Blessings and Curses

Question

Dear Rabbi,

I have been reading through Deuteronomy and the curses and blessings of God for the Jewish people. Are the Jews being blessed or cursed by God for not possessing the land and building their temple?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    No, the Jewish People are not being cursed for not “possessing the land” or building the Temple. There are numerous opinions about whether living in Israel nowadays is a mitzvah, and building the Temple cannot be done today.

    You ask about complex issues of Divine reward and punishment, but I’m not a prophet. What is known is that when the Jews are the recipients of God’s curses it is because they are not doing the Will of God. This means that they are not living a life that reflects the beauty of the Torah and a life that enhances the majesty of God in the world.

    But, on the more positive flip-side, when the Jewish People are living in the way that God has taught us in the Torah, then the Jewish People receive God’s great blessings – including the Land of Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team