Parashat Ki Tavo

Saturday 24 September 2016           Elul  14  5776

Parashat Ki Tavo                           by Rabbi Kalman Packouz (with some additions)
Deut. 26:1-29:9 (29:8 in TaNaCH); Isaiah 60:1-22; Rev. 21:10-27

This week's portion includes:
• Bringing to the Temple as an offering the first fruits of the Seven Species special to the Land of Israel,
• Declaration of tithes,
• the Almighty designating the Jewish people as His treasured people (Deut. 26:16 -19),
• the command to set up in the Jordan River and then
• on Mount Ebal large stones which had the Torah written upon them in 70 languages,
• the command to have a public ratification of the acceptance of the Law from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal;

Torah then sets forth the blessings for following the Law and the curses for not following it, and concludes with Moshe's final discourse. Verse 28:46 tells us the importance of serving the Almighty with "joy and a good heart." The last verse of the portion instructs us "You shall fulfil the words of this covenant and do them so that you will succeed in all that you do!"

In relating the consequences for not following the Almighty's commandments, the Torah states: "Your life shall hang in doubt before you, and you shall fear night and day, and you will not be sure of your livelihood" (Deut. 28:66).

What is the meaning of this verse? The Talmud (Menachos 103b) explains that the verse refers to the pain and suffering of worrying about the future. "Your life shall hang in doubt before you" refers to someone who does not own land and buys a year's supply of grain each year. Though he has grain for this year, he worries about next year.

The second level, "You shall fear night and day" refers to someone who buys grain once a week. He is in a worse situation; he has to find new grain every week.
The most severe level, "you will not be sure of your livelihood" refers to someone who has to buy bread every day. He constantly has something to worry about.

Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz, the former head of the famed Mir Yeshiva, frequently cited this statement of the Sages and pointed out that a person creates his own mental torture by his own thoughts.

• If you have enough food for today and you appreciate what you have, you are a fortunate person. You will live a happy life.
• If you keep worrying about the future, you will never have peace of mind.

Even if you have enough to eat for the entire year, you can easily destroy the quality of your life by keeping your mind focused on all that can go wrong next year.

Regardless of what will be next year, you are causing yourself suffering right now.
Learn to have mental self-discipline. Don't dwell on what you are missing unless it can lead to constructive planning. Why cause yourself unnecessary pain and anguish when you can choose to keep your thoughts on what you do have in the present? If you are a worrier, the best thing you can do for yourself is to train yourself to be the master of your thoughts. Even if you never gain complete control, whatever control you do have is a blessing!

Perhaps it is this that Yeshua referred to when He said in Luke 12:22-31
22  Then Yeshua said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your             body, what you will wear.
23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more      valuable you are than birds!
25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 "Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed      like one of these.
28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much              more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.
30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

There is indeed a lot to worry about in today’s fallen and materialistic world, especially when one is responsible for raising a young family. But, the Lord’s promise is that your heavenly Father knows what you need even before you ask! That does not infer that we do not make all our requests and supplications known to Him. It simply suggest that if our priority is to seek first the Kingdom of G-d and His righteousness, all these other needs will fall into place and His provision will be true!

I think that the Father is calling us to be warriors and not worriers!