Overview of the Weekly Reading: Ki
Tavo
To be read on 20 Elul 5765 (Sept. 24)
Torah: Deut. 26:1-29:8
Haftorah: Isaiah 60 (6th of the Seven Haftorahs of Consolation)
Pirkei Avot Chapter 3-4
Ki Tavo is the 7th Reading out of 11 in Deut.
and 50th overall, and 13th out of 54 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 MASTERS OF
KABBALA (K:50-65/Ki
Tavo)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:50-65/Ki Tavo)
Jacob was adorned with his sons [the 12 combinations of the Holy
Name], as we have explained, because he is [the physical manifestation]
of that tree [Zeir Anpin], and all bonding in faith depends on him.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy Ari,
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed (A:50-65/Ki
Tavo)
But in the case of the ten evil sefirot, the holy life force cannot
be absorbed inside them, for the holy does not mix with the profane. Rather,
it hovers above them and enlivens them from afar. Therefore their number
is eleven.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shlah
(S:50-65/Ki
Tavo)
Actually, the purpose of the Creation was the Torah, which would
provide the means by which mankind could successfully exist on earth and
which in turn mankind or Israel respectively were meant to observe.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V:50-65/Ki
Tavo)
"I have not transgressed any of your commandments neither have
I forgotten." (26:13).
Why were two such similar statements necessary? To teach us that it
is possible to fulfill a commandment and at the same time forget it.
This happens when one fulfills it without intent-while the mind is focused
on other things.
(Sfat Emet) (from L'chaim #786)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
MOSHIACH THIS WEEK
(M:50-65/Ki
Tavo)
"It shall be, when you come into the land...and you shall take
of all the fruit of the earth...and put it in a basket... and you shall
go to the priest." (Deut. 26:1-3)
Fourteen years elapsed after the Jewish people entered the land of Israel
until they were able to fulfill the second half of the verse -- the bringing
of their first fruits to Jerusalem. Seven years were spent in conquering
the entire land from its inhabitants; seven more years were spent dividing
the land among the 12 tribes.
Our generation, which will very soon enter the promised land with the
coming of Moshiach, will not need to wait any period of time before we
are able to bring our first fruits to the Holy Temple. Not only will there
be no need to conquer and distribute the land, but the fruits themselves
will grow with such rapidity that their harvesting will take place simultaneously
with their planting.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
[Reprinted with permission from L'Chaim Magazine (www.lchaim.org).]
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here) (W:50-65/Ki
Tavo)
Parshat Ki Tavo begins with a detailed discussion of "bikurim",
the offerings of first fruits, whose purpose is to express our thankfulness
to G-d for the abundance He bestows upon us. This initial section ends
with the verse (26/11), 'And you will be happy with all of the good that
G-d your Lord gave to you'.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe expounds on this verse: A Jew must always be happy!
The Baal Shem Tov (whose birthday is this Thursday, the 18th day of Elul)
would say that a Jew is able to be happy simply because he has been given
the mission to be a servant of G-d. King David in his Psalms said, "Serve
G-d with happiness!" And since the entire essence of a Jew is to
serve G-d, to be a shining example for the world, a Jew must always be
happy!
While this applies to every commandment, there are certain areas where
the Torah particularly emphasizes the importance of happiness. One of
these is bikurim. The commandment of bikurim is fulfilled
through taking from the very best of the first fruits produced and bringing
them as an offering to G-d in the Temple (later to be eaten by the priests).
Since the Temple's destruction, we have not been able to fulfill the mitzvah
of bikurim, by actually bringing first fruits. Nevertheless, its
underlying message is incumbent upon us to express in our day to day life
even today.
We see how to apply this via the text itself: "When you come to the
Land that G-d your Lord gave to you", means that, first, you must
realize that wherever you go, whatever situation in which you find yourself,
it is because G-d brought you there to purify and elevate that place with
your Jewish-ness! This is true even outside of the Land of Israel, since
the great Chassidic Rebbes taught us, 'Make Israel here' (i.e. wherever
you are)!
How can we do this? The verses continue, "And you should take from
the first fruits of the land"; this implies that the offering for
G-d has to come from our "first", the best of our time and ability.
This is how a Jew demonstrates his appreciation to G-d for the "land"
and its abundance. We begin our day with putting on tefillin, and
prayer and Torah study, and only afterwards do we turn to our other business
activities (this is true for rabbis as well as lawyers and doctors); it
is then that we will see G-d's blessings.
All of this must be accompanied by great happiness, not just in our individual
successes, but an all encompassing happiness just because as Jews we merit
to serve our Creator. This overflows to all of our activities, even things
not obviously connected with our spiritual lives. For this reason we always
read the portion Ki Tavo just before the High Holidays, because this will
be a guarantee that the Almighty will also sign and seal us for a good
and sweet year, a year of redemption and true happiness.
On the same verse the 'Tiferet Shlomo' says something very much to the
point: When you get a gift from the King, the gift is not as important
as the fact that it came from the King. This is what the verse is telling
us-you are happy with all of the good, that G-d, your Lord gave to you.
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
P.S. Please also read my weekly Shabbat Law, below.)
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For all our insights for this parsha:
|