“Re’eh” (Deuteronomy 11:26ff) begins with classic Deuteronomic words, “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn away from the path which I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods.”

            The Hebrew word “re’eh” is written in an imperative form. It’s not a question, as if to ask, “Can you see that I have set before you blessings and curses?” or “Don’t you see?” The Hebrew word is in the form of a command, “See!” The text is direct because the very future of the Israelites rested on their performance of mitzvot which would make God’s blessing available to them.

            But, “Re’eh” is much too limited to understand only as a visual command. The rabbis taught that “re’eh” meant seeing by way of other senses. Seeing, they said, could be about perceiving and being aware. One could easily substitute other words for “see,” such as “Know, this day…” or “Look, this day…” So, the Israelites became aware of the blessings and curses they could enjoy or suffer, respectively. They also became aware of the power they had over their own future. The blessings and the curses rested not just in God’s will, but in also in their own hands.

            While the text is simplistic in its expectations that good always yields blessings, it is remarkable in its expression of human self-determination. Sometimes, what we read as simplistic can also be read as an ideal. It’s simplistic when we think that doing “good” will always be blessed. It’s an ideal standard when we personally choose to do “good” for the sake of its own inherent reward, namely God’s blessing.

            Remember the Dershowitz book, The Abuse Excuse? It addressed the increasing tendency of people to blame external causes for the suffering they faced. Naturally, some suffering is the fault of outside forces; but, too, often, Dershowitz claimed, individuals point fingers at everything and everyone else for what they could have and should have done for themselves. His case was about shifting liabilities, and so is ours. As Shabbat comes and goes this week, it’s time to consider what responsibility we’re taking for the outcomes we seek. Are we blaming others or God for what we can do for ourselves? Are we doing “good” for the sake of the reward or for the sake of the good inherent in our deeds? Are we making choices that increase the possibility for blessings?

            “Seeing” isn’t only about what God puts in front of us to see with our eyes; it’s also about what we must come to know and understand for ourselves with all our faculties. With our ears, we hear the real wants and needs of others; with our eyes, we see what we want to see whether or not it’s really beautiful; with our hands, we touch people with care and love. Even now, the blessings and curses are not simply about what God grants us; they’re also about what we personally choose to do.

            There are lessons in this verse of Torah for everyone. How you choose to read it might depend on how you are prepared to find your blessings.

            From my desk to yours, Shabbat Shalom.

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