Chavarah- Jewish Community Learning

A blog of Jewish study and traditions. Notes from classes: Torah Study with Rabbi Marder, Toledot and Shabbaton as well as other details found of interest.

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Sunday, January 21, 2007

The Harshest Curse of All

Torah Study led by Adam Allenberg 1/20/07

Deuteronomy 28:68-69

IF you don't follow the mitzvot -

You will go back to Egypt, you will offer yourself into slavery but no one will buy you.

On one level this doesn't even seem that bad. You are still free. Or are you?

Think about it: This says that you are entirely useless and worthless and you have gone backwards to the life of your predecessors and you can't even live to their standards. Being an unemployed slave is the absolute worst situation you could be in.

Recall that these are the children and the grandchildren of those who were enslaved in Egypt. Only a couple of people are still alive who knew that slavery first hand. It is somewhat similar to being the next generations of Holocaust survivors and victims. You need to be reminded of what can happen, you have a sense of what history did but you were not there so you need to be told again and again.

The discussion reviewed some of the other curses that might seem even worse, like a mother eating her own child. "That could never happen", or did it? Adam pointed out that yes it was part of the history in 2nd Kings. (As I am reminded that some say Deuteronomy was written later and much was put in there because of the things that happened during the time of the Kings)

Then we skip forward just a bit to Chapter 29:8 (the previous 8 verses are a summary/review) then it says "Therefore observe faithfully all the terms of this covenant, that you may succeed in all that you undertake." Other versions translate differently: the translation of the word with the root (Shin Kaf Lamed) sechel actually means, "to understand". So if we follow law we will truly "understand".

The other place this word is used in Torah is back in Genesis speaking of Eve gaining "understanding" from partaking of the fruit. So if knowledge is the goal, we better follow the mitzvot.

And in fact, KNOWLEDGE is the antithesis of the ultimate curse. For if we do truly understand, we will be in the best place and the best of life. I do believe that 'knowledge' and 'understanding' should be held at as the highest of the blessings.

It seems that is what we are still seeking, a worthy goal.

And thus the translation to the word "Success" rather than "Understanding" in Plaut makes sense!

This is the transition section before Moses takes back the podium from the Levites for his final soliloquy.

While other interesting comments and tangents in this Torah Study session, like "What does AMEN really mean?" and "How this section is speaking to the whole group and the next will shift to the individual." and "It's all about the land, and God owns the land.”, that is all the review I can do for today! Save these for other blog posts!

BOOK suggested by Adam:

Commentary on the Torah: Books: Richard Elliott Friedman

A Pertinent Reference:

Hasidic story to remind us of our obligation to remember the traditions and history of previous generations

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2 Comments:

  • At 8:28 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    The current idea of slavery being so horriffic due to beatings and abbuses does not seam to be based on general realities. For example: We read that Joseph a son of Jacob was sold into slavery and controlled lord Potifars house. I expect that "Slavery" meant that you were owned by someone rather than being free to come or go as you like, all of the time.

    Several times in the story of the Exodus, we are told that the Hebrews considered going back or that maybe that should not have left. After all there is comfort in being told what to do and knowing that you are going to be feed,.... Being in a military environment is like being a slave for all of those reasons. Many "Lifers" in the military are there because it is comfortable and safer than being a civilian, (so many unknowns and very little control over what others do).

    Back to the curse, to offer yourself for sale as a slave and have no takers, ...would leave living homeless and begging for anything someone might drop.

    There is a different lesson here to be gleaned. How do the people on the street feel about their circumstance. Some may like how they live but, I now see that maybe they are examples of the curse.

    What do you think?
    -James

     
  • At 10:19 PM, Blogger Chavarah said…

    Interesting way to look at this. Guess next time we get to this part we will need to explore it a different way. Isn't that why we keep on reading it again and again?

     

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