Ki Tavo -- 5774

Where do fruits and vegetables come from?  The grocery store.

That’s what many of today’s youngsters think, removed as they are from farms, orchards, and gardens.

The ancient Jew was under no such misconception.  He or she lived far closer to the land than we do, and regularly followed the commandment to “take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from your land that your God is giving you, put it in a basket,” and bring it to the Temple (Deuteronomy 26:2).  “The priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down in front of the altar of your God” (26:4).



We reap what we sow.  We live with the results of our actions in the world.

These are the days of tshuvah, of reflection, repentance, and transformation.  These are the days to consider what you’ve sown in the world:  how you’ve spent your time, how you’ve treated others, how you’ve treated yourself.  What connections do you see, whether positive or negative, between your behavior and the life you’re leading?

On Rosh Hashanah, we will bring our harvest to God – that is, we will bring our entire beings: the fullness, the yearnings, the fears, the joys, the passions.  We will bare our souls, for they are what we have to show for the year now concluding.  And we will take responsibility for the people we have become.

These are the days of tshuvah.

Ki Teitzei -- 5774

Stop and go.  The Torah advises both approaches when making a decision.

Early in Parshat Ki Teitzei, we are told to stop.  When an Israelite warrior captures a foreign woman and wishes to make her his wife, he must allow her a month’s time to lament her parents before marrying her.  If, at the end of the month, if “you no longer want her, you must release her outright” (Deuteronomy 21:14).  The immorality of indentured wives notwithstanding, the Torah recognizes that lust can cause us to act in harmful ways.

Lust, greed, jealousy and pride, among others, are powerful human forces.  While they can sometimes bring good, they often bring hurt.  If the driving force behind our action is one of these, we’re well advised to pause and let the moment pass before something irrevocable happens and lives are damaged.

On the other hand, sometimes we must act in the moment.  “When you make a vow to the Eternal your God, do not put off fulfilling it, for the Eternal your God will require it of you” (Deuteronomy 23:22).  When we make commitments, whether to God, to another human being, or to ourselves, we should rush to fulfill them.  Similarly, when we desire to do something good – to help another, to give tzedakah, to live up to our potential – we shouldn’t put it off.  The moment may pass and our opportunity to do the right thing may disappear along with it.  The world is, as a result, a little bit worse off.

Our society is all about instant gratification.  Banks, pharmacies, and supermarkets are open 24/7.  We can watch any TV show whenever we want.  Text messages demand immediate response.      While this is powerfully convenient, it also lulls us into acting without reflecting.  Human beings are called “homo sapiens” for a reason.  Let’s not forgo our ability to think.

When a passion comes upon you, take a moment to consider the source.  If it calls you to a negative act, see if you can wait it out.  If it calls you to a mitzvah, pursue.