Curses and Blessings

God created man in His image, in the image of God, and one of the main expressions of this is that he has the ability to speak and, through his speech, to influence what happens in this world and in the upper worlds. Therefore his curse can harm and his blessing can bestow good. That is, when a person sins, his standing is damaged and cracked, but sometimes his situation is still hanging in the balance; when he is cursed, the curse takes hold of the flaw in him and can tip the scales against him. Conversely, even when he performs mitzvot and his merits increase, sometimes his situation is still hanging in the balance, and when he is blessed, the door opens for the divine blessing to rest upon him. The power of influence of blessings is greater than that of curses, as the Sages said (Sota 11a): “The measure of good is always greater than the measure of punishment.” Berakha (blessing) connotes addition and increase; kelala (curse) connotes diminution and lack. We will begin by studying the prohibition of cursing, and from there proceed to the value of blessings.

It is forbidden to curse a person that he should die, or fall ill, or that some other bad thing should happen to him. Even a person who does not hear that he was cursed may not be cursed, as it is stated (Vayikra 19:14): “You shall not curse the deaf.” If the curse was said with God’s name, for example if he said, “May God kill so-and-so,” or if he cursed with one of the divine epithets, for example, “May the Master of the Worlds kill so-and-so,” he is liable to lashes. And if the curse was said without a divine name, for example, “Cursed be so-and-so,” or “If only he would die,” or “If only he would fall ill,” even though he has transgressed a Torah prohibition, there is no punishment of lashes for it. Likewise, one who curses a dead person, even if he cursed him with God’s name, is not liable to lashes (Mishna Shevu’ot 35a; Sanhedrin 66a; Rambam, Hilkhot Sanhedrin 26:1-4).^¹

The prohibition of cursing was stated with regard to a deaf person in order to teach us that even when the one cursed does not hear and is not offended, it is forbidden. Two explanations were given for the reason: First, cursing corrupts the soul of the one who curses with the bad traits of hatred, anger, and vengeance (Rambam, Sefer Ha-mitzvot, negative commandment 317). Second, man was created in the image of God, and his speech has the power to influence this world and the upper worlds. Therefore, when he curses his fellow, he harms him in this world and brings accusations against him in the upper worlds (Ḥinukh 231; Zohar III 85a).

The Sages said that included in the Torah prohibition of cursing a person, a person may not curse himself, as it is stated (Devarim 4:9): “Only take heed and guard your soul diligently” (Mishna Shevu’ot 35a; Gemara 36a). For even though he did not intend to harm himself, and his curse stemmed from his anger and frustration with himself, since he uttered the curse, he has brought danger upon himself. Likewise the Sages said (Berakhot 19a): “A person should never open his mouth to the Satan,” for “a covenant is made with the lips” (Mo’ed Katan 18a). That is, speech has power, and the Satan can use the words a person uttered to harm him. Likewise we learn from Yeshayahu (1:9-10): at first it is stated, “Had not the Lord of Hosts left us a small remnant, we would have been like Sedom, we would have resembled Amora,” and in the next verse the matter was already established: “Hear the word of the Lord, rulers of Sedom; give ear to the teaching of our God, people of Amora.” Likewise the Sages said (Zohar I 175a): “A person should never open his mouth to the Satan, because he takes that word and uses it to accuse above and below – all the more so if the word came out of the mouth of a sage or a tzaddik.”