Sotah

R. Judah b. Nahmani, the lecturer  of Simeon b. Lakish, expounded: The whole section [of the blessings and curses] refers to none other than the adulterer and adulteress. [It states,] Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image etc.  Does it suffice merely to pronounce cursed with such a person!  — But it alludes to one who has immoral intercourse, and begets a son who goes to live among heathens  and worships idols; cursed be the father and mother of this man since they were the cause of his sinning. Our Rabbis taught: Thou shalt set the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse etc.  What is the purpose of this text? If it is to teach that the blessing [is to be pronounced] on Mount Gerizim and the curse on mount Ebal, it has already been said: These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people,  and it continues, And these shall stand upon mount Ebal for the curse!  But [the purpose is to indicate] that the blessing must precede the curse. It is possible to think that all the blessings must precede the curses; therefore the text states 'blessing' and 'curse, I.e., one blessing precedes a curse and all the blessings do not precede the curses. A further purpose is to draw a comparison between blessing and curse to tell us that as the curse is pronounced by the Levites so the blessing must be pronounced by the Levites; as the curse is uttered in a loud voice so must the blessing be uttered in a loud voice; as the curse is said in the holy tongue  so must the blessing be said in the holy tongue; as the curse is in general and particular terms so must the blessing be in general and particular terms; and as with the curse both parties respond with Amen so with the blessing both parties respond with Amen. MISHNAH. HOW WAS THE PRIESTLY BENEDICTION [PRONOUNCED]? IN THE PROVINCE  IT WAS SAID AS THREE BLESSINGS,  BUT IN THE TEMPLE AS ONE BLESSING.  IN THE TEMPLE THE NAME WAS UTTERED