Voices of WRJ: Parashat Ki Tavo

by Nancy Marcus This week's parashah is from the Book of D'varim (Words) and we read it during the month of Elul. It is divided into six parts. A brief overview shows us that the first part discusses the ceremonies for the first fruits of the harvest and the appropriate tithes to God. The second part presents the conclusion of the presentation of the laws. The third part describes ceremonies to be performed upon entering the Land. The fourth part gives us the consequences for obeying or disobeying the Covenant and is often referred to as the Blessings and the Curses. In the fifth part we are reminded of the terms of the Covenant between God and the Jewish people. In the final section we begin hearing Moses’ last speech to the people. This parashah is the preparation for us for the Holy Days. In some synagogues, the Shofar is blown during Elul as a wake up call. We must prepare ourselves for our forthcoming meeting with God. In the third part of this parashah, when the Israelites enter the Land, they are commanded to erect large stones and to inscribe on the stones all the teachings of Torah. These stones will serve as a constant reminder of the laws that are to govern the inhabitants’ daily lives. They present the rules for all who inhabit the Land: both the laws and the morality. These stones also physically define the Land and that the Israelites are now at home within the Land, and are no longer wanderers. They define the expectations that Adonai has for the people. They are a powerful reminder of both the past and future, of then and now. Today, in our lives, we are surrounded by signs. I was struck by the idea that when we build a new building we are quick to name it. When a new highway is built it is quickly named. There are signs that welcome us to new cities on our journeys. When we enter a different country, we are usually greeted by signs of welcome. The physicality of signs is an important part of our world today, just as those stones of long ago defined the Land. But what about places we enter that have no visible signs for us? What happens when you see an unfamiliar face at Shabbat services? Do you go over and strike up a conversation? Are you the welcome sign in your sisterhood and in your synagogue? Do we practice audacious hospitality in our spiritual homes? Do you represent those stones of the Promised Land? Must these stones be physical or can they become spiritual for us? Can we take the message of the stones and use it to create a pathway for us in our sisterhoods, pathways of welcome? And do we remember to thank God for all we have received? In the portion, we are reminded that we are to thank God, for Adonai took us out of slavery in Egypt and led us to the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey. The Israelites erected those stones with the messages of Adonai on them so that they had a visual reminder of all God had done for them. They had made a covenant with God. How are we living up to the Covenant today? As we go forward from today, let us be the first to welcome the newcomer among us as we also remember to thank Adonai for the gifts we have received. May we all go through Elul with a fresh perspective as we prepare for the New Year. May we go from strength to strength. May the stirring call of the Shofar rouse us from lethargy and move us forward together, because "We are Stronger Together." Nancy Marcus is a member of Women of Temple Bat Yahm (WTBY) in Newport Beach, CA. She is a WRJ Pacific District, WTBY, and Temple Bat Yahm Past President. She is the very proud mother of Rabbi Devorah Marcus and David Marcus. David and his wife Diana Stein have given her her new favorite role: Grandmother of Kaya Ruth, five months old.