Re’eh

The Parsha starts off, “See I am placing before you bracha and klalah. The bracha, on condition, that you will listen to the mitzvos of Hashem that I am commanding you today. And the klalah, if you don’t listen to the mitzvos of Hashem….”

Similarly, in Parshas Netzavim the passuk states, “See, I am placing before you, life and good, death and bad…” Rashi explains if you do good then you will have life, and if bad then death. The Ibn Ezra explains “chayim” is long years and “tov” is richness, health, and a home, while death and bad are the opposite.

Later on, the passuk states, “life and death have been placed before you, and you shall choose life.” Rashi writes that Hashem is showing you to choose life as a person says to his son, “choose a good portion in my inheritance” and he shows him the good portion and points out to choose this one.

The Seforno writes that the pesukim are teaching, one needs to see his that his actions are not average nor mediocre. Most people are beinoni, average, but we are being told to rise above this. The Torah states, I am putting before you two choices: bracha and klalah which are two ends of the spectrum. Bracha is success, more than one needs and klalah is where one doesn’t have what he needs. A person has the choice to do tov or ra, and he subsequently chooses whether he will get bracha or klalah.

I heard in the name of HaRav Moshe Soloveichik that there is no “shveitz” in Yiddishkeit. Meaning, there is no middle road. There is tov and there is ra.

The Navi called a Yid a “mehalech” whereas a malach he describes as an “omeid.” A malach is created for a purpose to be a messenger for something specific and his entire being is set for that mission. He doesn’t grow, but rather remains on his level. However, people always have the potential to grow, and lo aleinu to fall. One is either improving or falling. A mashal to this is gravity. If you put something in the air it automatically falls. One needs to constantly hold the object up and continuously give it power and energy to keep it from falling. So too, every Yid always has a challenge to hold tightly onto the Torah and mitzvos or chas v’shalom to let go and fall.

May Hashem help us to always choose good and life, and help us grow by constantly striving for more!