Parshat Ki Tavo 2020

1Reading through the Tochacho in Ki Tavo always leaves me saddened and depressed, especially the pasuk that says the punishments not written in the Parsha are also coming. “Even the plagues and illnesses that are not written in this book will be brought by G-d upon you” (Ch28, v 61). Why will we receive these terrible punishments? The Torah provides several answers; “Because you will not have listened to the voice of G-d to observe his commandments”, and, “Because you did not serve G-d with joy and with a glad heart because you had it so good” (Ch 28 v45-47). And in next week’s Parsha Nitzavim “And all the nations will ask why did G-d destroy this people and their land? They will say it is because the people abandoned the covenant that was made between them and G-d when they left Egypt. And the people went and worshipped other gods. And G-d was angry and He threw them out of the land” (Ch29 v 23-27).

2The abovementioned covenant is found in our Parsha after the Tochacho; “These are the words of the covenant that G-d commanded Moshe to conclude with the children of Israel in the plains of Moav in addition to the covenant that was agreed to at Horeb (Mount Sinai)”.(Ch 28 v69)

3The placement of this Pasuk after the Tochacho leads one to conclude that the covenant included the Tochacho. However it would be hard to accept that the punishments were agreed upon. Lest you think the covenant was the blessing and curses and the affirmative responses by the people, the pasuk disavows you of that by stating that Moshe concluded the covenant. The blessings and curses were on the other side of the Jordan River and were supervised by Yehoshua.

4I believe that Moshe’s repeated call for the Jewish people that the land will be contingent and dependant on the keeping of the commandments represented The Covenant. The acceptance by the people was to come later both in the setting up of the stones upon entering into the land and in the ceremony on Grizim and Eival. It was Moshe who spoke for G-d and the people who responded in kind. The setting up of the stones with the commandments inscribed therein written by the scribes of the Children of Israel was the first step. These stones were monuments to our contingent entry into the land. The excruciating detailed Tochacho served as a notice; “entering the land of Israel is accepting the negative consequences of failure to keep G-d’s commandments. “

5These readings from the Torah are designed to happen during the Days of Judgment so as to be clear as to the benefits of keeping the commandments and the negatives associated with the failure to do so.

6Shabbat Shalom

7Dedicated to the memory of Joel Shulman ah’