Level Playing Field
The myth is that evil is stronger than good. The truth is that while evil is in your face good has staying power.
The Negative Not Necessary
This week’s Parsha begins with the statement:
“See I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing that you shall listen to the commandments of G-d your G-d… and the curse, if you shall not listen to the commandments…”
At first glance it seems that the latter phrase is superfluous. Once the Torah tells us that the blessings will come as a result of our listening to G-d’s voice, doesn’t it follow that the curses will come when we do not follow His commandments. Why the need to state it explicitly?
In addition, commentators observe that the Torah does not employ the same terminology for the curses as it does for the blessings. When discussing the blessings it says “Asher tishm’un-that you shall listen.” With respect to the curses, however, the Torah employs the word “im-if” you shall not listen…” Why doesn’t the Torah use the same terminology with respect to the blessing “im-if you shall listen?” Aren’t the blessings also contingent on our fulfillment of the commandments?
Blessings are Foregone Conclusion
Upon deeper analysis, it is clear that G-d treats the blessings differently than the curses.. With regard to blessings, it is a foregone conclusion that they will come. G-d is confident that we will certainly do good and deserve His abundant blessings. Blessings are guaranteed, because obedience to His commandments by the Jewish people is a given.
The curses, however, are introduced with the word “Im-if” as if to say “on the off chance that some people might sway from the proper path, there will be negative consequences.”
G-d doesn’t anticipate negative behavior from us. But, in case it does happen, He is “compelled,” so to speak, to describe the consequences of these actions—curses.
There is a yet a deeper explanation as to why the blessings are introduced without the qualifying word “if.” G-d gives us His blessings even before we follow His commandments as an incentive to fulfill them. Thus, the Torah states: “The blessing, that you shall listen to the commandments..” The curses, by contrast, are never given by G-d in anticipation of evil actions; they are merely consequences of our actions. Negative behavior begets negative effects.
Incentives
With respect to blessings that come from our good behavior, however, there are actually two forms of blessing: One that comes as a special incentive by G-d to facilitate our doing the right thing. Secondly, once we perform the Mitzvot, G-d continues to bless us as a way of furthering our observance of the commandments. Quite apart from the positive energy that a Mitzvah generates, just as a transgression generates negative energy, G-d showers His blessings before and after we perform a Mitzvah, so that we are induced to do the Mitzvah.
This is in consonance with Maimonides’ explanation of the rewards that are mentioned in the Torah. According to Maimonides, they are not the real reward for our compliance with G-d’s will — that reward will come in the “World-to-Come.” When G-d promises reward in this world, His intention is to facilitate continued goodness on our part. The more prosperity and health we enjoy, the more capable we will be to do good.
Induced by G-d
From the above we can learn an important lesson about the dynamics of good and evil. While both good and evil have consequences, only good is actually facilitated and blessed by G-d. And the more good we do, the more the Divine blessing is generated that will lead to even more good.
However, whatever evil one generates by evil behavior, it is not G-d induced. As our Sages say: “One how comes to become pure will be assisted [by G-d]; one who comes to become impure, the door will be opened for him.” While G-d provides active assistance for one who wants to do good, He merely opens the door and allows us the opportunity to contaminate ourselves. G-d does not provide active assistance for evil.
Infinite versus Temporal Power
The corollary of this realization — that good is blessed by G-d while evil is generated by human endeavor exclusively — is that good is of infinite value because it is imbued with Divine — thus infinite — blessing and lasts forever Evil, as a product of human initiative, by contrast, is as finite and transient as we are.
With this premise in hand we can better appreciate the claim made by the greatest Sages of our generation, particularly, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, that the coming of Moshiach is imminent. Many have asked, how could it be that we are more ready than our forebears who, it seems, were so much more pious, spiritual and righteous than us?
One answer that has been given is that the good of our generation is the accumulation of good throughout history. Evil, on the other hand, being, merely an outcome of limited human endeavor, is fleeting and ephemeral. Thus any misdeeds of earlier times have no cumulative effect on our generation and on our ability to actualize the Redemption. .
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Rei by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
