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Home -> 5757 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5757

And you shall take of the first of every fruit of the ground….and you shall put it in a basket…and you shall come to the Kohen. (26:2,3)

The Torah begins the parsha with the details of the Bikkurim offering.  The Jew brought the first of his fruits to the Kohen, symbolically stating that he dedicated all that he had to the service of Hashem.  In the Mishnah Bikkurim 3:6, Chazal describe the pomp and joy that accompanied this offering.  “The wealthy would bring their fruits in baskets made of gold; the poor in baskets made of cane.”  The Kohen took not only the fruits, but also the baskets.  The Yerushalmi explains that the basket served an interesting function.  In the event the fruits became tamei, ritually unclean,…

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Home -> 5757 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5757

Then you shall call out and say….”An Arami tried to destroy my forefather…He descended to Egypt and sojourned there. (26:5,6)

The text of the pasuk implies that there is an integral relationship between the fact that Lavan attempted to destroy Yaakov and Yaakov’s subsequent descent to Egypt.  This does not seem to be consistent with the historical perspective as suggested in the Torah and commentaries.  Lavan the Arami was one tzarah, tormentor of Yaakov, and Pharaoh was another of Klal Yisrael’s persecutors.  The two do not seem however, to have any relationship. The Netziv offers a striking explanation.  Originally Klal Yisrael were to have remained in Aram with Lavan and his descendants for the duration of their four hundred year…

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Home -> 5757 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5757

These shall stand to bless the people on Har Gerizim…And these shall stand for the curse on Har Eival…and Zevulun… (27:12,13)

Prior to entering Eretz Yisrael, the Jews were to assemble at two mountains.  Hashem would enumerate twelve specific commandments, and Klal Yisrael would acknowledge the blessings to be provided for those who upheld these mitzvos, and the curses to befall those who spurned them.  Six shevatim, tribes, stood on Har Gerizim, the mountain selected for blessing, while six other tribes stood on Har Eival to acknowledge the curses.  The commentators explain why these twelve subjects were selected as the vehicles for the public affirmation of blessing and curse.  The consensus of opinon is that these are unique commandments that the…

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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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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

“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

“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

“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

“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 -> 5753 -> Ki Savo

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Savo, 5753

“And now, behold I have brought the first of the fruit of the land which you have given me, Hashem.” (26:10)

Chazal interpret the word v,guw and now,” as meaning “immediately”. Behold, with obvious joy I immediately come to share my fruits with Hashem. Is there any doubt that he is offering his fruits to Hashem? What chiddush, new idea, is he stating by emphasizing his prior ownership of the fruit? Horav Yosef N. Kornitzer, z.l., explains that clearly everything belongs to Hashem. Indeed, nothing which we give Hashem is ours; it really belongs to Him. Consequently, what portion of our own belongings do we personally possess in mitzvah performance? He offers the following response. We do not have possession of…

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