Re'eh ראה

My Musing
Can you ever plead ignorance? Not according to this midrash. Not only is the plea of ignorance countermanded, it is also refuted when it comes time for retribution. The idea of the midrash for this week's selection is that no punishment is ever unmerited. The midrash explores the system, that no one is punished before a proper warning. This reflects the idea that although God created the law, he is bound by it as well.

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת ראה סימן ב
(דברים יא:כו) "רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה"

"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse"

זה שאמר הכתוב (איוב לו:י-יב) "וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָוֶן. אִם יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיַעֲבֹדוּ יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בַּנְּעִימִים. וְאִם לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּשֶׁלַח יַעֲבֹרוּ וְיִגְוְעוּ בִּבְלִי דָעַת"

This is what the scripture said "He opens their ear to discipline, and He says that they return from iniquity. If they hear and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they do not listen, they shall pass by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge"

"וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר" ,אין הקדוש ברוך הוא מביא צרה לאדם עד שהוא גולה לאזנו ומתרה בו כדי שיחזור בו. אם חזר בו הרי יפה; אם לאו מביא עליו רעות.

"He opens their ear to discipline", the Holy One, blessed be He, does not bring anguish to a person until He discloses to his ear and warns him in order that he return from his wrong path. If he returns, good; if not, He brings upon him bad things.

"וַיִּגֶל אָזְנָם לַמּוּסָר", ממי את למד? מפרעה, מלך מצרים. כשהיה מבקש להביא עליו מכה היה שולח ומתרה בו ביד משה עבדו שנאמר (שמות י:ד) "כִּי אִם מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת עַמִּי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא מָחָר אַרְבֶּה בִּגְבֻלֶךָ" וכן (שמות ז:כז) "וְאִם מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי נֹגֵף אֶת כָּל גְּבוּלְךָ בַּצְפַרְדְּעִים"

"He opens their ear to discipline", from whom do you learn this idea? From Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. When He would desire to bring upon him a plague, He would send and warn him through Moshe His servant as it says," Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border" and similarly, "And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs"

מתרה בו למוסר למוסרה של תורה "וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יְשֻׁבוּן מֵאָוֶן" מעול בני אדם ומלעוול להקדוש ברוך הוא. "יְכַלּוּ יְמֵיהֶם בַּטּוֹב" בטוב הם משלימין שנותיהם.

For a person He warns us with a warning of the Torah, "and He says that they return from iniquity". It is despicable to mankind and despicable to the Holy One, blessed be He. "they shall spend their days in prosperity", in goodness they complete their years.