Blessings and Curses – Over Which Commandments/2
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Blessings and Curses
Exegetical Approaches
All of Torah
The blessings and curses relate to observance of all of the mitzvot. This position subdivides regarding whether they refer even to commandments that were not yet relayed to the Children of Israel, or only to those that the nation had already received.
All 613 Mitzvot
The covenant was made over both the Written and Oral Torah, even though not all of it had as of yet been transmitted to the nation.
"אֵלֶּה הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְהַתּוֹרֹת" – These sources explain that the plural form of the word "הַתּוֹרֹת" refers to both the Written and Oral Torah, while "הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים" refer to various types of commandments. Together they comprise the entire body of Law.
"אֲשֶׁר נָתַן י"י... בְּהַר סִינַי" – According to this position all of the commandments, with all details of their observance, were given at Sinai. Thus, this phrase does not come to exclude commandments that were given elsewhere, but simply states that all of Torah was transmitted to Moshe at the mountain.
Law of Shemittah at Sinai – These sources need to explain why the verse would specify that Hashem told Moshe about Shemittah at Sinai, if this is not unique, as everything else was taught there as well. They answer that the verse teaches that not only did Hashem teach generalities at Sinai, but He also explained all the minutiae of every law at the same time.1
Content of Blessings/Curses – Throughout the blessings/curses, Hashem does not specify individual commandments but speaks in more general terms, saying "אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֺתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ" and the like,2 suggesting that He refers to general observance of everything. Similarly, the warning "לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת אֶת כׇּל מִצְוֺתַי" could be brought as proof that the subject is an all-inclusive one.
Why bless and curse now? Since at this point in the narrative, the nation is about to enter the Land,3 it is an appropriate time to motivate the nation to keep the commandments.
Why include all mitzvot? These sources naturally assume that all commandments equally require warning of punishment or hopes of reward.
Comparison to ceremony in Devarim – This position views this ceremony as being parallel to that in Devarim 28-29, which was also made on all of the commandments on the eve of the nation's entry into the land.
Relationship to Covenant of Shemot 24
Chronology of Sefer Vayikra – This position has no difficulties with chronology since it asserts that all of the various commandments of the book were given at the same time, on Sinai, and the fact that a mitzvah is prefaced by "" says nothing about when that commandment was relayed. As such, it can assume that the book is written in order.
Warned about the future?
All Mitzvot Relayed Until Now
Laws of Shemittah and Yovel
The blessings and curses relate only to the laws of Shemittah and Yovel, mentioned in Vayikra 25.
Sources:Rashbam
