As soon as the nation entered the Land, they were instructed to assemble by two mountains. The Levites would stand in the valley between them, first facing Mount Grizim where six of the tribes stood, pronouncing twelve blessings upon those who adhere to the law enumerated. They would then turn to the six other tribes situated on Mount Avel and utter the twelve curses that would befall those who failed to follow these precepts.
The Torah goes on to list the twelve curses and their associated sins.
Starting with accursing those who conceal molten images, the Torah goes on to list, degrading parents; moving property boundaries; misleading the blind; bestiality; laying with one's father's wife; laying with one's sister, daughter of his father or mother; laying with a mother-in-law; striking a fellow man stealthily; taking a bribe to kill an innocent person; perverting the judgment of a convert, orphan, or widow; and finally foisting a curse upon one who does not uphold the Torah in performing its directions.
The commentaries try to explain why these twelve diverse laws were chosen to represent a covenant to follow the entire Torah.
Many suggest that these specific sins are ones that are often violated under the guise of innocence, or behind closed doors, and with people one is more likely to live in proximity and being more vulnerable. The Torah is seeking to assure loyalty not only in public morality that people are more inclined to be good, but more significantly in their private behavior which is a more accurate measure of authentic decency.
The Talmud in Sotah (37b) quotes in the name of Rebbi Yehuda Bar Nachmani who taught that the entire passage of the blessings and curses is stated only in reference to an adulterer and adulteress. It refers to one who engaged intimately with a forbidden relative and bore her an illegitimate son. And the son, who is not allowed to marry a Jew of unflawed lineage, went to live among the other nations of the world and engaged in idol worship. His father and mother are cursed for causing him to worship idols.
Although the Talmud only explains the connection of adultery with the first two pronunciations, Rashi fills us in with the others.
The other prohibited relations listed are all married women, who because of the close relationship are more liable to be lured into adultery. The act of adultery is aligned with violating boundaries. The adulterer takes advantage of the more vulnerable woman who is often blinded to the consequences of her action. He subtly jeopardizes the life of the woman who may now drink and die from drinking the Sotah waters. The procurer takes pay to supply the adulterer his object of desire bringing her to her death. Rashi states he cannot explain the last parallel of perverting the judgment of the orphan and widow. Tosafos Shantz suggests it refers to the shamed illegitimate son being abandoned by a father who does not own up to fathering him, leaving practically an orphan, and his mother — the adulteress, now a virtual widow, as she is prohibited from going back to her husband.
This opinion is even more intriguing. Was the lust for adultery so rampant that it required the convening of this major event involving all tribes displaying their allegiance to not violate this sole issue of disloyalty?
There is a tradition transmitted in the name of Gaon of Vilna, quoted by his disciple Rav Menachem Mendel of Shklov, that there was never an act of idolatry that didn’t have mixed within it a motive for sexual impropriety.
In an echo of that tradition, there is also a notion handed down from Moshe's times, that the Ten Commandments, five in each of the two columns, parallel to each other.
The second commandment in the first column, that which prohibits idolatry, "You shall not have the gods of others in My presence", corresponds to second command in the second tablet, "You shall not commit adultery".
Man is made in the Image of G-d. This refers to our godly quality to choose freely. Coupled with that is the concept that just as G-d creates, so can we partner with G-d in creating children as well.
It is not merely an end, but rather the goal to affect the world with our choices expanding creation by promoting selflessly His will, the knowledge of G-d and the values of His Torah. We were given the ability to control the world through our deeds, influencing G-d to shower His benevolence upon us. (נפש החיים)
When the exquisite union of man and woman is used selflessly to bring creation about, we are blessed. When man abuses that gift by transforming it into an instrument for self-gratification by violating that holy bond of man and wife, he is accursed.
The very first infiltration of impurity to this inspired idea was when the Snake coaxed Chava to partake of the forbidden fruit, which our sages depict as the Snake ravishing Chava — the cherished wife of Adam, infusing in that union a filth into the body of humanity we are still filtering out.
The prohibition of adultery in its deepest meaning is the very essence of this closing sentiment. Cursed are those who abuse their — Tzelem Elokim — godly powers for self-indulgence.
Blessed are those אשר יקים — that uphold the Torah, who give the world standing and purpose through the myriads of good choices we make to sustain creation by our commitment to fulfill His will exclusively.
As we face the Day of Judgment may we be aware of the impact of our actions upon the world and its fate. לא תנאף — Let us not violate that sacred bond.
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
