Voices of WRJ: Ki Tavo

Parsha Ki Tavo focuses on the Israelites entering Canaan and reiterates the laws detailed elsewhere in Deuteronomy. As Adele Berlin writes in The Torah: a Women’s Commentary , “These laws…..aim to regulate society when Israel settles in Canaan.” Ki Tavo discusses ceremonies and the consequences of disobeying the laws. We see compassion extended towards those who are less fortunate, such as widows and children and the commandment to tithe the land, as well as to be grateful for the land and its bounty.

I have always connected to this portion and have written several D’Varim about it. Each time I return to it, I see it in a different light depending upon what is relevant in my life at the time. Once I chose to focus on the tithing and the care of the widows and children. In later years, my focus turned to how we each have the power to create blessings rather than curses.

In these COVID-19 times, I thought it would be difficult to see past the instinct to believe we have cursed ourselves into the scary and tragic situations of 2020. I quickly discovered that these passages, and inspirations from other authors, allowed me to find new ideas that relate to my drastically different current lifestyle.

Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, Ph.D., referring to the covenant as between the people of Israel as a whole, rather than each person, and God, writes “This mutual accountability requires that we are mindful of each other. We are not just a collection of individuals, our future also depends upon our capacity to live as a community.” Now more than perhaps any time in many of our lives, we are dependent on each other to respect and protect all of us - from wearing masks to reduce the spread of COVID to the fragile, to speaking out or recording the incident when we see racial injustice that threatens the lives of our fellow human beings. For indeed, if we act selfishly in these moments, we are putting a large percentage of our community at risk, bringing misfortune that will eventually affect us all.

From the “Seven Questions Asked Upon Entering the World to Come,” Rabbi Karen R Perolman reflects upon the inquiry “Did you live with hope?” as it relates to Moses and the Israelites wandering the desert. It is hope that is getting us through the days in this time of crisis. Hope for a vaccine, a treatment, that we will continue to be able to adapt to our new lifestyles and stay safe until those appear. Along with hope, we also must be able to find joy in our daily lives. In the “Curses” section of the parashah we find this passage: “because you would not serve the Eternal Your God in joy and gladness over an abundance of everything.” And, in truth, we do have an abundance. I have found joy in cooking new recipes for myself and my husband since we cannot go out to eat. I have an abundance of choices in the supermarket and am blessed to be able to keep a fully stocked fridge and pantry for whenever I am in the mood to try something different. My backyard also provides opportunities for joy and diversion. The number of living things that visit my yard as well as the new herbs and vegetables that we have planted are a continuous source of pleasure as they grow. We have put up a bird feeder and delight in watching the different species fly in and out and interact- what personalities they have! “Raising” butterflies has become another hobby - we have a little protective tent for them to keep them safe from the birds and Florida lizards. I am learning what plants to put inside to keep the caterpillars happy. It feels like a new miracle each time a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. Yes, joy and abundance can be found if we are willing to reinvent our lives temporarily.

Always the innovator, WRJ has also reinvented how we find joy in each other’s presence, through an amazing variation of on live programming - from conventions and services to virtual trips to Israel. Be sure to check out our monthly Online Events calendar in the Online Programming group on Yammer.

We are reinventing ways of being a community and  finding joy and abundance, like we must reinvent the covenant in each generation, according to our times and our interpretation of our Torah, as we turn it until we find just what we need within, each time we look with fresh eyes. 

Madi Hoesten serves as WRJ Vice President of Affiliate Services. She is an active member of Congregation Kol Tikvah Sisterhood in Parkland, FL, and is a Past President of WRJ Southeast District.