The public reading of the Parsha of Bechukotai is broken up into a series of short sections to begin with, followed by an exceptionally long section. The first sections discuss the material blessings the Jewish people receive as a result of adhering to the Torah. The long section includes a series of curses, rebuke, and consequences if the people do not follow the Torah. This structure is codified in the Mishna and correspondingly in the Rambam.

רמב"ם תפילה וברכת כהנים יג

(ז) קללות שבתורת כהנים אין מפסיקין בהן, אלא אחד קורא אותן, מתחיל בפסוק שלפניהם ומסיים בפסוק שלאחריהם. וקללות שבמשנה תורה, אם רצה לפסוק בהן, פוסק. וכבר נהגו העם שלא לפסוק בהן, אלא אחד קורא אותן:

Rambam - Laws of Prayer and Blessing of the Kohanim 13

(7) The "curses" in Leviticus should not be interrupted. Rather, a single person should read them [in their entirety]. He should begin with the verse preceding them and conclude with the verse following them. The "curses" in Deuteronomy may be interrupted if one desires. However, the people have already adopted the custom of not interrupting [this reading]. Rather, a single person reads them [in their entirety].

The curses must be read in their entirety and not interrupted. We don’t make any pauses. Furthermore, they are to be read by a single individual. We also don’t begin or end directly with the curses and consequences. Rather, we start reading that section publicly, with the reader beginning slightly before on a positive note, and he continues reading past the curses to end on a positive note as well. This is based on a discussion in the Talmud.

תלמוד בבלי – מגילה לא:

בְּתַעֲנִיּוֹת בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת וְאֵין מַפְסִיקִין בַּקְּלָלוֹת. מְנָא הָנֵי מִילֵּי אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר גַּמָּדָא אָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי דְּאָמַר קְרָא {משלי ג':י"א} מוּסַר ה' בְּנִי אַל תִּמְאָס. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר לְפִי שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים בְּרָכָה עַל הַפּוּרְעָנוּת אֶלָּא הֵיכִי עָבֵיד תָּנָא כְּשֶׁהוּא מַתְחִיל מַתְחִיל בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁלִּפְנֵיהֶם וּכְשֶׁהוּא מְסַיֵּים מְסַיֵּים בַּפָּסוּק שֶׁלְּאַחֲרֵיהֶן.

Talmud Bavli - Megilah 31b

The mishna states: On fast days the congregation reads the portion of blessings and curses (Leviticus, chapter 16), and one may not interrupt the reading of the curses by having two different people read them. Rather, one person reads all of them. The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Why does one not interrupt the reading of the curses? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda said that Rabbi Asi said: For the verse states: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be weary of His correction” (Proverbs 3:11). If one makes a break in the middle of the curses, it appears as if he loathes rebuke. Reish Lakish said a different answer: It is because one does not say a blessing over a calamity. If a second person were to begin to read in the middle of the portion of the curses, the blessing upon his reading would be considered a blessing over a calamity. Rather, what does one do? It is taught in a baraita: When one begins the reading, one begins with the verse before the curses, and when one concludes the reading, one concludes with the verse after them. In this way, neither the blessing before the reading nor after it relates directly to verses of calamity.

The Talmud explains that we do not interrupt the curses. According to Rebbe Asi, this is because we do not want to indicate that we are not receptive to this rebuke. This would be contrary to the principle expressed in Proverbs, “My son, do not despise the rebuke of God, and do not be grieved over His correction” (Mishlei 3:11). Reish Lakish further adds that we do not have the reader make the blessing directly on this section of rebuke. Therefore we start slightly before and conclude slightly after so the blessing can be made on a broader section of the Torah.

It is interesting that the curses cannot be interrupted. Apparently it is a message we must hear and process in its entirety. It is not to be broken up. A practice emerged to read the curses quickly and quietly in the synagogue. Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik objected to this custom. We are not to adjust how the Torah is read to blunt or alter the message. We should not indicate that we “despise the rebuke of God”, but rather we should read this section like any other portion of the Torah.

But if we must hear the message of the curses loud and clear, what is the problem with making blessing on the curses? Another principle comes into play.

רמב"ם תפילה וברכת כהנים יג:ה

(ה) כל העולה לקרות בתורה פותח בדבר טוב וחותם בדבר טוב.

Rambam - Laws of Prayer and Blessing of the Kohanim 13

Whoever is called to read from the Torah should begin [his reading] with a positive matter and conclude with a positive matter.

Based on the Talmud Yerushalmi (Megilah 3:7), anyone who is called up to the Torah must begin and end on a positive note. The rule acknowledges the difficulty with connecting to some of the messages in the Torah. It is not easy to hear feedback. When a manager must give an employee negative feedback, it is often advised to begin and end with something positive. This is not designed to distract from the message, but rather to make sure the message is actually heard. Perhaps this structure is similarly designed so that we are able to connect with the message the Torah is trying to convey.

תלמוד בבלי – מגילה לא:

תַּנְיָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר עֶזְרָא תִּיקֵּן לָהֶן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיְּהוּ קוֹרִין קְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים קוֹדֶם עֲצֶרֶת וְשֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה קוֹדֶם רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה מַאי טַעְמָא אָמַר אַבָּיֵי וְאִיתֵּימָא רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכְלֶה הַשָּׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ. בִּשְׁלָמָא שֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה אִיכָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכְלֶה שָׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים אַטּוּ עֲצֶרֶת רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הִיא אִין עֲצֶרֶת נָמֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה הִיא דִּתְנַן וּבַעֲצֶרֶת עַל פֵּירוֹת הָאִילָן.

Talmud Bavli - Megilah 31b

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Ezra enacted for the Jewish people that they should read the portion of the curses that are recorded in Leviticus before Shavuot and the portion of the curses that are recorded in Deuteronomy before Rosh HaShana. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for this? Abaye said, and some say that it was Reish Lakish who said: In order that the year may conclude together with its curses, and the new year may begin without the ominous reading of the curses. The Gemara asks: Granted, with regard to the curses that are recorded in Deuteronomy, there is relevance to the reason: In order that the year may conclude together with its curses, for Rosh HaShana is clearly the beginning of a new year. However, with regard to the curses that are recorded in Leviticus, what relevance does that reason have? Is that to say Shavuot is a new year? The Gemara answers: Yes, indeed, Shavuot is also a new year, as we learned in a mishna (Rosh HaShana 16a): And on Shavuot, divine judgment is made concerning the fruit of the trees, which indicates that Shavuot also has the status of a new year.

Ezra implemented our modern system of reading Torah publicly. It was not accidental but intentional that the curses of Bechukotai (Vayikra 26:14) are read just prior to Shavuot, and the curses in Ki Tavo (Devarim 28:15) are read just prior to Rosh Hashanah. It was by design that these sections of rebuke occur prior to a new start. It is tough to hear feedback. While we must hear the rebuke in its entirety, and it is not to be interrupted or altered, it does not mean it is easy to process. We are to hear the feedback, understand it and take it to heart, and then based on this new awareness, put our greater level of understanding into play with a fresh start. Dwelling only on the negative can be unhealthy. Moving forward is essential. The format is that we listen to feedback, process it, and integrate into our worldview as we begin anew.

References

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682956/jewish/Mishneh-Torah.htm

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

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