תהלים, פרק ק״ט, פסוק י״ח

A curse is not merely a fleeting word; it can become an inescapable reality that entirely consumes a wicked person. It wraps around them from the outside and seeps into the very core of their being, moving from the most external layers to the hidden depths of the body.

The primary approach among commentators is that the curse acts as a garment, completely enveloping the individual. Although described as an event that has already happened, this is actually a prophecy detailing the future consequences awaiting the wicked [אבן עזרא, מאירי]. This covering is not random. It is tailor-made, fitting the exact harm the person originally intended to inflict upon others [מלבי״ם]. Taking on this curse is also viewed as a deliberate choice. By casting off the yoke of holiness and blessing, the individual willfully dresses themselves in this destructive state [רש״י]. On a deeper conceptual level, this imagery connects to the biblical figure of Esau, who was born covered in hair like a garment. Surrounded by anger and strict judgment, he is seen as having absorbed the ancient curse of the Tree of Knowledge while still in the womb [אלשיך].

Once the curse covers the outside, it begins its inward invasion. It floods into the body in great abundance, much like water filling the stomach of a thirsty person taking a drink [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. The penetration then reaches its absolute deepest point, settling into the bones like oil. When oil is rubbed on the skin to soothe pain, its nature is to seep deeply and be absorbed into the bones themselves. In this same way, the curse permeates the inner organs and flesh [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Another perspective suggests that this does not refer to anointing oil at all, but rather to bodily fat, specifically representing the marrow hidden deep within the center of the bones [מאירי].

Beyond the narrative meaning of the curse, the sages derived a practical legal principle from this comparison between water entering the body and oil absorbing into the bones. They established the rule that anointing the body with oil is legally equivalent to drinking liquids or bathing. This principle holds special significance regarding the physical restrictions observed on the holy day of Yom Kippur [תורה תמימה].