(26) See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: (27) blessing, if you obey the commandments of Adonai your God that I enjoin upon you this day; (28) and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of Adonai your God, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced. (29) When Adonai your God brings you into the land that you are about to enter and possess, you shall pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.— (30) Both are on the other side of the Jordan, beyond the west road that is in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the Arabah—near Gilgal, by the terebinths of Moreh.
(1) The blessing, that you will observe I.e., through your observing, you become blessed. A blessing is an increase in good, whereas a curse [Hebrew: qәlalah] is a reduction (from “degrade” [Hebrew: qalah]).
(טו) הַכֹּל צָפוּי, וְהָרְשׁוּת נְתוּנָה, וּבְטוֹב הָעוֹלָם נִדּוֹן. וְהַכֹּל לְפִי רֹב הַמַּעֲשֶׂה:
(15) Everything is foreseen, and freewill is given, and with goodness the world is judged. And all is in accordance to the majority of the deed.
(ג) וְדָבָר זֶה עִקָּר גָּדוֹל הוּא וְהוּא עַמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל טו) "רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת הַחַיִּים". וּכְתִיב (דברים יא כו) "רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם". כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁהָרְשׁוּת בְּיֶדְכֶם. וְכָל שֶׁיַּחְפֹּץ הָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת מִמַּעֲשֵׂה בְּנֵי הָאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה בֵּין טוֹבִים בֵּין רָעִים. וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה הָעִנְיָן נֶאֱמַר (דברים ה כו) "מִי יִתֵּן וְהָיָה לְבָבָם זֶה לָהֶם". כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין הַבּוֹרֵא כּוֹפֶה בְּנֵי הָאָדָם וְלֹא גּוֹזֵר עֲלֵיהֶן לַעֲשׂוֹת טוֹבָה אוֹ רָעָה אֶלָּא הַכּל מָסוּר לָהֶם:
(3) And, this matter is a great and component part, the very pillar of the Torah and its precepts, even as it is said: "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil" (Deut. 30.15), and it is, moreover, written: "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and curse" (Ibid. 11.26). This is as if saying, the power is in your hand, and whatever human activity humanity may be inclined to carry on, they have a free will to elect either good or evil. And, because of this very subject it is said: "Oh, who would grant that they had such a heart as this, to fear Me, and to keep all my commandments at all times" (Ibid. 5.26). This is as if saying, that the Creator does not force humanity, and makes no decrees against them that they should do good or evil, but that it all is in their own keeping.5
(א) ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה (דברים יא, כו). לכאורה תיבת היום, אינו מובן. אך דידוע שהקדוש ברוך הוא מחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית, דהוא יתברך נותן בכל יום בהירות חדש ומשפיע חסדים חדשים ואדם העובד שמו יתברך מקבל עליו בכל יום בהירות ושכל חדש מה שלא היה יודע אתמול. וזהו שכתוב ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום, על דרך שאמרו חכמינו ז"ל היום, בכל יום יהיו בעיניך כחדשים, רצה לומר בכל יום תקבל ברכה וחסד חדש:
(1) Deuteronomy 11,26. “See that I place before you this day blessing;” at first glance there seems no need for the word: היום, “this day,” as we know that God renews blessings every day, just as God renews the act of creation of the universe by providing bright light to the Divine universe as this is part of God's goodness. People who serve Adonai are aware that they receive new insights daily and learn things they had not known on the previous day. We may, therefore, understand the word: היום, as “every day,” as our sages said: בכל יום יהיו בעיניך כחדשים, “Every day, you shall regard the commandments as if they are brand new, as though you are just today being commanded regarding them!"