From This Week’s Torah Portion:

Mount Gerizym & Mount Eyval – Blessings & Curses

“And Moshe and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Yisra’el, saying, ‘Be silent and hear, O Yisra’el: This day you have become the people of YHWH your Elohim, and you shall obey the voice of YHWH your Elohim, and do His commands and His laws which I command you today.’ And Moshe commanded the people on that day, saying, ‘These are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have passed over the Yarden: Shim’on, and Levi, and Yehudah, and Yissaskar, and Yoseph, and Binyamin. And these are to stand on Mount Ěyval to curse: Re’uven, Gad, and Asher, and Zevulun, Dan, and Naphtali. And the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Yisra’el:

“Cursed is the man who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to YHWH, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say,’ Amein!’

Cursed is he who makes light of his father or his mother. And all the people shall say,’ Amein!’

Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who misleads the blind in the way. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who twists the judgment of the stranger, the fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s bed. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who lies with any beast. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’
Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor secretly. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who takes a bribe to strike an innocent being. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’

Cursed is he who does not establish the Words of this Torah. And all the people shall say, ‘Amein!’”

Between Mount Gerizym and Mount Eyval is a small valley. The valley is about three miles long, but so narrow that it is said a man’s voice can be heard across it. Through this narrow strait, following Yehoshua ben Nun, all of the nation of Yisrael had to pass, if they wished to enter the Land of Promise. As they did, they all paused to hear the blessings and the curses they would now be subject to as YHWH’s chosen people, according to the Torah. The conditions under which they would receive either the blessing or the curse were very clearly stated:

“For ye are to cross over the Yarden to go into possess the land which YHWH Eloheykem giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein. And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I give to you this day.”

It was through this narrow passageway that the people of Yisrael crossed over from the wilderness into a new life with YHWH – and it was the only way.

About 1,400 years later, another Yehoshua – our blessed Messiah – came out of his own time of trial in the wilderness and sat upon a mountain not far from Gerizym and Eyval. He also taught the people following Him about the blessings and curses for doing excellent deeds or evil ones, according to the Torah – and then He did a new thing: He elevated the standard of righteousness for His followers to a level that the curses could no longer even reach. In effect, He commanded them to walk in such a state of perfection, grace and love, that they would be above the simple commands of Torah, and thereby no longer subject to its penalties. He did not do away with the Torah in order to achieve this state of grace and perfection, but rather He brought it into its fullness – to completion. He said to them:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to complete.”

Yehoshua then compared The Way into the kingdom of YHWH to a narrow passage, a way similar to the one between Mount Gerizym and Mount Eyval which led into the Land of Promise. He said,
“Enter in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in through it. But the gate is narrow and The Way that leads to life is difficult, and there are few who find it.”

Finally, He stated the condition under which His followers would enter into the kingdom of YHWH and all of its blessings. He said,

“Not everyone who says to me ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the kingdom of YHWH, but he who is doing the desire of my Father in the heavens.”

The Father has already clearly stated His desire time and again throughout the pages of scripture, that His people should follow The Way that He has prescribed for them. It is by this narrow Way that the followers of Messiah must pass, keeping the commands of YHWH in their fullness and having the testimony of Yehoshua, in order to crossover from death and curses to everlasting life and blessings with them – and it is still the only Way.

“And it shall be, if you diligently obey the voice of YHWH your Elohim, to guard to do all His commands which I command you today, that YHWH your Elohim shall set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of YHWH your Elohim:
Blessed are you in the city, and blessed are you in the field.

Blessed is the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your livestock – the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

Blessed is your basket and your kneading bowl.

Blessed are you when you come in, and blessed are you when you go out.

YHWH causes your enemies who rise against you to be smitten before your face – they come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

YHWH commands the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and shall bless you in the land which YHWH your Elohim is giving you.

YHWH does establish you as a set-apart people to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you guard the commands of YHWH your Elohim and walk in His ways. And all peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of YHWH is called upon you, and they shall be afraid of you.

And YHWH shall make you to have plenty of what is excellent, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land of which YHWH swore to your fathers to give you.

YHWH opens to you His excellent treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. And you shall lend to many nations, but you do not borrow.

And YHWH shall make you the head and not the tail. And you shall be only on top, and not be beneath, if you obey the commands of YHWH your Elohim, which I command you today, to guard and do. And do not turn aside from any of the Words which I am commanding you today, right or left, to go after other mighty ones to serve them.”