The total number of curses enumerated is oddly listed in Midrash as being 'one hundred less two'. 

The Kli Yakar explains this anomaly by observing that there are ninety-eight curses clearly defined among the verses, and two that are not exactly described.

Also, the Lord will bring upon you every disease and plague that are, לא כתוב — not written in this ספר תורה —Torah scroll, to destroy you.  (דברים כח סא)

The nature of the disease and plague is not specified, in contrast with the other ninety-eight consequences which are clearly detailed.

Why is this significant?

More intriguing is the Torah depicting these troubles as 'not being written in the Torah'. Is a general allusion, and a warning, to an undescribed affliction any worse than the threat of ones which are known?

Rav Mottel Pogramonsky, a remarkable Lithuanian Torah scholar, fiery personality, and legendary influencer during the war years, who inspired many students of Torah, through his impassioned shmuessen, to maintain their steadfast adherence to Torah study and faith in those most challenging of times.

One day he entered the Bais Medrash of Telshe — which had been relocated to the town of Shidlova due to the war, which was filled with students who, despite the dark clouds hovering over them, were deeply engaged in learning — feeling compelled to share a thought that had just occurred to him.

There had recently been reports of horrible and unimaginable cruelty the Nazis were foisting upon the Jews, and the sense of seeming impending doom for the entire Jewish nation was palpable.

He began by quoting this very verse pondering the implication of its assertion that these punishments are ones not 'written in the Torah'. Firstly, he posed, now that it is mentioned here, isn't that now in effect recorded for posterity in the Torah?  

He then explained that this notion of curses 'written in the Sefer Torah' is emphasizing that anything that becomes part and parcel of the 'written word' — is Torah itself. 

Torah is eternal and the curses enumerated in the Torah intended to draw our attention back to serving G-d are guaranteed to succeed in bringing us back and the Jewish nation to survive. We will have to endure suffering but are equally assured we will continue for eternity.

However, when we face unbearable suffering which impends our total eradication as a nation — that cannot be categorized as 'Torah'. G-d has assured us He will never abolish us. He went on to assure them that when our enemies seem to be near bringing us to extinction, that is the greatest evidence that their end is inevitable and hopefully near! 

I discovered in the Sefer Tikkun Olam — authored by Rav Alter Chaim Levinson, a prominent pre-war rabbinic figure and communal activist who devoted himself tirelessly in promoting the honor of Hashem, who studied in his youth under the famed Reb Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin, and rubbed shoulders with the greatest spiritual figures of his time — a penetrating and eye-opening explanation of this verse that takes Rav Pogromonsky's yesod a giant step further. 

He quotes this idea as he heard it from חכם אחד — one wise man.

This Sage opened with the query as to why is the nature of the disease and affliction left vague?

He then went on to describe the challenges of his times. The pursuit of all sorts of pleasures that became available to the masses, going on to discuss theaters, entertainment, the indulging in every new fad and taste. He also notes being enamored with fashionable and expensive clothing. May I note that this was in the early twentieth century, the 20's and the 30's.

With the acquiring of their wants, they continued to pursue something new and exciting. With each new conquest they thirsted for more in an endless cycle of satisfying their current desires but never truly satisfied. 

It is for this reason the Torah lacked a description for this ailment, firstly, since it was endless in its infectious pursuit of empty and new distractions, and secondly, because it was not devised by G-d, but rather an invention of a disease of man's own making.

When the Torah outlines its prescription of punishments as a cure for our sins, it is the written truth of Torah, guaranteed to bring about the truth of its message, wooing us back to embrace G-d through a process of punishment and repentance.

But when the malady is produced in the labs of human weakness that seek to placate our thirst for spirituality and authenticity, through artificial 'pills' that mimic satiation, the Torah provides no course. 

Only man alone can stop this epidemic by waking up to reality, leaving behind his illusory world of pleasures.  

Inevitably G-d will save us as He promised we would never be totally wiped out. We can wait for the Moshiach who in an instant will reveal the true reality of life we refused to see. Or we can awaken on our own and save ourselves from this painful disease. 

The Talmud relates that initially the noblemen of Rome would keep an image imprinted on a seal by their beds and copulate opposite that image, so that they would beget children of similar beauty. After the destruction of the Temple, they would bring Jewish children, tie them to the foot of their beds, and copulate across from them, because they were so handsome, hoping it would produce a child of similar beauty.

It is related that it once happened that they did this to two children, and one of them said to the other: Where is this affliction written in the Torah? The other said to him: As it is written: “Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this Torah” The first one said: How far am I in my studies from this, i.e., how much more would I have had to learn in order to reach this verse? The other said: Had you gone on one and a half columns, you would have reached this. The first child said to the other: Had I reached this verse, I would not have needed you, as I would have known on my own that the verse was speaking about this.

The Romans saw the world in its most superficial sense — as a place of pleasure and personal opportunity. They see beautiful Jewish children, foolishly thinking they possess great genes, and it has nothing to do with their inner radiance and inspired souls, living a life of purity and deepest values. These beasts of instincts, crassly 'tie' these children to their beds — representing their most carnal instincts, treating these pure souls like inanimate objects to gratify their shallow desires. (גיטין נח.) 

Despite being degraded and exposed to such a shameless act, they maintain their dignity seeing their status as a fulfilment of the Torah's description of what we might have to endure as a nation. 

His dear friend not having yet reached that verse, nevertheless instinctively understood his mission to preserve his nobility, and proudly — not arrogantly — assures his friend that even without the verse's intended encouragement, he knew to remain mindful of his elevated stature, even in this most depraved moment of exposure.

In the illusory world of desires and wants, the crazed drive for new innovations of craving and satisfaction, the path to oblivion is inevitable. This is the planet the nation of Edom and its cohorts occupy and are quickly heading towards the cliff and doom.  

We can still wake up, reminding ourselves of the beauty within us, that was breathed into our nostrils at Creation from G-d Himself, and slough off our wanton desires.

The Baal HaTurim says we blow one hundred sounds of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana to ward off the one hundred curses enumerated in the Admonition.

It is time to wake up to the music. It is time to wake up to reality. 

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן