לך לך and the sensitivity of syntax
At the beginning of this week’s Parsha, Hashem tells Avram, as he is called at this point, that ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאור – I will bless those who bless you and those who curse you, I will curse.
Why does Hashem change around the order of the verbs – following ואברכה מברכיך, it should say ואאור מקללך, thereby keeping the syntax the same?
Firstly, the Vilna Gaon explains that a bracha given by an עשיר is going to be more generous than that of an עני, as he has the experience and comfort with which to issue such a ברכה. Conversely, an עני, who generally is perceived to suffer more, will likely give heavier curses than a wealthy man. Therefore, Hashem says ואברכה first with regards to ”מברכיך”, so that anyone who is blessing you should already be an עשיר at the point in time that he blesses you, so that the ברכה is maximised. However, when it comes to ”מקללך”, it only says that Hashem will curse him afterwards, so that at the time he curses Avram, he will still be an עשיר and the curse will be minimal!
Secondly,mine Kli Yakar explains that there is a concept of מחשבה כמעשה – that Hashem treats our thoughts as if they were acted upon. However, חז”ל point out that this is only with regards to our intended מצוות. With regards to our עבירות, Hashem doesn’t treat our negative thoughts as having been acted upon.
Therefore, ואברכה - ‘I will bless’, occurs even before a man is an actual מברך, even at the point that he thinks it. מה שאין כן with regard to the מקלל who will only receive the reciprocal curse from Hashem if he vocalises it. Therefore, אאור only comes after he is established as such!