This week’s Torah portion is Ki Tavo, Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8. By the way, this translation was taken from the Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh:
Chapter 26
1 When you enter the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your G-d will choose to establish His name. 3 You shall go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, "I acknowledge this day before the Lord your G-d that I have entered the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to assign us."
4 The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your G-d.
5 You shall then recite as follows before the Lord your G-d: "My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation. 6 The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. 7 We cried to the Lord, the G-d of our fathers, and the Lord heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. 8 The Lord freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, O Lord, have given me."
You shall leave it before the Lord your G-d and bow low before the Lord your G-d. 11 And you shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the Lord your G-d has bestowed upon you and your household.
To recap: when we enter the Land that the L-rd our G-d has given us, we shall plant and harvest and place the first fruits of our labor on the altar in the Temple and recite our history before G-d. It is a fascinating passage. Throughout the Torah we learn what to do, how to dress, what to use, what not to do… so many things about what happened in the Temple when it stood in Jerusalem long ago. But rarely does Scripture tell us what was said in the Sanctuary. This is one of those rare occasions.
And, what is it we are commanded to say? We’re told to tell our story, the story of our people, from Abraham, through the Exodus, to our aliyah to the Land. When offering our first fruits, we remember all those who came before us and all that they did… and all the miracles the L-rd has performed for us, to get us to where we are today. And, it is with that story of our people and our faith in mind that we thank G-d, share our bounty with others and enjoy, as G-d commands when verse 11 ends, “all the bounty that the Lord your G-d has bestowed upon you and your household.”
It is what G-d commanded us to do in ancient times, when the Temple stood. It remains a commandment for the Jewish people still.
The appropriate translation of the opening two words of the Torah portion, Ki Tavo, is “when you come…,” but the words can also be translated “when she comes…” so let’s consider the coming to power of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. She prevailed in the Kadima primary, defeating Shaul Mofaz (who announced his temporary retirement from politics) by 431 votes – 43% to 42%, with the balance split by Sheetrit and Dichter – and now heads the Kadima Party, replacing Ehud Olmert. She now has slightly more than 40 days to confirm the current coalition (getting all the current partners to remain in the government) or recruit other parties (Likud or Meretz - ?) to replace current coalition parties that may bolt (Shas or Labor - ?). She could form her government as early as Sunday’s cabinet meeting. She might fail for form a government within the allotted time, in which case a new nation election will be called for next March. And, during this process (which may last days, weeks or months), Ehud Olmert remains prime minister. The situation does fit these days before Rosh Hashanah when we contemplate change and renewal and turn to G-d for forgiveness and strength.
Let us all pray for Israel’s leaders, may G-d grant them wisdom and strength. And, may the miracle of our story, from G-d’s call to Abraham, to our teacher Moses, to our aliyah to this Land, serve them today as it has served us throughout the ages.
Shabbat Shalom!
Chapter 26
1 When you enter the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you as a heritage, and you possess it and settle in it, 2 you shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your G-d will choose to establish His name. 3 You shall go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, "I acknowledge this day before the Lord your G-d that I have entered the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to assign us."
4 The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your G-d.
5 You shall then recite as follows before the Lord your G-d: "My father was a fugitive Aramean. He went down to Egypt with meager numbers and sojourned there; but there he became a great and very populous nation. 6 The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us; they imposed heavy labor upon us. 7 We cried to the Lord, the G-d of our fathers, and the Lord heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. 8 The Lord freed us from Egypt by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm and awesome power, and by signs and portents. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 Wherefore I now bring the first fruits of the soil which You, O Lord, have given me."
You shall leave it before the Lord your G-d and bow low before the Lord your G-d. 11 And you shall enjoy, together with the Levite and the stranger in your midst, all the bounty that the Lord your G-d has bestowed upon you and your household.
To recap: when we enter the Land that the L-rd our G-d has given us, we shall plant and harvest and place the first fruits of our labor on the altar in the Temple and recite our history before G-d. It is a fascinating passage. Throughout the Torah we learn what to do, how to dress, what to use, what not to do… so many things about what happened in the Temple when it stood in Jerusalem long ago. But rarely does Scripture tell us what was said in the Sanctuary. This is one of those rare occasions.
And, what is it we are commanded to say? We’re told to tell our story, the story of our people, from Abraham, through the Exodus, to our aliyah to the Land. When offering our first fruits, we remember all those who came before us and all that they did… and all the miracles the L-rd has performed for us, to get us to where we are today. And, it is with that story of our people and our faith in mind that we thank G-d, share our bounty with others and enjoy, as G-d commands when verse 11 ends, “all the bounty that the Lord your G-d has bestowed upon you and your household.”
It is what G-d commanded us to do in ancient times, when the Temple stood. It remains a commandment for the Jewish people still.
The appropriate translation of the opening two words of the Torah portion, Ki Tavo, is “when you come…,” but the words can also be translated “when she comes…” so let’s consider the coming to power of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. She prevailed in the Kadima primary, defeating Shaul Mofaz (who announced his temporary retirement from politics) by 431 votes – 43% to 42%, with the balance split by Sheetrit and Dichter – and now heads the Kadima Party, replacing Ehud Olmert. She now has slightly more than 40 days to confirm the current coalition (getting all the current partners to remain in the government) or recruit other parties (Likud or Meretz - ?) to replace current coalition parties that may bolt (Shas or Labor - ?). She could form her government as early as Sunday’s cabinet meeting. She might fail for form a government within the allotted time, in which case a new nation election will be called for next March. And, during this process (which may last days, weeks or months), Ehud Olmert remains prime minister. The situation does fit these days before Rosh Hashanah when we contemplate change and renewal and turn to G-d for forgiveness and strength.
Let us all pray for Israel’s leaders, may G-d grant them wisdom and strength. And, may the miracle of our story, from G-d’s call to Abraham, to our teacher Moses, to our aliyah to this Land, serve them today as it has served us throughout the ages.
Shabbat Shalom!
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