Parashat Re’eh
07th August 2026
Week of 31 – 07 August
Torah portion: Dt. 11:26-16:17 Haftarah: Isa.54:11-55:5
The Parashah of this Shabbat (Deut 11:17 – 16:17), as a whole, restructures the principles already present in previous books of the Torah concerning worship. It specifies the place of worship, the manner of performing sacrifices, and strongly warns against idolatrous worship and idolatry in general. It addresses the payment of tithes, the relationship with slaves and the firstborn. It reinforces the centrality of the festivals and the sabbatical year.
But right from the start, this Parasha draws our attention because of the first word of the reading, which gives the Parashah its name: the imperative Re’eh רְאֵה (See). “See, today I set before you a blessing and a curse.”
Apparently, there is a grammatical anomaly. God initially addresses himself in the singular – See (רְאֵה) – and in the sequence of the sentence, God addresses himself in the plural – before you (לִפְנֵיכֶם).
As we already know, the Sages of Israel did not find flaws or errors in the Scriptures; the apparent gaps are invitations to scrutinise the Word of God and explore, through the search for the Word, the teaching that lies behind it.
Today’s reading is no exception. The tradition of the Sages of Israel teaches that the fact that God initially addresses the individual in the singular and then the collective means that the collective, the community, and the people are composed of the sum of individuals. And each person has a responsibility for the whole. Individual attitudes have positive or negative consequences for the whole. And today’s text places us before the responsibility of receiving blessings or curses for the collective, according to the attitude of each individual. The decision of each one impacts the destiny and the environment of the entire community.
In truth, God does not punish with curses, but each person’s choice for good brings blessings, and the choice for evil brings curses. It is everyone’s responsibility to make the choice and be aware that their choice produces consequences for others.
The Talmud (Kiddushin 40b) offers a very important teaching that connects with today’s Parashah: “The Sages taught (רבנן תנו)that a man should always see himself as half guilty and half innocent (in perfect balance). If he fulfils a single mitzvah (commandment), happy is he, for he has inclined himself toward merit. If he commits a single transgression, woe to him, for he has inclined himself toward guilt… Rabbi Eleazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, said: Since the world is judged according to its majority (the weight of the actions of the majority of people), and the individual is also judged by his majority. If he fulfils a single mitzvah, happy is he, for he has inclined himself and the whole world toward merit. If he commits a single transgression, woe to him, for he has inclined himself and the whole world on the side of blame.”
From this small detail, seemingly a grammatical error, we learn from the tradition of the Sages of Israel the great responsibility of our attitudes and actions. Every action or attitude of the individual – of each one of us – contributes to the good or evil of others, the environment, and the world. God places only two alternatives before us: “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” There is no third way before God: either observe His Word and follow His commandments and therefore be a cause of blessings for the world, or be separated from God and be a cause of misfortune for the world.
Therefore, “See, (individual), today I set the blessing and the curse before you (people).” God’s blessings for the people and for the world depend on the choice of the individual, of each one of us in particular, because God speaks directly to each one in particular in view of the universal, just as choosing Israel among the peoples in view of all peoples.
This week’s Parasha Commentary was prepared by
Br. Elio Passeto, NDS Jerusalem – Israel, Bat Kol Director
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