Weekly Reading Insights

Ki Tavo 5762

Overview of the Weekly Reading: Ki Tavo
To be read on the Shabbat of 16 Elul 5762 (Aug.24)

Torah: Deut. 26:1-29:8
Haftorah: Isaiah 60 (6th of the Seven Haftorahs of Consolation)
Pirkei Avot: Chapter Three, (Chapter Two outside of Israel)

Stats: Ki Tavo contains 3 positive mitzvot and 3 prohibitive mitzvot. Among the Weekly Readings,
Ki Tavo
ranks 17 out of 54 in number of verses, 16 in number of words, and 15 in number of letters;
it is written on 233 lines in a Torah parchment scroll, 13 in overall length.

Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8) opens with the laws of bringing first fruits and tithes. The Jews are reminded that if they keep the commandments, G-d will reward them. The Jews are told that on the day they cross over the Jordan River into Israel, they should inscribe the Torah in 70 languages onto stones. The stones are to be brought to Mt. Eval and an altar is to be erected with sacrifices offered upon it. Certain tribes are to stand on Mt. Eval and some on Mt. Grizim. The Levites are to stand between the two mountains and announce the blessings and curses for fulfilling G-d's commandments or not. Moshe then makes a covenant between
G-d and the Jews, listing in detail the rewards for fulfilling G-d's will and the consequences for not doing so. Ki Tavo concludes with Moshe reminding the Jews of the miracles and victories wrought for them by G-d, and that by keeping this covenant, G-d will grant them success.


FROM THE CHASSIDIC REBBES (V:50-62/Ki Tavo )

"It shall come to pass, when you come into the land which the L-rd your G-d is giving you." (26:1)

The Jews' entrance into the land of Israel is symbolic of the soul's descent into the body and its being forced to live in the physical world. The Midrash teaches that the words "and it shall come to pass" are always used to denote something of great joy. Though the G-dly soul is saddened when it temporarily leaves its place under G-d's throne to dwell in a Jewish body for a certain number of years, it is a joyous occurrence, since the descent is to elevate the corporeal world through doing mitzvot.

Lubavitcher Rebbe (from L'Chaim #233)

 


FROM THE MASTERS OF KABBALAH (O:50-62/Ki Tavo)

Selected with permission from the five-volume English edition of Ohr HaChaim: the Torah Commentary of Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar, as translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk.
The holy Rabbi Chayim ben Moses Attar was born in Sale, Western Morocco, on the Atlantic in 1696. His immortal commentary on the Five Books Of Moses, Or Hachayim, was printed in Venice in 1741, while the author was on his way to the Holy Land. He acquired a reputation as a miracle worker, hence his title "the holy," although some apply this title only to his Torah commentary.

"Look down from you holy abode from heaven, etc." [26:15]

Why did Moses repeat his reference to heaven by calling it both "holy abode" as well as "heaven?" If all Moses had wanted was to tell us that G-d's abode is a holy place he should simply have written: "Look down from your holy abode heaven" without the additional word 'from.'

I believe that the Torah wants to make us privy to a secret, i.e. that G-d has prepared two distinct sources in the celestial spheres from which to exert His benevolent influence on mankind. One source is the reservoir of spiritual input into man, i.e. the source from which the holy souls are dispatched to inhabit our bodies. The other reservoir is that which provides us with physical goodness, i.e. the sustenance enabling His creatures to stay alive by means of food, etc.

In the language of the Zohar, the combination of these two are called zivug, coupling, pairing (as in marriage). This term is applicable whenever one of the two of the pair in question is active, i.e. provides the input, and the other is the recipient of that input.

According to our Kabbalists, the input of holy souls which used to originate from the celestial spheres has been interrupted ever since the day the Temple was destroyed, so that nowadays we receive input only from the source which provides the material goodness G-d has to offer. Moses, i.e. the Jewish farmer in our chapter, prays that G-d should provide the spiritual input, i.e. "from your holy abode." This input originates in the highest celestial region, hence the Torah describes that abode as holy.

Kabbalists have already revealed (Zohar volume two page 121) the difference between a level called kadosh, and the level in the celestial spheres called kodesh. The latter level is higher than the former as every intelligent student will appreciate.

The words "from the heavens," refer to the lower of the above-mentioned levels within the celestial spheres. The pairing, zivug, which results when the input originates only in the spheres called kadosh is inferior to that which results when the input from heaven includes input from the part known as kodesh. Concerning the first request, that G-d should provide input from the highest regions, the farmer asks that "Your people will be blessed," i.e. with sons and daughters whose souls originate in a holy abode. Concerning the heavenly input into our world of material blessings, i.e. food, the blessings originating in the sphere called heaven, the farmer asks the blessing for the earth on which the Israelite dwells (compare Ma'aser Sheni 5,13).


An essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter

(W:50-62/Ki Tavo)

Ki Tavo begins "And it will be, when you come to the Land which G-d is giving you" (Deut.26:1). The Midrash states that "the word 'vehaya'--''and it will be"--"always denotes joy." Coming to the Land of Israel is parallel to the soul's descent to the world, referred to as a journey from "the highest zenith to lowest nadir." Because this descent is G-d's Will, it must be that the descent is not an end in and of itself and definitely not a source of anguish. Rather, the soul's arrival to this world is actually a descent for the sake of a great ascent and thereby a truly joyous occasion.
"And you will rejoice in all the good which G-d gives you" (Deut.26:11). Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov explained that true joy comes from the good G-d gives us as a result of our own labor as opposed to that which others bequeath to us at no cost. One "kab" (a mishnaic measurement) from G-d is better than ten "kabs" from other people.
Afterwards, we are told that we will be punished because "you did not serve G-d with a happy and glad heart" (Deut. 28:47). Why are there such stringent punishments as famine and destruction for actually serving G-d, just without joy? The answer is that our happiness stimulates happiness Above which in turn cancels decrees against the Jews. Therefore, one who serves G-d out of joy will eliminate punishments for his sins, whereas one who lacks joy is defenseless against retribution. The bottom line: don't worry, be happy! Rabbi Yechiel Meir from Gustinin said that among the curses, no specific sin is mentioned for which we are punished except one: sadness. From this we learn that sadness is the greatest sin of all.
The Alter Rebbe himself read the Torah in his synagogue. One year, he was out of town for Shabbat Ki Tavo, and someone else substituted as Torah reader. The Rebbe's son (who later became the second Lubavitcher Rebbe) was at the time under Bar Mitzvah age. When he heard the curses read by the substitute reader, he became so distraught and heart-broken, they doubted if he could fast on Yom Kippur. He was asked, "But every year you hear this portion read, what is different this year?" The boy answered, "When Father reads, you don't hear the curses."
Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch HaCohen Kahn contrasted the intended curses of the evil Balaam to those said by Moses. Moses' curses were actually blessings. For example, "You will plant and work vineyards, and its wine you will not drink" (Deut.28:39) may be explained as meaning that there will be no Jewish drunkards. "And you will eat... the flesh of your sons and daughters" (Deut.28:53) can be interpreted that Jews will teach the laws of kashrut to their children and will therefore be permitted to eat from meat cooked in their kitchens.
As Elul is quickly drawing to a close, so is the year. Let's make best use of what remains of this special time for spiritual self-evaluation. Now, we are in the final countdown to Rosh Hashanah. It is taught that each of the last 12 days of the year (Elul 18-29; Aug. 26 -- Sept. 6) correspond to the 12 months of the ending year. On each of these consecutive days, we look into our "account books," and make a reckoning to determine if we served G-d to our maximum ability during the corresponding month, and how we need to improve in the future.

Shabbat Shalom,
Shaul

 


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