In Parshat Ki Tavo Moshe fills Bnei Yisrael with enthusiasm for the new life soon to be theirs, a future settled in their own homeland. This is followed by the frightening retelling of the nasty things, the “tochacha” that will happen if they do not behave. However in between, Moshe tells them that when they cross the Jordan, they must inscribe the Torah on stones to erect on Mount Eval. He then repeats the special command, mentioned first in Parshat Re’eh, that the camp of Bnei Yisrael should be divided into two, half the tribes on Mount Eval and the other half on Mount Grizim and the Levites will shout out the blessings and curses and the people will answer “amen.” Then, strangely this is then followed by twelve curses but no blessings! and only later we find some blessings, just before the “tochacha.”
In the Book of Joshua Chapter 8, Joshua after destroying the city of Ai, carries out Moshe’s request. From what we are told there, he wrote the whole of the Torah on the stones, read it out to all, including all the blessings and curses to the whole of Israel, which must have been quite a challenge. Rashi explains, based on the Talmud, that after crossing the Jordan into the holyland, this new generation of Bnei Yisrael committed themselves to keeping the Torah as a nation and as such to be responsible for each other (kol yisrael arevim ze baze).This was the real commitment that now, they have arrived in the holyland, they would not just keep the Torah, but each would try to help each other to keep on the right path. This is what Moshe’s epic speech Devarim, was all about to this new generation, you are the lucky guys who are going to inherit the land, please don’t mess up this great opportunity, you have come his far, work together to make it a success.
But now let’s return to the puzzling set of twelve curses, which starts with “Cursed is one who makes a carved or molten image, an abomination to Hashem, and sets it up in secret.” Then moves to cursed is one who treats parents with contempt, and more. Noticeable just for two of them, the above referring to a graven image and one who attacks his neighbor, Moshe adds “in secret.” The Rashbam, Rashi’s grandson is the first to notice that this set of twelve curses, curse individuals who do something wrong, but would probably happen behind closed doors. These indiscretions, would not be known to others, such as slightly moving a fence to steal land from a neighbour or the various incestual relationships. The two that could be noticed, making a graven image with a craftsman or the attacking of a neighbour would be seen, so Moshe adds the words “in secret.”
Now we can understand what this seemingly out of place set of curses without blessings is about. These are not “tochecha” that if the nation goes astray they will loose the land, but warnings to individuals. Moshe wants the nation as a whole to be responsible for the general good, but Hashem is quite aware of what goes on behind closed doors, as Moshe says later on “the secret things are with Hashem.” Do not think that individual discretions go unnoticed and to emphasize this these are pronounced out loud and all say “amen.”
Several years ago, when getting on a tram in Zurich we could not find anywhere to buy a ticket on the tram, and since then when travelling abroad, as everyone is probably aware, one has to buy a ticket in advance at a machine in most parts of the world. Recently in Budapest I bought tickets at a machine in advance and when the ticket inspector came around on the tram, I proudly showed him the ticket and he said sorry but this is the receipt where is the ticket, which I had obviously left in the machine in our haste to catch the tram. Please show me your Id! he demanded and on showing my British passport, he smiled and said that’s fine, citizens of the EU over 65 travel free in Budapest. Wonder what will happen from 31st October.