Thursday, September 15, 2022

Sheep, Curses And 98

Why are there specifically 98 curses in the parsha?  The mefarshim point out that it is double the number of curses in Bechukosai, which has 49.  Why are there double the number of curses in this week's parsha?  

The Kli Yakar says that the difference is that this week's parsha is after the bris of arvut at Har Grizim and Aval and therefore everyone is responsible not just for their own actions but for that of their neighbor as well.  Therefore, the curses are doubled as well.  But why is 49 the number of curses in Bechukosai?  Just as there are 49 gates of purity, there are 49 of impurity which can put a person in cursed territory. 

Rashi Pinchas (29:18) says the 98 sheep offered on Sukkot are to nullify the 98 curses in the parsha.  Why is it the sheep that nullify the curses?  The Shem MiShmuel Sukkot (5678) explains the curses come אשר לא עבדת בשמחה, from a lack of joy.  He cites Rashi (28:19) who says the sheep correspond to Yaakov.  Yaakov is the Av mentioned with joy רנו ליעקב שמחה (Yirmiyahu 31:6) and Yaakov is the holiday associated with Sukkot, the holiday of joy, therefore it nullifies the power of the curses.  Also, I saw noted that the number of curses, 98+49 add to 147, the years of Yaakov's life.  

Why are sheep associated with Yaakov?  The Alter Rebbe says that sheep correspond to רחמים as can be seen that the sound of a sheep arouses feelings of compassion within a person.  That is why we blow a shofar from the sheep family to arouse compassion upon ourselves.  The middah of Yaakov is that of רחמים and that is why he is related to sheep.  This miidah of רחמים is directly related to nullifying the curses.  As noted already, the curses come because of a lack of simcha.  How can the Torah expect simcha if only לישרי לב שמחה, only tzaddikim have simcha?  There are two levels of simcha.  The tzaddikim level is to do mitzvot out of joy just for the sake of Hashem.  The regular joe simcha is from feeling רחמנות on himself and realizing that it is best for one's self to cleave to Hashem, the Lifeforce of the world (see here.)  Therefore ,it is the middah of Yaakov, personified through the sheep that nullify the curses. 

No comments:

Post a Comment