God, if one explains it to mean to be passed through by others, [since a covenant implies mutual consent]? Furthermore, how can one explain that it means to be passed through? For this would serve notice against acceptance of the covenant, for they could say, We were coerced!

V. 11. לעברך בברית, alle steht ihr da in allen euren Gliedern, um zusammen einheitlich in den Gottesbund überzutreten. לעברך: wenn du in den Bund mit Gott eintreten willst, musst du deinen ganzen bisherigen Standpunkt verlassen, musst du an allem andern vorübergehen, von allem andern dich lossagen, um ganz ausschließlich in die Beziehung zu Gott einzutreten. Daher nicht לבואך, sondern: לעברך. In den Gottesbund eingetreten, stehst du auf einem ganz anderen Standpunkt als vorher.

לעברך בברית, “to enter into this covenant of the Lord your G–d;” now you are spiritually ready to embrace this covenant and none of you shall ever be able to claim that he had not been present when you agreed to accept this covenant as binding for you. Your blind, ailing, and aged would not be able to travel to such an assembly.

לעברך, “so that you will participate,” (note the singular mode) i.e. all as if you were one single person.

לעברך בברית THAT THOU SHOULDEST PASS INTO THE COVENANT — The way of “passing” was as follows: those who made a covenant used to make a partition (i.e. used to place objects in a straight line) on one side and a partition on the other and passed between them, as it is said, (Jeremiah 34:18—20) “[And I will give the men which have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me] when they cut the calf in two, and passed between the parts thereof … [into the hands of their enemies]”.

'אשר ה' אלוקיך כורת עמך היום, למען הקים אותך וגו, G’d’s objective in concluding this covenant with you this day is to reaffirm that you are His people and that He is your G’d. By entering into this covenant with Him you acquire eternal life, life beyond the death of your bodies. Seeing that the purpose of the covenant is of such importance, is of so elevated a nature, it is necessary that you embrace it wholeheartedly.

But, rather, as “for your performance of them.” This means to do them, i.e., you of your own volition and not through others.

כורת עמך היום, “which He concludes with you this day.” No one can ever claim that he had not been present at that time and had confirmed accepting the covenant. This was the last time the entire nation would be present at the same spot simultaneously, as after the land had been distributed to the tribes, the elderly and the mothers who had just given birth, as well as any sick people could not be expected to come to Jerusalem on the festivals designated for the annual pilgrimages.