Pisqa’ 250¹

1

“By reason of their failure to extend hospitality to you, with bread and water” (Dt.23:5)—

when He uses the term, by reason of ²

it can also be rendered as:

“in reliance upon the counsel of.”³

And, in this sense, He states:

“Remember, if you will, Balak’s counsel,⁴ . . .” (Mic.6:5).

2

“On the road” (Dt.23:5)—

in your hour of utter confusion.

 

“As you were leaving Egypt” (Dt.23:5)—

in your hour of liberation.⁵

“How he hired Bilaam b. Be`or against you . . . to curse you” (Dt.23:5)—

which Bilaam considered a compliment!

“But HASHEM your God did not consent to listen to Bilaam” (Dt.23:6)—

this teaches that

the one uttering a curse [upon Israel]

is himself the accursed!

“And HASHEM your God up-ended the curse, transforming it into a blessing” (Dt.23:6)—

this teaches that

the one uttering a curse winds up bringing a curse upon himself.⁶

And why is this so?

“Because HASHEM your God loves you!” (Dt.23:6)

1. H:253-254;JN2:176.
2. Heb: `al davar; literally, “by the word of.”
3. Heb: `eitzah; root: y-`-tz. Cf. Dt. 22:24 at Pisqa’ 242.1
4. Heb: ya`atz establishes assonance with `eitzah, formed of the same root.
5. Cf. Pisqa’ot 275.1
6. The same root, q-l-l (“to curse”) structures each verb in this series of assonantal exegeses: meqalel (“utter a curse”), mequlal (“accursed”), mitqalel (“to curse oneself”).