ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף דברים 27:12

When you enter After previously saying “when God grants you rest” [25: 19], God now states that there are other commandments which apply before “God grants you rest” — in fact, as soon as you enter the land — namely, first-fruits [: 2 ff], tithes [: 12 ff], the writing of the Torah on stones [27: 2 ff], the building of an altar [27: 5 ff], and the recitation of the blessing and the curse upon the two mountains [27: 12 ff].

Six tribes went up Mt. Gerizim and six tribes went up Mt. Ebal, and the priests and Levites with the ark stood below in the middle, the priests surrounding the ark, the Levites [surrounding] the priests, and all Israel on this side and that side, as it is said, “And all Israel, with their elders, officials, and judges stood on both sides of the ark, facing the levitical priests” (Joshua 8:33). After locating the two mountains, the mishnah begins to describe the ritual of blessings and curses. As described in Deut. 27:12-13, half of the tribes went up to Mt. Gerizim and half went up to Mt. Ebal. The mishnah now harmonizes the description in Deuteronomy with that in Joshua 8:33, which seems to say that instead of going up the two mountains, the Israelites faced the two mountains. The mishnah says that all of the tribes went up and the priests, Levites and various officials remained in the middle, as is described in Joshua. The priests formed the inner circle around the ark and the Levites encircled the priests. Another problem is that according to Deut. 27:12, the tribe of Levi stood on Mt. Gerizim, whereas Joshua and Deut. 27:14 seem to place them in the middle. Some commentators resolve this by saying that only some of the Levites remained below.

Six tribes went up Mt. Gerizim and six tribes went up Mt. Ebal, and the priests and Levites with the ark stood below in the middle, the priests surrounding the ark, the Levites [surrounding] the priests, and all Israel on this side and that side, as it is said, “And all Israel, with their elders, officials, and judges stood on both sides of the ark, facing the levitical priests” (Joshua 8:33). After locating the two mountains, the mishnah begins to describe the ritual of blessings and curses. As described in Deut. 27:12-13, half of the tribes went up to Mt. Gerizim and half went up to Mt. Ebal. The mishnah now harmonizes the description in Deuteronomy with that in Joshua 8:33, which seems to say that instead of going up the two mountains, the Israelites faced the two mountains. The mishnah says that all of the tribes went up and the priests, Levites and various officials remained in the middle, as is described in Joshua. The priests formed the inner circle around the ark and the Levites encircled the priests. Another problem is that according to Deut. 27:12, the tribe of Levi stood on Mt. Gerizim, whereas Joshua and Deut. 27:14 seem to place them in the middle. Some commentators resolve this by saying that only some of the Levites remained below.

מה אקב ולא קבה אל HOW SHALL I CURSE WHOM GOD HATH NOT CURSED — Even when they deserved to be cursed, they were not cursed. When their ancestor, Jacob, made mention of their sin — (Genesis 49:6) “For in their anger they slew a man” — he cursed their anger only, as it is said, (Genesis 49:7) “Cursed be their anger”. When their ancestor, Jacob, went to his father with deceit he deserved to be cursed, but what is stated there (Genesis 27:33)? “Yea, he shall be blessed”. In the case of those tribes who had to recite the blessings it is said, (Deuteronomy 27:12) “These shall stand to bless the people”, but in the case of those who had to pronounce the curses it does not state, “And these shall stand to curse the people”, but, “And these shall stand for the curse”, — it does not wish to mention the term “cursing” in direct reference to them (the people) (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 1; Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 12).

These people and those people - who were on Mount Gerizim and on Mount Ebal. And that which is written, "the following shall stand to bless" [Deuteronomy 27:12] -- it is not to say that the tribes [themselves] blessed and cursed, but that the Levites who stood between the two mountains turned to face Mount Gerizim for the blessing and to Mount Ebal for the curse.