Parashat Ki Tavo

Parasha Ki Tavo    “When you enter in”                                                   e-d’rash   FFOZ
Deut. 26:1-29:9 (29:8 in TaNaCH); Isaiah 60:1-22; Rev. 21:10-27; Acts 16-18

Amos came and reduced all the commandments to one principle, as it is written [in Amos 5:4], “For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, ‘Seek Me that you may live.”’ To this Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak objected, saying, “[This can be understood as if it were saying,] ‘Seek Me by observing the whole Torah and live!’ [And that makes salvation dependent upon obeying all 613 commandments.] Instead, it is Habakkuk who came and reduced all the commandments to one principle, as it is written [in Habakkuk 2:4], ‘But the righteous will live by his faith.’” (b.Makkot 23b)

The Righteous will Live by Faith

The public curses of Deuteronomy 27 conclude with a final, all inclusive curse upon every sinner. “‘Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this Torah by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” (Deuteronomy 27:26)

A simple reading might suggest that a man who breaks a single commandment fails to confirm the Torah, and therefore is guilty of abrogating the whole of the commandments. Likewise, James the brother of the Master wrote, “For whoever keeps the whole Torah and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

Paul understands this one curse as the comprehensive “curse of the Torah.” It is the idea that a person who does not keep “all things written in the book of the Torah” is under a curse.

For as many as are of the works of the Torah are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Torah, to perform them…” (Galatians 3:10 quoting Deuteronomy 27:26)

Sadly, this passage of Galatians is commonly misinterpreted to mean that if a person begins to observe commandments of Torah, that he falls from grace and places himself back under ‘the curse of the law.’ That is not at all what the Apostle was trying to communicate to us.

Paul’s actual point is simple. Violation of the Torah is a sin and the wages of sin are death. The death which the apostle speaks of is not death in this life, but eternal condemnation.

Paul interprets Leviticus 18:5 the same way in Galatians 3. He points out that according to his theological opponents, the hope of eternal life is not based upon faith; rather it is based upon an assumption of reward earned by keeping the commandments.

He writes, “The Torah is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live [eternally] by them.’” (Galatians 3:12 quoting Leviticus 18:5) Paul argues that eternal life is attainable only through faith, and he quotes a text from Habakkuk to prove it. Again, he reads the word ‘live’ to mean eternal life.

He writes, “Now that no one is justified by the Torah before God is evident; for, “The Righteous Man shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11 quoting Habakkuk 2:4)

The faith to which Paul points is faith in Yeshua’s atoning sacrifice.

Paul’s point is clear: if only those who have never transgressed the Torah’s commandments are received as covenant members, then surely no one would be received. Everyone has acted in wilful rebellion against God, and thus everyone deserves the covenant curses of being cut off.

But the Scriptures teach that right-standing before God is not obtained through obedience to the Torah, but through faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

Thus, the Torah does not produce faith; on the contrary, the one who practices Torah demonstrates that he already has faith (Leviticus 18:5).

It is not obedience to Torah that can overcome the penalty of the curses, but rather the curses of the Torah were taken from us and placed on Yeshua as our substitute

Baruch HaShem! Thank You, Lord!