“If you follow My statutes, and observe My commandments, and perform them” (Leviticus 26:3). “If you follow My statutes” – that is what is written: “I consider my ways, and I direct my feet to Your precepts” (Psalms 119:59). David said: ‘Master of the universe, each and every day, I would calculate and say: I am going to this place and that residence, but my legs would take me to synagogues and study halls.’
That is what is written: “And I direct my feet to your precepts.” Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: I calculated the reward given for mitzvot and the loss incurred for transgressions, “and I direct my feet to your precepts.” Rabbi Menaḥem, the son-in-law of Rabbi Elazar bar Avina, said: I calculated what You wrote for us in the Torah: “If you follow My statutes”; what is written there? “I will grant peace in the land” (Leviticus 26:6).
“But if you will not heed Me” (Leviticus 26:14); what is written there? “I will chastise you further” (Leviticus 26:18). Rabbi Abba son of Rabbi Ḥiyya said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: I calculated blessings, I calculated curses; the blessings are from alef through tav,1The section of blessings (Leviticus 26:3–13) begins with the letter alef, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and ends with the last letter, tav. the curses are from vav through heh.2The section of curses (Leviticus 26:14–46) begins with the letter vav and ends with the letter heh.
These two letters appear next to each other in the Hebrew alphabet, with heh coming before vav. The implication is that since the blessings encompass the entire alphabet and the curses only two letters, the blessings are more all-encompassing. Moreover, they are reversed.3Vav comes after heh in the alphabet. This hints that the curses can be reversed and become blessings.
Rabbi Avin said: [God says:] ‘If you merit, I will transform the curses into blessings for you. When? When you observe My Torah.’ That is what is written: “If you follow My statutes.”