The Jewish year, and thus the annual cycle of the Torah reading, is coming to an end. As we reach the latter half of the concluding book of the Torah — Deuteronomy — Moses knows that he is soon to die without being able to enter the Promised Land. But he is determined to leave us with the disposition, ideas, and attitude we will need to survive and thrive.
In Chapter 27, Moses says that we will see two mountains upon entering the Land. There will be a mountain of blessing, Mount Gerizim, and a mountain of curses, Mount Ebal. Why does he associate blessings and curses with different mountains? The Torah, which privileges the unseen over the seen and hearing over sight, is too sophisticated to have a physical place of goodness and one of badness. But God knows us well. He knows that people have a remarkable capacity to either mischaracterize or justify cursed ideas and actions. He is encouraging us — enough with that, you can tell the difference between a blessing and a curse as easily as you can between two mountains.
Read more at Like a Blind Person Groping in the Darkness: A Lesson for the New Year.
