Blessings and Curses – Over Which Commandments/2

Blessings and Curses

Exegetical Approaches

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All of Torah

The blessings and curses relate to general 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.

Sources:Sifra Vayikra25:126:46About the Sifra Vayikra, RashiVayikra 25:1Vayikra 26:46About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki,

"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.¹  Together they comprise the entire body of Law.  It is not clear, however, why all three terms were needed, if the word "הַתּוֹרֹת" subsumes the others.

"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 again 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 Vayikra 25:1 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.²

Content of Blessings/Curses – Throughout the blessings/curses, Hashem does not specify individual commandments that need to be observed, but speaks in more general terms, saying "אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֺתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ" and the like,³ suggesting that He is speaking about observance of everything.  Similarly, the warning "לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת אֶת כׇּל מִצְוֺתַי" could be brought as proof that that Hashem is referring of all of His commandments.

Why bless and curse now? Since at this point in the narrative, the nation is about to enter the Land,⁴ it is an appropriate time to motivate the nation to keep the commandments.

Why include all mitzvot? This position is logical as all commandments would seem to equally require warning of punishment/reward and it is natural to want to make a covenant on all of Hashem's laws.⁵

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.⁶ 

Relationship to Covenant of Shemot 24 – According to Rashi the two covenants⁷ are totally distinct.  The covenant of Shemot 24 took place before Matan Torah, and only referred to the seven Noachide laws and the handful of commandments that the people had received at Marah.  As such, there was a necessity to make a different covenant over the rest of Torah.

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.  The fact that a mitzvah is prefaced by "אֲשֶׁר נָתַן י"י... בְּהַר סִינַי" says nothing about when that commandment was relayed.⁸  As such, it can assume that the book is written in order.

All Mitzvot Relayed Until Now

The covenant was made over all the laws that had been transmitted to the nation until this point, including everything from Parashat Yitro through Vayikra 25.

Sources:RalbagVayikra 25:1Vayikra 26:46About R. Levi b. Gershom, SefornoVayikra 25:1Vayikra 26:46About R. Ovadyah Seforno

"אֵלֶּה הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְהַתּוֹרֹת" – Ralbag maintains that "מִשְׁפָּטִים" refers to the commandments of Parashat Mishpatim, while "חֻקִּים" include the non-intuitive laws of Sefer Vayikra, including holidays, purity, and Shemittah.⁹  "הַתּוֹרֹת" are the ritual procedures of Sefer Vayikra, such as the laws of sacrifices which are prefaced by the terms, "תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה" ,"תּוֹרַת הָאָשָׁם" etc.  As such, the terms refer to all the commandments given from Parashat Yitro through Parashat Behar.

"אֲשֶׁר נָתַן י"י... בְּהַר סִינַי" – Ralbag and Seforno agree that the verse is not coming to exclude mitzvot, but simply to state that all these commandments were given already at Mount Sinai.

Laws of Shemittah and Yovel

The blessings and curses relate only to the laws of Shemittah and Yovel, mentioned in Vayikra 25.

Sources:RashbamShemot 12:1Vayikra 25:1Vayikra 26:46Bemidbar 1:1Bemidbar 3:1About R. Shemuel b. Meir

Only the Laws Given on Mt. Sinai

The warnings refer to all of the laws that are explicitly mentioned as being given at Mt. Sinai, including those commandments found in Parashat Yitro, Mishpatim and Behar.

Sources:Ibn EzraVayikra 25:1Vayikra 26:46About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RambanVayikra 25:1About R. Moshe b. Nachman, AbarbanelVayikra 25Vayikra 26About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

¹ In his comments to Bereshit 26:5, Rashi explains that "חֻקִּים" are laws like kashrut, which had they not been decreed, no one would have naturally observed on their own since the reasoning behind them is unclear.  On Shemot 16:25, Rashi suggests that "מִשְׁפָּטִים" simply means laws in general.

² This is learned from Shemittah because it is mentioned in Shemot 23 in a general way, but elaborated upon in Vayikra 26, where it specifies that this elaboration took place at Sinai.

³ See 26:3 and 15.

⁴ It is only due to the sin of the spies that entry is delayed for forty years.

⁵ Though one might question how someone could make a covenant on laws that he had not yet heard, this position would assume that the idea was to be warned about observance of all that Hashem desires, whatever that would be.

⁶ See Hashem's words there, "אֵלֶּה דִבְרֵי הַבְּרִית... מִלְּבַד הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אִתָּם בְּחֹרֵב."  Rashi asserts that the covenant at Horev refers to our chapter (even though it never says explicitly that this is a covenant) and could suggest that Hashem is comparing the two because they played the same role.

⁷ See above note that Rashi assumes that the blessings and curses here are also part of a covenant.

⁸ See above that Rashi suggests that, despite this preface, Shemittah is no different than any other law; all were similarly given at Sinai.

⁹ He appears to understand the term in a manner similar to Rashi above, claiming that it refers to commandments which demand an action which a person would not through hios intellect alone have concluded is necessary.