“Blessed shall you be in your comings, and blessed shall you be in your goings.” Dorit Judaica
The Novel Introduction of Blessings into our Treaty with God
Published September 8, 2014
אֲרַמִּי֙ אֹבֵ֣ד אָבִ֔י וַיֵּ֣רֶד מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וַיָּ֥גָר שָׁ֖ם בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֕ם לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל עָצ֥וּם וָרָֽב: וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה: וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־יְ-הֹוָ֖ה אֱ-לֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְ-הֹוָה֙ אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עָנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ: וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ יְ-הֹוָה֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים: וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֙נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ: וְעַתָּ֗ה הִנֵּ֤ה הֵבֵ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־רֵאשִׁית֙ פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תָּה לִּ֖י יְ-הֹוָ֑ה
For more about the relationship between vassal treaties and biblical texts, see the TABS essays, “How do we Conceive the Divine?” by Prof. Marvin Sweeney, “The Significance of Hittite Treaties for Biblical Studies and Orthodox Judaism,” by Dr. Yitzhaq Feder, and “Is Judaism Meant to Have Exclusive Religious Secrets?” by R. David Levin-Kruss. See also the classic work by Moshe Weinfeld, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School (Eisenbrauns, 1992).
Whether the Neo-Assyrians could in historical reality easily punish rebels is debatable, and the use of curses threatening punishment at the hands of the gods may be a kind of insurance for the empire.
