״See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God…״ (Devarim 11:26-28)
The opening passage of this week’s Torah portion presents reality in stark, clear terms: a mountain of blessings and a mountain of curses. Throughout the parashah, life is detailed along the axis of relation between God-humanity-world: the relationship to idolatry versus sacred worship; designating a single place for ritual worship; and laws concerning dietary restrictions, tithes, debt remission, Hebrew servants, and the three pilgrimage festivals.
The Midrash in Devarim Rabbah (4:3) emphasizes that our actions determine our outcomes: ״Rabbi Elazar said: From the moment the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke this matter at Sinai, at that time (Eichah 3:38): ‘It is not from the mouth of the Most High that evil and good fall.‘ Rather, evil falls of its own accord upon those who do evil, and good falls upon those who do good.״ True, daily life contains great complexity and distinguishing between ״evil״ and ״good״ is often difficult. Yet there are events and times in which complexity itself works against us, creating hesitation, foot-dragging and indecision.
In reflecting on the world’s moral failure during the atrocities of World War II, and in questioning faith, humanism, and responsibility in its aftermath and beyond, philosopher Emmanuel Levinas coined the term ״difficult freedom״. Responsibility, in his view, is not ״soft״ but ״difficult״ due to the inescapable moral demand it places upon us in life within society, both in relation to ourselves and to the ״Other.״
Levinas identifies this as the very essence of the freedom granted at Sinai: beyond the fleeting allure of that awesome moment, the Sinaitic revelation imposed upon us both great freedom and great obligation. In this sense, the nomic (legal) moment at Gerizim and Ebal holds relevance for the minutiae of daily life beyond the broad proclamation of the Ten Commandments. The commitment to responsibility for our actions extends beyond the ״lights״ of receiving the Torah. These are the ethics that revelation demands of us. Signposts are not always found within all the intricacies of our heritage. The intellectual freedom that observes the world and seeks to create a better reality is itself both freedom and obligation.
Rashi notes the grammatical shift from singular to plural at the portion’s opening: from ״See״ (re’eh) in singular to ״before you״ (lifneichem) in plural. Each of us stands alone before the moral choice, yet the consequences affect us all as a collective. Near the end of the book of Devarim, in Parashat Nitzavim, we encounter again the clear demand: ״I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life — if you and your offspring would live (Devarim 30:19).” The Sifrei on Devarim (53:1) emphasizes the words ״choose life״— active responsibility on our part, not passive reliance.
Near the end of the Haftarah, that we read as part of the Seven Weeks of Consolation, it states: ״…Behold, I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc (Isaiah 54:16).” The Creator bears responsibility for creating forces of evil alongside good, and we bear responsibility for living with these forces in reality. The choice between blessing and curse is not a one-time event, but rather renews itself daily. This is our “difficult freedom,” ever pulsating and proclaiming its presence.
Each morning that we wake with our hostages still in captivity, we choose anew — will we continue fighting for them or give up? Our choice as a Jewish and Israeli society — how we act for their liberation — is a genuine practical test. Now, beyond theoretical ethical discussions, we are called to take practical action: a commitment to humanity and the belief that we must choose life. Our choice today will determine whether we live under blessing or, God forbid, under curse.
May we soon merit to see the return of the hostages and bless together as one, as the Psalmist reminds us: ״God has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many with me (Psalms 55:19).”
