(Devarim 11:26) "Behold, I set before you this day blessing and curse": Because it is written (Ibid. 30:19) "The life and the death have I set before you, the blessing and the curse," lest Israel say: Since the Holy One Blessed be He has set before us two ways, the way of life and the way of death, we can choose whichever we wish; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and you shall choose the life, you and your seed." An analogy: A man is sitting at the crossroads, with two paths stretching before him, one, whose beginning is level and whose end is thorns, and one whose beginning is thorns and whose end is level. He apprises the passersby: This path whose beginning you see to be level — for two or three steps you will walk on level ground, and, in the end, on thorns. And this path whose beginning you see to be thorny — for two or three steps you will walk in thorns, and in the end you will walk on level ground. Thus did Moses speak to Israel: You see the wicked prospering — For two or three days they will prosper in this world, and in the end, they will be cast away, as it is written (Proverbs 24:20) "For there is no (good) end for the wicked one," and (Koheleth 4:1) "Behold, the tears of the oppressed (in Gehinnom)." And (Ibid. 5) "The fool folds his hands together (in contentment), and, (in the end) he eats his own flesh." And it is written (Proverbs 4:19) "The way of the wicked is pitch darkness." They see the righteous suffering in this world. Their end is to rejoice, viz. (Devarim 8:16) "to benefit you in your latter end." And it is written (Koheleth 7:8) "Better the end of a thing than its beginning." And (Jeremiah 29:11) "For I (the L-rd) know the thoughts that I think concerning you … to give to you a (goodly) end and a hope." And it is written (Psalms 97:11) "Light is sown for the righteous one," and (Proverbs 4:18) "The path of the righteous is like shining light."
R. Yehoshua b. Karcha says: An analogy: A king gives a feast and invites guests. His loved one is sitting among them and he tells him to take a choice portion; but he (the guest) lacks the power to discriminate. Seeing that this is so, the king takes his hand and places it on the choice portion. This is the intent of (Psalms 11:5-6) "The L-rd is my portion and my cup. You hold my lot. The choicest lot has fallen to me. My inheritance, too, is beauteous to me." Some are given their portion but are not happy with it. But Israel rejoice and glory (in their portion). For there is no portion as choice as theirs and no heritage like theirs and no lot like theirs. And they acknowledge this and praise (the L-rd) for it, viz. "The choicest lot has fallen to me. I shall bless the L-rd who has counseled me."
(דברים יא כו) רְאֵה אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם בְּרָכָה וּקְלָלָה, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל יט) ״הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה״, שֶׁמָּא יֹאמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל: הוֹאִיל וְנָתַן הַמָּקוֹם לְפָנֵינוּ שְׁנֵי דְרָכִים, דֶּרֶךְ חַיִּים וְדֶרֶךְ מָוֶת, נֵלֵךְ בְּאֵיזוֹ מֵהֶם שֶׁנִּרְצֶה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״וּבָחַרְתָּ בַחַיִּים״!
מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים וְהָיוּ לְפָנָיו שְׁנֵי שְׁבִילִים, אֶחָד שֶׁתְּחִלָּתוֹ מִישׁוֹר וְסוֹפוֹ קוֹצִים, וְאֶחָד שֶׁתְּחִלָּתוֹ קוֹצִים וְסוֹפוֹ מִישׁוֹר, וְהָיָה מוֹדִיעַ אֶת הָעוֹבְרִים וְאֶת הַשָּׁבִים וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם: אַתֶּם רוֹאִים אֶת שְׁבִיל זֶה שֶׁתְּחִלָּתוֹ מִישׁוֹר? כִּשְׁתַּיִם וְשָׁלֹשׁ פְּסִיעוֹת אַתֶּם מְהַלְּכִים בַּמִּישׁוֹר וְסוֹפוֹ לָצֵאת לַקּוֹצִים! וְאַתֶּם רוֹאִים אֶת שְׁבִיל זֶה שֶׁתְּחִלָּתוֹ קוֹצִים? כִּשְׁתַּיִם וְשָׁלֹשׁ פְּסִיעוֹת אַתֶּם מְהַלְּכִים בַּקּוֹצִים וְסוֹפוֹ לָצֵאת לַמִּישׁוֹר!
כָּךְ אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: אַתֶּם רוֹאִים אֶת הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁמַּצְלִיחִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה? כִּשְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים הֵם מַצְלִיחִים, וְסוֹפָם לִתְהוֹת בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי כד כ): ״כִּי לֹא תִהְיֶה אַחֲרִית לָרָע״ וְגוֹ׳, וְאוֹמֵר (קהלת ד א): ״וְהִנֵּה דִּמְעַת הָעֲשׁוּקִים״ וְגוֹ׳, וְאוֹמֵר (קהלת ד ה): ״הַכְּסִיל חוֹבֵק אֶת יָדָיו״ וְגוֹ׳, וְאוֹמֵר (משלי ד יט): ״דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה״. אַתֶּם רוֹאִים צַדִּיקִים שֶׁמִּצְטַעֲרִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה? כִּשְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים הֵם מִצְטַעֲרִים וְסוֹפָם לִשְׂמֹחַ בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים ח טז): ״לְהֵיטִבְךָ בְּאַחֲרִיתֶךָ״, וְאוֹמֵר (קהלת ז ח): ״טוֹב אַחֲרִית דָּבָר מֵרֵאשִׁיתוֹ״, וְאוֹמֵר (ירמיהו כט יא): ״כִּי אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי חֹשֵׁב״, וְאוֹמֵר (משלי ד יח): ״וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ״.
(Devarim 11:26) "Behold, I set before you this day blessing and curse": Because it is written (Ibid. 30:19) "The life and the death have I set before you, the blessing and the curse," lest Israel say: Since the Holy One Blessed be He has set before us two ways, the way of life and the way of death, we can choose whichever we wish; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and you shall choose the life, you and your seed." An analogy: A man is sitting at the crossroads, with two paths stretching before him, one, whose beginning is level and whose end is thorns, and one whose beginning is thorns and whose end is level. He apprises the passersby: This path whose beginning you see to be level — for two or three steps you will walk on level ground, and, in the end, on thorns. And this path whose beginning you see to be thorny — for two or three steps you will walk in thorns, and in the end you will walk on level ground. Thus did Moses speak to Israel: You see the wicked prospering — For two or three days they will prosper in this world, and in the end, they will be cast away, as it is written (Proverbs 24:20) "For there is no (good) end for the wicked one," and (Koheleth 4:1) "Behold, the tears of the oppressed (in Gehinnom)." And (Ibid. 5) "The fool folds his hands together (in contentment), and, (in the end) he eats his own flesh." And it is written (Proverbs 4:19) "The way of the wicked is pitch darkness." They see the righteous suffering in this world. Their end is to rejoice, viz. (Devarim 8:16) "to benefit you in your latter end." And it is written (Koheleth 7:8) "Better the end of a thing than its beginning." And (Jeremiah 29:11) "For I (the L-rd) know the thoughts that I think concerning you … to give to you a (goodly) end and a hope." And it is written (Psalms 97:11) "Light is sown for the righteous one," and (Proverbs 4:18) "The path of the righteous is like shining light."
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קָרְחָה אוֹמֵר: מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה סְעוּדָה וְהִזְמִין אֶת הָאוֹרְחִים, וְהָיָה אוֹהֲבוֹ מֵסֵב בֵּינֵיהֶם, וְהָיָה רוֹמְזוֹ לִטּוֹל מָנָה יָפָה, וְלֹא הָיָה בּוֹ דֵּעָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים לב ח): ״אַשְׂכִּילְךָ וְאוֹרְךָ בְּדֶרֶךְ זוּ תֵלֵךְ אִיעֲצָה עָלֶיךָ עֵינִי״. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בּוֹ דֵּעָה, אָחַז אֶת יָדוֹ וְהִנִּיחָהּ עַל מָנָה יָפָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים טז ה): ״ה׳ מְנָת חֶלְקִי וְכוֹסִי אַתָּה תּוֹמִיךְ גּוֹרָלִי״. יֵשׁ לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁנִּתַּן לוֹ חֶלְקוֹ וְאֵינוֹ שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, אֲבָל יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹדִים מְפֻיָּסִים שֶׁאֵין חֵלֶק יָפֶה כְּחֶלְקָם וְלֹא נַחֲלָה כְּנַחֲלָתָם וְלֹא גוֹרָל כְּגוֹרָלָם, וְהֵם מוֹדִים וּמְשַׁבְּחִים עַל כָּךְ. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים טז ו-ז): ״חֲבָלִים נָפְלוּ לִי בַּנְּעִימִים וְגוֹ׳ אֲבָרֵךְ אֶת ה׳ אֲשֶׁר יְעָצָנִי״.
R. Yehoshua b. Karcha says: An analogy: A king gives a feast and invites guests. His loved one is sitting among them and he tells him to take a choice portion; but he (the guest) lacks the power to discriminate. Seeing that this is so, the king takes his hand and places it on the choice portion. This is the intent of (Psalms 11:5-6) "The L-rd is my portion and my cup. You hold my lot. The choicest lot has fallen to me. My inheritance, too, is beauteous to me." Some are given their portion but are not happy with it. But Israel rejoice and glory (in their portion). For there is no portion as choice as theirs and no heritage like theirs and no lot like theirs. And they acknowledge this and praise (the L-rd) for it, viz. "The choicest lot has fallen to me. I shall bless the L-rd who has counseled me."