The Blessing, the Curse, and the Generation of Idolaters

Midrash Aggadah, Deuteronomy 11:26

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"See, I [set before you] etc., the blessing etc." [Deuteronomy 11:26]. It was spoken in order: "If you walk in My statutes" [Leviticus 26:3] corresponds to "that you shall hearken to the commandments of the Lord your God." And the curses that were stated there shall come upon you "if you do not hearken to the commandments of the Lord your God, and you go after other gods" [cf. Deuteronomy 11:28] — for those curses were not stated except concerning a generation of idolaters.

Themes

IdolatryCovenant

Biblical References

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Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben YochaiThe Warning Against Making a Covenant With IdolatersOne short verse carries a sharp command. As Israel prepares to enter the land, God cautions them against striking a covenant with the people already living therTargum JonathanSarah the Prophet and Hagar's Idol in the DesertThe Hebrew Bible tells us God remembered Sarah and she bore a son. The ancient Aramaic translators wanted to know more. They added a detail the Torah left out: Targum JonathanGod Chose Israel for Humility, Not GreatnessThe Targum Jonathan on (Deuteronomy 7) contains one of the most theologically radical statements in all of ancient Aramaic literature. God did not choose IsraelBook of JubileesHow Humanity Descended Into Slavery and IdolatryChapter 11 of Jubilees isn't exactly a feel-good story. It describes a rapid descent into moral chaos. The people, newly populating the earth, "began to captureBook of JubileesSerug's RepentanceSometimes, the story behind a name is a window into a whole era, a whole shift in how people saw the world. Take Serug, for example. The Book of Jubilees, a texBook of JubileesYoung Abraham Prays Alone Against Idol WorshipThat’s kind of the vibe we get when we look at the early life of Abraham, or Avram as he was known then. to the Book of Jubilees, a fascinating ancient Jewish t