Ki Tavo; Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8 By Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week’s torah portion, Ki Tavo brings great joy with it! This week details many important mitzvot connected with the Land of Israel and the fulfillment of the covenantal promise by God to the Israelite. It describes a special ceremony at the foot of Mt. Gezerim and Mt. Ebal where the twelve tribes affirm their commitment to the covenant. It makes clear that the Children of Israel will cross over from the wilderness of the Plains of Moab into the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. What hope! What joy as the journey will soon be complete!

This portion must be read on many levels. Of course in the linear story of the Israelites freed from slavery in Egypt, this chapter is part of Moses’ exhortations to the Children of Israel in his final days. But this portion can be read beyond time! Only six weeks ago, the Jewish people observed Tisha B’av, the ninth of Av, that marks the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. In each case we, the Jewish people, were cast into exile. The first time in 586 BCE by the Babylonians and their king, Nebuchadnezzar and then we were exiled again in the year 70 CE by the Roman army. Jewish sovereignty and power was diminished and defeated. In these weeks following we continue to mourn our fate trying to understand how God’s covenant could have seemingly been withdrawn. According to the Talmud the first Temple, Solomon’s temple was destroyed because idolatry had crept into Jewish practice. The Second Temple, according to the Talmud was destroyed because of the sin of Sinat Chinam, wanton hatred of Jew against Jew. Each week following there are special Haftarot that articulate our pain of loss and exile and our hope for a renewed covenant with God.

Yet, we as we read this portion we have hope that all will not be lost forever. We will again cross into the Promised Land. “When you enter the land that Adonai your God is giving you as a heritage….” (Deut. 26:1). Just hearing those words read aloud reminds us that we can be restored and our people can be restored in the land! This portion helped us keep faith through more than 2000 years that the covenantal promise of Eretz Yisrael could be real. But even deeper than land itself, the covenantal promise of a restored and healed relationship with the Holy One is possible. The text outlines the various ceremonies that affirm that sacred relationship with the Divine but on a deeper level remind us as we zoom toward a new year that teshuvah, repentance must be on our minds and in our actions. If we truly want to heal our relationship with God and others then true and honest repentance of our errors and sins must be part of the formula.

As we approach both the Promised Land in this week’s portion and the Promised Land of a New Year we pray that a new beginning is soon upon us all and that the joy and blessing of starting over brings a renewed and refreshed energy and hope in the days and weeks ahead.