Sifra Bechukotai Chapter 5

¹1) (Vayikra 26:18) ("And if with these you do not hearken to Me, then I shall chastise you even more, seven-fold for your sins.") "with these" ("ad eileh"). R. Eliezer says: The Holy One does not bring calamity to Israel until he testifies ("me'id" [similar to" ad]) against them first, as it is written "And if ad eileh." R. Yehoshua says: Let Israel not say "The plagues have ended and He has no other to bring upon us"; it is, therefore, written "And if ad eileh" — still ("od [similar to "ad"]) I have others of these and like these to bring. Then I shall chastise you even more, seven-fold for your sins.": You transgressed seven transgressions ("not learning, not doing, etc.," viz. Section 2:3 above) — come and take upon yourselves seven calamities, (which follow). ²2) (Vayikra 26:19) ("And I shall break the pride of your strength, and I shall make your sky as iron and your earth as brass.") "And I shall break the pride of your strength": This is the Temple. And thus is it written (Ezekiel 25:21) "Behold, I am destroying My sanctuary, the pride of your strength." R. Akiva says: "And I shall break the pride of your strength": These are the heroes of Israel, such as Yoav ben Tzeruyah and his company. Others say: These are the proud ones (the martyrs), who are the pride of Israel, such as Papppus ben Yehudah and Lulianus Alexandri and their company. ³3) "and I shall make your sky as iron and your earth as brass": This is worse for them than the later (imprecation). For in the later what is written? (Devarim 28:23) "And your skies over your heads shall be as brass," that the skies will "sweat," as brass "sweats," and the earth will not "sweat," as iron does not sweat — and this will guard its fruit (against rotting.) But here what is written? "and I shall make your sky as iron and your earth as brass," that the skies will not "sweat," as iron does not "sweat," and the earth will "sweat" as brass "sweats," and it will lose its fruit. (Vayikra 26:20) ("And your power shall be spent in vain, and your land will not yield its produce, and the tree of the field will not yield its fruit.") "And your power shall be spent in vain": Rebbi says: This is the vineyard, (which requires much labor). Others say: This is flax. Others say: This is their strength (itself). Variantly: This refers to one who married off his daughter with a great dowry, but before the seven days of rejoicing are completed his daughter dies — so that he buries his daughter and loses his wealth. ⁴4) "and your power shall be spent in vain": If a man did not toil and did not plow and did not sow and did not weed and did not clear and did not hoe, and at harvest time there came blast, and mildew, and (the field) were smitten, it is of no import. But if a man toiled and plowed and sowed and weeded and hoed and cleared, and at harvest time there came blast and (the field) were smitten, his teeth are "dulled." "and your land will not yield its produce (yevulah)." "yevulah": what you bring to it. "and the tree of the field will not yield its fruit": The tree will not form its fruits, and when it blooms it will shed its fruit (prematurely). ⁵5) (Vayikra 26:21) ("And if you walk with Me laxly and do not desire to listen to Me, then I shall smite you even more, seven-fold according to your sins.") "And if you walk with Me laxly and do not desire to listen to Me": You made My Torah "incidental" in the world — I, too, will make you "incidental" in the world. "then I shall smite you, even more, seven-fold according to your sins": You transgressed seven transgressions — come and accept seven calamities. ⁶6) (Vayikra 26:22) "And I will send against you the beast of the field": This tells me only of a beast of prey. Whence do I derive (the same for) an animal that is not a beast of prey? From (Devarim 32:24) "And the tooth of beasts I will send against them." I might think that they will bite but not kill; it is, therefore, written (Devarim 32:24) "with the venom of the crawlers in the dust." Just as these bite and kill, so, those (Vayikra, Ibid.) ⁷7) "and it will bereave you": of your children. "and it will cut off your cattle": outside. "and it will diminish you": inside. "and your ways will be desolate": "ways" — plural, to include (all) paths, big and small. [In sum: seven calamities]