Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 27:14/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״ז:י״ד
אוטעם הכהנים הלוים. כי הם האומרים ארור האיש. על הברכה בני הגבירות ועל הקללה בני השפחות ואם יחסרו שנים ובני לאה רבים ונלקחו הגדול והקטן:
1Scripture mentions the priests and the Levites (v. 9), for they are the ones who said, Cursed be the man (v. 15). The children of the main wives15 stood over the blessings,16 while the children of the handmaids17 stood over the curse.18 Now if the latter lacked two,19 the sons of Leah were numerous,20 and her oldest21 and youngest22 were taken.23
בוענו. כמו וענית ואמרת וחז״ל אמרו כי טעם לברך ברוך האיש אשר לא יעשה פסל ומסכה וכן הכל ועל דרך הפשט הברכה היא ברוך אתה בעיר והקללה הפך זה. והעד בספר יהושע:
2AND THE LEVITES SHALL SPEAK. Ve-anu (shall speak) is similar to ve-anita (and thou shalt speak) in And thou shalt speak and say (Deut. 26:5).24 Our rabbis, of blessed memory, said that the meaning of to bless25 31a: “They turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and opened with the blessing: blessed is the man who does not make a graven or molten image, and both parties respond amen. They then turned their faces towards Mount Ebal and opened with the curse: Cursed is the man who maketh a graven or molten image, and both parties respond amen.” is to say, blessed is the man who does not make a graven or molten image, and similarly all of them.26 However, according to the plain meaning of the text, the blessing refers to Blessed shalt thou be in the city (Deut. 28:3).27, that is, Deut. 28:3-13. The curse is the reverse of this.28 Proof of this is found in the Book of Joshua.29 are not mentioned in the Torah.