Chizuk Emunah Under the Microscope: Chapter 16

    “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
(Deuteronomy 27:26 ESV)

Troki himself admits that it is literally impossible to fulfill all commandments. He denies that Jews are cursed for failing to practice these commandments, however. Troki argues that King David violated the covenant with the judicial murder or Uriah the Hittite, yet was not cursed. He then gives two more verses in support of his position.

    “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers.
(Jeremiah 33:20-21 ESV)

    For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”
(Isaiah 37:35 ESV)

Instead, Troki argues that it is the people who refuse to believe in the will of God that are cursed. It does not curse people who merely neglect to fulfill every single commandment. Troki believes that the commandments exist in order to increase our claim of divine reward and to shape the human soul for heavenly bliss.

Troki argues that Moses wanted to enter the Holy Land in order to fulfill the commandments and obtain merit in the sight of God. The curses of Deuteronomy 27 are for secret sins, not for public sins, which are dealt with by human tribunal.

The issue here is that some of the sins in Deuteronomy 27 are secret, and some open. Misleading a blind man down the road, for example, cannot be done in secret. it is an open offense. Paul's interpretation of this passage.

    For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
(Galatians 3:10 ESV)

Paul adds "all" because Deuteronomy 6:25 and 28:1 imply it.

    And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.’
(Deuteronomy 6:25 ESV)

    “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
(Deuteronomy 28:1 ESV)

The Rabbis have an opposite idea of the Law, seeing it as an opportunity to win merit points with God, rather than as a source for cursing. Paul sees things differently.

    I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
(Romans 7:9 ESV)

Paul's interpretation also has support from the Psalms.

    If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
        O Lord, who could stand?
(Psalm 130:3 ESV)

    Enter not into judgment with your servant,
        for no one living is righteous before you.
(Psalm 143:2 ESV)

But also, Paul's interpretation best fits the context of the passage. The entire passage lists a whole bunch of sins, one by one, and pronounces a curse after each one. The last one wraps up the whole passage, and concludes that one who fails any one of these commandments, or any commandment, is under a curse.