why no nechama after the tochacha -- my 2 cents

I want to add something to what I wrote last post. To review, Shu"T Radbaz (2:769) gives three reason why there are no pesukei nechama at the end of the toachaha in this week's parsha:

A)First answer is that there is nechama. His example is the pasuk גַּ֤ם כׇּל־חֳלִי֙ וְכׇל־מַכָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א כָת֔וּב בְּסֵ֖פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את יַעְלֵ֤ם ה׳ עָלֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּׁמְדָֽךְ׃ Although Rashi interprets יעלם – לשון עלייה, the Zohar interprets it as העלמה, i.e. Hashem will turn aside and ignore the punishments that might be deserved. As Radbaz notes, the pshat is certainly like Rashi (see Sifsei Chachamim who explains grammatically why Rashi is correct), but at least derech remez, we see that behind the scenes there is something positive going on.

B) It is the shem Havaya, the shem of rachamim, that appears throughout the tochacha. The fact that everything done is b'hashgachas Hashem and for our benefit in the nechama. The Chida similarly writes that the total # of letters that appear in the tochacha (I'll take his word for it) is 676, gematriya of רעות. The shem Havaya appears 26 times. 26x26=676. This is what tempers the effect of the tochacha.

C) The bris of the tochacha concludes not in our parsha, but continues in Netzavim. It is there that the pesukei nechama which conclude the discussion of the bris appear. This helps answer the question of why, even though there is a takana to read the tochacha at the end of the year because tachel shana v'kililoseha, we actually read it one shabbos before the end of the year and read Nitzavim next week. R' Tzadok haKohen explains that the blessings of the upcoming week come down to the world on the previous shabbos. Had we ended the year with tochacha, it is tochacha which would come down to the world for the week of Rosh haShana. We therefore insert a break, so that we have a shabbos in which bracha can come into the world for the upcoming week when we will celebrate R"H. According to Radbaz, the question is moot. Ki Tavo goes hand in hand with Nitzavim -- it is one kri'ah spread over two weeks.

On shaboos I saw that the Ohr haChaim also asks this same question as Radbaz and answers that the tochacha in Behukosai is written in the plural and directed at the community, the tzibur. Klal Yisrael as a whole is guaranteed nechama. Our parsha in written (mostly) in the singluar and is directed at the individual. There is no promise that any individual will in fact be granted nechama.

I would like to suggest my own answer to the Radbaz's question. Rashi alludes to Chazal's statement that the tochacha in Bechukosai was given directly by Hashem; the tochacha of Ki Tavo was given by Moshe himself. What Chazal mean by this requires explanation. Sefer Devarim was said by Moshe, but surely Moshe was giving over what was told to him by G-d. Whatever Chazal meant, bottom line is there is that difference.  The Dvar Hashem "digested" through Moshe is not the same as what is given in the other books.

I think this is why there is no nechama in our parsha. We read in the haftarah a few weeks ago (of Shoftim, Yeshyahu 51:12) אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם. Only Hashem can provide true consolation to the suffering endured by the Jewish people. As great as Moshe Rabeinu was, he was just a human being (a very holy human being, but still, a human being). He can be the conduit for tochacha, but he cannot give us true nechama. For that, we wait for Hashem alone.

Klal Yisrael has had enough tochacha the past two years. אנכי אנכי הוא מנחמכם. We are eagerly awaiting, and hope to see it this year.