Leviticus 26:3

אִם־בְּחֻקֹּתַ֖י תֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְאֶת־מִצְוֺתַ֣י תִּשְׁמְר֔וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָֽם׃If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments…

Following this verse is a list of blessings if one follows the Torah, and curses if one does not. At first glance, one thing becomes clear. There are only a few blessings, as opposed to many, many curses. Torah, our Rabbis say, was written in the language of humanity, and not the language of God. Nowhere is that more apparent than in this list of blessings and curses. 

I don’t mean to disparage our remarkable intellectual capacities, but we don’t have to work hard for our minds to become anxious, or discouraged. Focusing on the good, in contrast, requires effort. The musician after a performance might hear dozens of compliments, and one critical remark. Despite the sheer number of compliments, that one critical remark will remain at the forefront of their mind unless they make an effort to review the many wonderful things said to them.

When blessed with health, friends, and the comforts of life, how quick we are to take them for granted. One negative idea, one discomfort, one curse so to speak will however become the focus of our thoughts. This list of blessings and curses is not only a warning that God cares about our actions, and that our actions have consequences. It’s a warning as to the way our minds work. The list of blessings is short, the list of curses is long. This is not because there really are more curses than blessings. It’s because we overlook our blessings. It’s a reminder that to see the goodness that surrounds us we have to make a conscious effort to do so.