Sotah 74

ארבע ארבע וארבע הרי שמונה שמונה ושמונה הרי שש עשרה וכן בסיני וכן בערבות מואב שנא' (דברים כח, סט) אלה דברי הברית אשר צוה ה' את משה וגו' וכתיב (דברים כט, ח) ושמרתם את דברי הברית הזאת וגו' נמצא מ"ח בריתות על כל מצוה ומצוה

four [duties associated with each commandment]. Twice four are eight<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In connection with every command there is a covenant for each of the four duties. So there were four blessings and four curses pronounced with each precept. ');">¹</span> and twice eight are sixteen.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eight blessings and curses with the general commandment and eight with the particular commandments. ');">²</span>

ר"ש מוציא הר גריזים והר עיבל ומכניס אהל מועד שבמדבר

It was similar<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., there were sixteen blessings and curses implied with the covenants entered into in each of the two places named. ');">³</span> at Sinai and the plains of Moab; as it is said: These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses etc.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVIII, 69. apart from the section at Mt. Gerizim. ');">⁴</span>

ובפלוגתא דהני תנאי דתניא רבי ישמעאל אומר כללות נאמרו בסיני ופרטות באהל מועד ר' עקיבא אומר כללות ופרטות נאמרו בסיני ונשנו באהל מועד ונשתלשו בערבות מואב

and it is written: Keep therefore the words of this covenant etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXIX, 8. ');">⁵</span> Hence there were forty-eight covenants in connection with each commandment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sixteen in each of the three places. ');">⁶</span>

ואין לך כל דבר מצוה ומצוה שכתובה בתורה שלא נכרתו עליה ארבעים ושמנה בריתות

R. Simeon excludes [the occasion of] Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because not all the commandments formed the covenant there. ');">⁷</span> and includes that of the Tent of Meeting in the wilderness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After its erection God spoke to Moses from thence (Lev. I, 1). ');">⁸</span>

ר' שמעון בן יהודה איש כפר עכו אמר משום רבי שמעון אין לך מצוה ומצוה שכתובה בתורה שלא נכרתו עליה ארבעים ושמנה בריתות של שש מאות אלף ושלשת אלפים וחמש מאות וחמשים

The difference of opinion here is the same as that of the teachers in the following: R. Ishmael says: General laws were proclaimed at Sinai and particular laws in the Tent of Meeting. R. Akiba says: Both general and particular laws were proclaimed at Sinai, repeated in the Tent of Meeting, and for the third time in the plains of Moab. Consequently there is not a single precept written in the Torah in connection with which forty-eight covenants were not made. R. Simeon b. Judah of Kefar Acco<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Caphare Accho in lower Galilee, mentioned in Josephus, Wars II, 20, 6; v. Hildesheimer, Beitrage, p. 81.] ');">⁹</span> said in the name of R. Simeon: There is not a single precept written in the Torah in connection with which forty-eight times six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The number of male Israelites, with each of whom the covenants were made. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר רבי לדברי רבי שמעון בן יהודה איש כפר עכו שאמר משום רבי שמעון אין לך כל מצוה ומצוה שבתורה שלא נכרתו עליה ארבעים ושמנה בריתות של שש מאות אלף ושלשת אלפים וחמש מאות וחמשים נמצא לכל אחד ואחד מישראל שש מאות אלף ושלשת אלפים וחמש מאות וחמשים

covenants were not made. Rabbi said: According to the reasoning of R. Simeon b. Judah of Kefar Acco who said in the name of R. Simeon that there is not a single precept written in the Torah in connection with which forty-eight times six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty covenants were not made, it follows that for each Israelite there are six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty commandments.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And forty-eight covenants were made in connection with each of them. ');">¹¹</span> What is the issue between them? — R. Mesharsheya said: The point between them is that of personal responsibility and responsibility for others.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it is held according to the Rabbis that each Israelite is responsible for the conduct of the rest, then the number must be squared to get the total. ');">¹²</span>

מאי בינייהו אמר רב משרשיא ערבא וערבא דערבא איכא בינייהו

R. Judah b. Nahmani, the lecturer<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was customary for a teacher to impart the lesson to a lecturer who delivered it to the disciples. ');">¹³</span> of Simeon b. Lakish, expounded: The whole section [of the blessings and curses] refers to none other than the adulterer and adulteress. [It states,] Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVII, 15. ');">¹⁴</span>

דרש רבי יהודה בן נחמני מתורגמניה דרבי שמעון בן לקיש כל הפרשה כולה לא נאמרה אלא בנואף ונואפת

Does it suffice merely to pronounce cursed with such a person!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The penalty is death. ');">¹⁵</span> — But it alludes to one who has immoral intercourse, and begets a son who goes to live among heathens<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Being the offspring of an adulterous union, he is debarred from the Assembly and cannot marry an Israelite woman.] ');">¹⁶</span>

(דברים כז, טו) ארור האיש אשר יעשה פסל ומסכה וגו' בארור סגי ליה אלא זה הבא על הערוה והוליד בן והלך לבין עובדי כוכבים ועבד עבודת כוכבים ארורין אביו ואמו של זה שכך גרמו לו

and worships idols; cursed be the father and mother of this man since they were the cause of his sinning.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [And not only with idolatry. His heathen association will lead him to commit the other offences in this section, provoking upon his parents the enumerated curses; v., however, Rashi.] ');">¹⁷</span> Our Rabbis taught: Thou shalt set the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid, XI, 29. ');">¹⁸</span>

ת"ר (דברים יא, כט) ונתת את הברכה על הר גריזים ואת הקללה וגו מה תלמוד לומר אם ללמד שתהא ברכה על הר גריזים וקללה על הר עיבל הרי כבר נאמר (דברים כז, יב) אלה יעמדו לברך את העם על הר גריזים וכתיב (דברים כז, יג) ואלה יעמדו על הקללה בהר עיבל אלא להקדים ברכה לקללה

What is the purpose of this text? If it is to teach that the blessing [is to be pronounced] on Mount Gerizim and the curse on mount Ebal, it has already been said: These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXVII, 12. ');">¹⁹</span> and it continues, And these shall stand upon mount Ebal for the curse!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 13. ');">²⁰</span>

יכול יהיו כל הברכות קודמות לקללות תלמוד לומר ברכה וקללה ברכה אחת קודמת לקללה ואין כל הברכות קודמות לקללות

But [the purpose is to indicate] that the blessing must precede the curse. It is possible to think that all the blessings must precede the curses; therefore the text states 'blessing' and 'curse, I.e., one blessing precedes a curse and all the blessings do not precede the curses. A further purpose is to draw a comparison between blessing and curse to tell us that as the curse is pronounced by the Levites so the blessing must be pronounced by the Levites; as the curse is uttered in a loud voice so must the blessing be uttered in a loud voice; as the curse is said in the holy tongue<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 33a. ');">²¹</span> so must the blessing be said in the holy tongue; as the curse is in general and particular terms so must the blessing be in general and particular terms; and as with the curse both parties respond with Amen so with the blessing both parties respond with Amen.

ולהקיש ברכה לקללה לומר לך מה קללה בלוים אף ברכה בלוים ומה קללה בקול רם אף ברכה בקול רם ומה קללה בלשון הקודש אף ברכה בלה"ק ומה קללה בכלל ופרט אף ברכה בכלל ופרט ומה קללה אלו ואלו עונין ואומרים אמן אף ברכה אלו ואלו עונין ואומרים אמן

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. HOW WAS THE PRIESTLY BENEDICTION [PRONOUNCED]? IN THE PROVINCE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., outside the Temple. ');">²²</span> IT WAS SAID AS THREE BLESSINGS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As divided in Num. VI, 24ff., and after each sentence there was a response of Amen. ');">²³</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> ברכת כהנים כיצד במדינה אומר אותה שלש ברכות ובמקדש ברכה אחת במקדש אומר את השם

BUT IN THE TEMPLE AS ONE BLESSING.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There was no interruption because the response of Amen was not made in the Temple. ');">²⁴</span> IN THE TEMPLE THE NAME WAS UTTERED