Lest there be among you a man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turns away this day from Hashem our God… lest there be among you a root producing poison and wormwood.
English: “Lest there be among you a root producing poison and wormwood” — not only open rebellion, but a hidden root of inclination toward idolatry that can poison the whole community.
In context: The metaphor identifies the danger of a quiet inner disposition already present in someone’s heart. Even a single individual, family, or tribe whose heart turns away can become a source of bitter poison for the whole people.
Type of Learning
Custom (metaphor identifying hidden inner inclination as communal threat).
What Is Learned
The covenant addresses the inner disposition as well as the outer act; a hidden “root” can endanger the entire nation.