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Home -> 5756 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5756

“Because you did not serve Hashem, your G-d, amid gladness and goodness of heart, when everything was abundant.” (28:47)

The Torah emphasizes that the underlying reason Klal Yisrael fell prey to the many curses that Moshe enumerated was their lack of joy in mitzvah observance. This is enigmatic! Imagine that one is careful to observe the mitzvos, even punctilious in their observance. Yet, if he lacks “gladness of heart” in performing the mitzvos, he might be subjected to terrible curses. Is this right? Horav M.D. Soloveitchik, Shlita, distinguishes between two types of sin. The first is represented by the sinner who transgresses and is remorseful about it. He is aware that he did something wrong, that he fell into…

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Home -> 5756 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5756

“You will go mad from the sight of your eyes that you will see.” (28:33)

Rav Akiva Eiger, zl, interprets “your eyes,” as alluding to the “eyes” of the nation, the spiritual leadership of Klal Yisrael. Hence, the curse is that we will be dumbfounded by the behavior and the rhetoric which will emanate from some of our people’s own leadership. The mar’ei einecha, image, presented by these “leaders” will be humiliating and degrading. They will act in a manner unbecoming a Torah Jew, let alone a spiritual leader. This is our thrice daily prayer to Hashem “Return (to us) our judges as before,” we pray to Hashem that our leaders be worthy of their…

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Home -> 5756 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5756

“And you will grope at midday, as a blind man gropes in the darkness.” (28:29)

In the Talmud Megillah 24b Chazal offer a profound insight into this pasuk. They question whether a blind man discerns day from night. They recount that Rabbi Yosi had an experience that provided him with an answer to this question. He once met a blind man walking in the dark, holding a torch. “Of what use is the torch to you?” asked Rabbi Yosi of the blind man. He replied, “When the torch is in my hand, people see me and keep me from falling into the pits.” Rabbi Yosi then understood the pasuk’s message. It predicts a time when…

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Home -> 5756 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5756

“And you do not turn away… right or left to follow gods of others and to worship them.” (28:14)

There seems to be an inconsistency in the Torah‘s text. The pasuk begins by admonishing us not to turn away from Hashem ever so slightly to the right or to the left. Immediately following this statement, the Torah concludes its admonition by saying “to follow gods of others.” To whom are we referring? All that these individuals did was to turn “aside” briefly and indulge themselves. Is this considered full-blown idol-worship? Sforno interprets “to follow gods of others” as being a reference to one who performs mitzvos by rote, out of habit, or as a response to peer pressure. He…

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Home -> 5756 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5756

“It shall be that when you cross the Yarden you shall erect these stones…” (27:4)

The two mountains clearly symbolize the concept of life and death, good and evil, for the people. Har Gerizim in full bloom, the symbol of viridity and life, stood in stark contrast to the barren peak of Har Eival, the symbol of desolation and death. The tribes were split into two groups, each taking its position on one of the mountains. The tribes listened to the choices, the blessings and curses, the consequences of good and evil. The people’s acceptance and affirmation of Hashem’s doctrine was, essentially, a renewal of their acceptance of the Torah on Har Sinai. Horav Eli…

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Home -> 5756 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5756

“It will be when you enter the land… and you shall take of the first fruit of the ground.” (26:1,2)

The parsha begins with the laws of Bikkurim. It is juxtaposed upon the previous parsha of Amalek, in which we are enjoined to blot out forever the name of our archenemy, Amalek. Is there a relationship between these two parshios? Can we glean a message from the juxtaposition? Horav Avraham Weinberg, zl, who distinguished himself as a student of the Avnei Nezer, posits that there is a serious connection between the two. In fact, Amalek battled to destroy the basic doctrine of Bikkurim. What is the message of Bikkurim? In order to answer this basic question, Horav Weinberg addresses the…

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