Ki Tavo (Book of Deuteronomy)

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Torah Portion: Ki Tavo (Book of Deuteronomy) “You have affirmed this day that the Lord is your God, that you will walk in His ways, that you will observe His laws and commandments and rules, and that you will obey [God].” (Deut. 26:17) In the space of one simple verse, we learn the efficacy of religion is not in the word but in the deed. What does it mean to “walk in His ways”? In the Talmudic tractate Sotah, the ancient rabbis taught, “Just as God clothes the naked, you shall cloth the naked. The Holy One visited the sick; you should visit the sick. The Holy One comforted those who mourned; you should comfort those who mourn. The Holy One buried the dead; you should bury the dead.” Rabbi Bradley Artson notes, “As it unfolds in the Torah and in rabbinic writings, Torah insists on the fusion of the ritual and the ethical. That blend of moral sensitivity and ritual profundity meets in the mitzvah, the commanded deed.” Words of prayer that lie stillborn on one’s lips and ritual devoid of meaning are hardly an expression of God’s will. However, prayer and ritual that evoke ethical action are religion at its finest. Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel summed up this discussion by writing, “A Jew is asked to take a leap of action rather than a leap of thought. He is asked to surpass his needs, to do more than he understands in order to understand more than he does. In carrying out the word of the Torah he is ushered into the presence of spiritual meaning. Through the ecstasy of deeds he learns to be certain of the hereness of God. Right living is a way to right thinking.” Religion is a divine discipline to remind one of his/her responsibilities to humankind. It is the spark to ignite the latent spiritual presence of God within each human being; to move one beyond self-imposed limitations; to cause our actions to reflect the pathways of God. Rabbi Howard Siegel .

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Ki Tavo Nidhe Israel 2020
1 of 3 で ’ わ゙る D’var Torah Nidhe Israel Ki Tavo: “And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and dost possess it, and dwell therein;” (Deuteronomy 26:1). One of themes with which this week’s Torah portion Ki Tavo deals with is the relationship between God and the people of Israel as we read: “You have affirmed this day that the Lord is your, God, that you will walk in His ways, that you will observe His laws and commandments and rules, and that you will obey Him. And the Lord has affirmed this day that you are, as He promised you, His treasured people who shall observe all His commandments. (Deuteronomy 26:17-18) What does this mean? how is our relationship to God and what is God’s relationship with us. I loved William Norman Ewer’s jingle: “How odd Of God To choose The Jews” and then the Jewish response which goes as follows: “Not quite So odd – The Jews Chose God” There is no doubt that it was the Children of Israel who chose God as we can see from the words in Exodus 24:7 “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the hearing of the people; and they said: “All that the LORD hath spoken will we do, and obey.” It was without questioning that the Israelites accepted God’s words and instructions. However as we know no relationship can be one sided, and so God would have needed to accept us as people He can as it were work with and who can and would fulfil His commandments and He would thus in return be our partner.
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KI TEITZEI Our Torah
Torah following Ki Tavo. This is the end of KI TEITZEI our Torah. And this section deals not with KI TAVO the present, meaning the successful settling of the Land. It gazes into the future; the dis- tant future, the future that follows a long ALIYA-BY-ALIYA and successful sojourn in the Land. SEDRA SUMMARY 1st aliya (Devarim 26:1-11) When settled in the Land, bring your Rabbi Reuven first fruits as an offering. When Tradburks offered declare the following: My forefa- Director of thers descended to Egypt, were enslaved, RCA Israel Region called out and You redeemed them with a Our Parsha begins the conclusion of our strong arm, bringing them to this Land of Torah. The book of Devarim consists of milk and honey. And I am acknowledging Moshe’s long speech at the end of his life. that I have benefitted from all that, rejoic- His speech is crafted beautifully, a mag- ing in all the good I have been given. num opus of past, present and future. He This mitzvah of bikkurim, of first fruits, is began with a review of our history, includ- a rich one. But besides its own beauty, lies ing successes and failures and their lessons its significance in the narrative of Devarim. in the impending settling of the land. He In bikkurim, the successful farmer gives a then outlined what a Jewish society shall full throated expression of how fortunate look like; 170 mitzvot including ethical he is to be where he is. He stands on the monotheism in all its color, nation build- shoulders of our history.
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Ki Tavo 5773
Ki Tavo Ki Tavo, 18 Elul 5773 “Your Nation Are All Righteous” Harav Yosef Carmel In this week’s haftara , we find a famous and optimistic appraisal of our nation, which deserves a look as to what brings us such praise and what needs to be done to maintain it. “Your nation are all righteous; forever they will inherit the land” (Yeshaya 60:21). We will also look at it in connection with the once again, unfortunately, relevant issue of Anti-Semitic opposition to brit mila . This phenomenon reminds us of another famous pasuk – this one, from the end of Parashat Ki Teitzei : “Remember what Amalek did to you … he attacked from behind the necheshalim (stragglers)” (Devarim 25:17-18). There are two approaches in Chazal (Medrash Tannaim) as to who these stragglers were: those who strayed from the path of Hashem and were not under the protection of the divine cloud; those who had reservations about Hashem’s providence. The Tanchuma (Ki Teitzei 14) is more specific about the latter group and what befell them: Amalek would cut off the foreskins or Israel and throw them up to the sky, while saying: “Here is what you chose.” There are two important lessons to learn from these statements of Chazal : 1) The commandment to fight Amalek stems from the attack they made against Jews who were spiritually weak. 2) Whoever is not included in the mitzva of mila separates himself from the “divine cloud” – the protection of the Divine Presence. Thank G-d, the great majority of the Jewish community circumcises its baby boys.
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Parsha Ki Tavo Parshat Ki Tavo: First Fruits by Leiba Chaya David the Land of Israel Has Been Conquered and Di
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Ki Teitzei Ki Tavo
to observe Hashem’s commandments. KI TEITZEI Moshe emphasizes the fact that we as KI TAVO a people have chosen Hashem to be our Lord and similarly Hashem has chosen us to be his most special and treasured PARSHAT KI TAVO nation. SHORT SUMMARY The fourth aliyah describes a scene which will unfold later in the history of the people In the first aliyah of Parshat Ki Tavo as they make their way into the Land. They the Torah commands the people of must gather large stones when they cross Israel living in the land of Israel to bring the Jordan river and on these stones they their first fruits to the Beit Hamikdash. will engrave the entire Torah. This mitzvah is known as bikurim. This obligation applies only to fruit and The fifth aliyah describes a dramatic produce that is actually grown in the land scene that will also unfold when the of Israel: wheat, barley, dates figs, grapes, people of Israel forge ahead and enter pomegranates, and olives. When the their new Land. There they will proclaim Jew arrives in the Beit Hamikdash with blessings and curses on the Mountain of their bounty of fruit a beautiful ritual is Grizzim and the Mountain of Eval. Six observed in which the individual recites tribes were stationed on the top of each a precise text praising Hashem for the of the mountains and the tribe of Levi blessing of the Land and its gifts. with the Holy Ark stood between the two mountains. The aliyah concludes with the The second aliyah lays out the laws abundant blessing that the Israalites will concerning the different tithes that were receive in reward for their dedication and required to be given from one’s harvest.
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The Torah: a Women's Commentary
STUDY GUIDE The Torah: A Women’s Commentary Parashat Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8 Study Guide written by Carolyn Bricklin Dr. Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, Dr. D. Lisa Grant, and Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss, Ph.D., editors Rabbi Hara E. Person, series editor Parashat Ki Tavo Study Guide Themes Theme 1: When Blessings and Curses Abound Theme 2: Giving Thanks and Starting Over Introduction arashat Ki Tavo focuses on the Israelites’ entrance into the Promised Land: the P ceremonies they will follow once they arrive and then get settled, and the conse- quences of obeying or disobeying God’s laws in their new home. This parashah concludes the laws given in Deuteronomy 12–26, spelling out the blessings and curses that will follow, depending on how the Israelites fulfill their covenantal obligations. Moses calls upon the people to walk in God’s ways and observe God’s commandments (26:17) and reassures them of God’s promise to make Israel a treasured, holy people (26:18). At the end of the parashah, Moses’ last speech to the Israelites begins, which focuses on the wonders they have witnessed since fleeingE gypt. Once again, Moses recalls the events of the past in order to positively influence the people’s behavior in the future. This study guide will focus on two themes. In “When Blessings and Curses Abound,” participants will compare the equivalent section of the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 26, where gender plays a prominent role. The second theme, “Giving Thanks and Starting Over,” will explore the rituals assigned to the Israelites upon their entrance into the land, with attention given to the role women played in this ceremony.
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KI TEITZEI Bless G-D for All This Bounty
dates. You will eat and be satisfied and KI TEITZEI bless G-d for all this bounty. EIKEV There is a lot of love in this parsha. His love for us translates into giving us the Land. Later, we will see our love for ALIYA-BY-ALIYA Him is translated into our loyalty to the SEDRA SUMMARY mitzvot. Rabbi Reuven Besides the love, we are told to remem- Tradburks ber. Remember the manna. There was no Director of food in the desert. He fed you. Remember RCA Israel Region that. He provides your food. In the Land, it will look completely different to you. st 1 aliya (Devarim 7:12-8:10) The food grows on trees, wild wheat and On the heels of you keeping the barley. Who needs Him? Remember the mitzvot, G-d will keep His cove- manna and Who provides. nant with you. And love you. You will nd enjoy success: economic, health, military. 2 aliya (8:11-9:3) Be mindful Should you fear the nations in the Land, amidst all your success that you wondering how you will prevail over have not forgotten its Source. them, remember what G-d did in Egypt. Even after He has led you all these years, The signs, the wonders, the outstretched you are apt to say “all this success is my arm. He will do it to these nations too. doing”. Remember: He is the One Who When you enter the Land, remember the gives you this success, as an expression of manna in the desert. G-d relieved your the Brit he made with you.
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Torah Talk for Ki Tavo 5781 Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
Torah Talk for Ki Tavo 5781 Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8 Deut. 28:36 The LORD will drive you, and the king you have set over you, to a nation unknown to you or your fathers, where you shall serve other gods, of wood and stone. 37 You shall be a among all the peoples to which the [ ְל ַשׁ ֔ ָמּה ְל ָמ ָ֖שׁל וְ ִל ְשׁ ִני ָנ֑ה] consternation, a proverb, and a byword LORD will drive you. 1Kings 9:7 ~= 2Chr. 7:20 then I will sweep Israel off the land which I gave them; I will reject the ְל ָמ ָ֥שׁל ] House which I have consecrated to My name; and Israel shall become a proverb and a byword .among all peoples [וְ ִל ְשׁ ִני ָנ֖ה Jer. 24:9 I will make them a horror—an evil—to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and a .in all the places to which I banish them [ ְל ֶח ְר ָ֤פּה וּ ְל ָמ ָשׁל֙ ִל ְשׁ ִני ָנ֣ה וְ ִל ְק ָל ֔ ָלה] proverb, a byword and a curse Bernard Levinson, “Deuteronomy,” Jewish Study Bible 28.1–68: The consequences of obedience or disobedience: blessing or curse. The Mosaic covenant specifies a series of blessings and curses that follow upon national obedience or disobedience to the law. These are modeled after ancient Near Eastern state treaties, which spell out, at their conclusion, the consequences of breaching the treaty. This ch has several close parallels to the VTE, a Neo-Assyrian treaty dating to 672 BCE.
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Ki Tavo " in a Nutshell
Parshah Ki Tavo " In a Nutshell The Parshah in a Nutshell Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8 Moses instructs the people of Israel: When you enter the land that G-d is giving to you as your eternal heritage, and you settle it and cultivate it, bring the first-ripened fruits (bikkurim) of your orchard to the Holy Temple, and declare your gratitude for all that G-d has done for you. Our Parshah also includes the laws of the tithes given to the Levites and to the poor, and detailed instructions on how to proclaim the blessings and the curses on Mount Grizzim and Mount Ebal -- as discussed in the beginning of the Parshah of Re'ei. Moses reminds the people that they are G-d's chosen people, and that they, in turn, have chosen G-d. The latter part of Ki Tavo consists of the Tochachah ("Rebuke"). After listing the blessings with which G-d will reward the people when they follow the laws of the Torah, Moses gives a long, harsh account of the bad things -- illness, famine, poverty and exile -- that shall befall them if they abandon G-d's commandments. Moses concludes by telling the people that only today, forty years after their birth as a people, have they attained "a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear." Nutshell | Parshah in Depth | From the Chassidic Masters 1 Ki Tavo " Summary and Commentary www.Chabad.org declaration avowing his gratitude for all that G-d has "When you done for His people: come in to the Ki Tavo land," opens the And you shall speak and say before the L-rd your G- Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8 Parshah of Ki d: Summary and Commentary Tavo, "...You shall take of the An Arammian nomad was my father, and he went first of all the fruit of the land..
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