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At the end of Moshe’s warning to Klal Yisrael not to stray from the Torah, he adds, “הֵשִׁ֣יב בְּךָ֗ אֵ֚ת כָל־מַדְוֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגֹ֖רְתָּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם“, “Heishiv Bach Et Kol Madveih Mitzrayim Asher Yagorta Mipineihem,” “He will back upon you all the sufferings of Egypt before which you were terrified” (Devarim 28:60). But why is Hashem compelled to add that Bnei Yisrael were terrified?
The simple understanding is that if Bnei Yisrael doesn’t adhere to the laws set down in the Torah, they will suffer the same fate as the Mitzrim. Rashi asks on the Pasuk why it refers to the Makot as things Bnei Yisrael were afraid of. Of course they were scared of the Makot! Bnei Yisrael had seen the Makot with their own eyes! Rashi answers that this is just common sense, as you wouldn’t threaten somebody with something they aren’t afraid of.
The Ha’Amek Davar provides a different answer: they were scared of the sicknesses that they had witnessed in Mitzrayim. Moreover, Bnei Yisrael were nervous that what they had seen could happen in Eretz Yisrael. HaKadosh Baruch Hu assured them by promising safety from those illnesses, but only if they didn’t stray from the Torah. The Bechor Shor suggests that just as it was done for you to the Mitzrim as a punishment to them, it’ll be done to you as a punishment. Because they had seen those illnesses firsthand, the warning resonated with them that much more.
This can be applied to our lives in Chutz La’Aretz as well. With the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah right around the corner, this Pasuk serves as an important reminder of the punishments we might face as consequences of our Aveirot, those being ones we are afraid of. However, with the proper Teshuvah, Hashem will do his part and keep us safe from any suffering we might fear.