And the curse if you do not listen (11:27-28). (Good things – see)
Everything depends on listening. If a person does not hear, he may turn light into darkness, good into evil, and sweet into bitter. It was the case of a shepherd who would shepherd his sheep outside the city, and his wife would bring him his food at the sixth hour. Once his wife fell ill and did not come. The seventh and eighth hour came, and hunger troubled him. The shepherd thought of going home, but who could abandon his flock? He lifted up his eyes and saw a man reaping hay. He turned to him and said to him, "Watch over the flock with your kindness until I return, and I will give you Doron in your reward." The reaper was deaf, and he thought that the shepherd was asking him for hay for his flock. He said to him, "Go away from me, for I have five sheep in my house, and for them I reap the hay." And he motioned with his hand to leave him. But this shepherd was also deaf, and did not hear what he had been told. He saw only the movement of the reaper's hand, and understood that he had told him to go home for life and peace, and that he should not worry about his flock, for the reaper would keep his eye on him. The shepherd went home, ate and drank, returned to his flock, and found a single sheep not missing, the shepherd understood that the reaper had kept his promise. And he decided to pay him as his reward. He thought, what would he give him for an hour of guarding, to give him a whole sheep, for it was too much. He decided to present him with one sheep, which was limping on its leg. The sheep disturbed the herd as he walked, but in the reaper's house it was a precious treasure. He carried the sheep in his hands and placed it in front of the reaper, and his mouth was full of gratitude and praise. The reaper thought, "This must have come to accuse me of breaking the leg of his sheep. And he demands that I pay the damage," he immediately cried out in a loud voice, "I did not approach the flock, nor did I touch the sheep, why would you make a false libel against me?" She pushed at him and said, "Don't look at Moma, for she is fat and gives a lot of milk. If you slaughter it, you will have plenty of meat." The reaper realized that the shepherd was insisting on his demand. His nose was angry with him and struck him on the cheek. The two began to quarrel and beat each other.
And behold, a man was walking in the desert on foot, and he saw a stray horse walking towards him. He got on the horse and rode on his way. He was still riding, and behold, he saw two men quarreling and fighting. They both ran to him and grabbed the horse's bridle, and began to argue their arguments in his ears. The one shouted, "I swear I did not touch his sheep," and the other cried out, "I brought a gift and I received a slap." But alas, the horse rider was also deaf, And he thought they were both accusing him of stealing the horse! He immediately abandoned the horse and fled on his feet. The two thought, "The man must have run to the governor to accuse us of robbery," the two hurried and fled, and if they were not dead, they are still hiding to this day.
Regarding this, the verse says (Isaiah 55:3), "Turn your ears and go to Me, hear, and your soul will live, and I will make for you an everlasting covenant, David's faithful kindness," because the main thing is hearing! Just as the study of Torah depends on hearing the ear, so the evil inclination tries to interfere with it and prevent it, and uses all its powers for this purpose.
