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Seeing Blessings and Curses



Friday evenings, the Jewish people have a widespread custom to bless their children when arriving home from shul. The words used are from the blessing of the Kohanim. The opening of this blessing is asking Hashem to bestow His "blessing" upon our children.


Hashem says that He presents before us blessings and curses. He asks us to take note of what He is presenting but in an odd manner. When asking us to take note, He uses a singular form of "you shall" but when He says before whom He is placing these blessings and curses He uses the plural "you'll" form. Why the difference in grammar in the self-same verse?


The Kotzker Rebbe says that blessings (I will add curses as well) can be given to the collective, i.e. the Jewish people as a whole (we don't ask for curses). But each and every individual will perceive them from their own individual standpoint and from their own set of personal circumstances and experiences.


"You (singular) shall take note, I am setting before you'll (plural), on this day, blessings and curses." Devarim 11:26, from this week's Torah portion, Re'eh, Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17


* Based on Rabbi Frand on the Parsha

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