Page 388 - DVARIM

After Bnei Yisrael heard the curses recorded in parashat Ki Tavo,they
approached Moshe, quaking with fear. Moshe calmed them, declaring that
Bnei Yisrael will never disappear. The Ohr Hachaim finds a difficulty in
their timing. Why didn’t they approach Moshe previously, after hearing
the curses stated in parashat Bechukotai?

He responds that in parashat Bechukotai, the curses were addressed to the
nation as a whole, whereas in parashat Ki Tavo, the curses were upon each
and every person, individually. This caused them tremendous fear.

Why did Moshe assuage their fears, when it would have been more
appropriate to shake them up and reinforce these fears? Moshe did not
allay their fears, but comforted them with the understanding that through
doing teshuvah, they could avoid the curses mentioned here.

How could Bnei Yisrael be expected to offer sacrifices of joy upon Har
Eval, the mountain of curses? Wouldn’t it have been more sensible to
order that they bring these offerings on Har Grizim, the mountain of
blessing? The knowledge that they possessed the power to do teshuvah,
thereby annulling all evil decrees, armed them with great joy and enabled
them to offer sacrifices of joy.

Parshiyot Shoftim, Ki Teitzei, Ki Tavo, Nitzavim,and Vayelech are
connected by the thread of teshuvah, which runs through them all.
This is man’s greatest weapon against his number one enemy, his
Yetzer Hara. # 26347-EYAL-6

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