Tuesday, May 20, 2014

An esoteric reading of Ibn Ezra on Bechukotai

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 26:13

וריקי מוח אמרו: כי הקללות רבות מהברכות ולא אמרו אמת, רק נאמרו הברכות כלל ונאמרו בקללות פרטים לירא ולהפחיד השומעים. והמסתכל היטב יתברר לו דברי.

"The empty of mind say that the curses are more numerous than the blessings, and they have not said the truth. Rather, the blessings were said in generalities, and the curses were said in detail to inspire fear in the listeners. And one who looks into this well will have clarity of my words."

Were I inclined to be an esoteric reader of Ibn Ezra, he's saying the entire blessings and curses were written later, when they were already in Israel, to scare them into keeping the law. That's of course not what he's saying.

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