gth@erc3ba.UUCP (A.Y.Feldblum) (09/05/85)
Dvar Torah - Ki Tavoh
A major characteristic of Tfilah (prayer) in the biblical period
was the lack of any prescribed form, rather each individual would pray
when he felt an inner desire or need to do so and would compose the
prayer based on his needs and his personal way of expressing himself. In
this week's parsha, we find two tfilot (prayers) whose form and wording
are expressly given by the Torah. They are Mikreh Bekurim - the Reading
with the first fruits offering, and Veduy Ma-aser - the Confession of
the Tithes. As such, it is worthwhile to take a careful look at the
text, to understand it's importance.
The first question one confronts is, why say anything at all.
The bringing of a portion of the first fruits of the harvest is but one
of several portions of the crop that are given to the priest, levite,
poor and/or Temple. In none of the others is there any obligation to say
anything. The Rambam in the Morah Nevuchim (Guide to the Perplexed)
gives the following explanation. By giving the first of things to
Hashem, one strengthens the trait of giving to others and reduces the
tendency toward excessive material acquisition. By taking the basket of
fruit on his shoulder and publicly acknowledging the mercy of Hashem who
has caused everything to grow, one enhances the trait of humility. Thus
the Torah tells us often - Remember that you were once a slave in the
land of Egypt. By remembering the hard times, one prevents the danger of
- (You will have the good life) And your heart will become proud, and
you will forget Hashem who took you out of Egypt (Deut. 8, 12-14)
If we look now at the parsha itself, it begins:
When you come to the land that Hashem gives to you for an inheritance
and you shall inherit it and dwell on it.
This same sentence appears once before, in Deut 17,14 in the parsha
concerning appointing a king. There the "you" refers to the nation as a
whole, the nation picks a king. Here, the rest of the parsha talks
basically about the individual farmer. But this first sentence alerts us
to look for a "national" flavor to the whole issue. Let's now look at
the first part of the statement made by the farmer:
I state today to Hashem that I have come to the land Hashem promised our
forefathers he would give us.
This statement is difficult to understand if we take the "I" to be the
individual farmer. How can someone, hundreds of years after the
settlement of Israel say, I state today that I have come to the land.
Rather, in some sense the individual farmer speaks in a "national"
sense, I - the nation of Israel - have come to the land Hashem has
promised us. This statement of a historical event that occurred in the
past is the first part of the individual farmers bringing of the first
fruits. We bring the first produce to Hashem, and at that time we, not
remember but re-experience the historical fact that Hashem gave us this
land, and therefore we bring him its first produce.
This concept of re-experiencing a past event is a difficult one
for me to grasp. However, let me point out that the main body of the
text the farmer says is what forms the basis of the Hagadah of Pesach
(Passover). There too we say that each person is required to see himself
as though he went out of Egypt - we each must re-experience the exodus.
Today we no longer have bringing of the first fruit and the one
prescribed prayer. Now all our prayers tend to be prescribed, but it
remains important for us, each in our own way, to re-experience that
which Hashem has given to us, and to offer to Hashem our first fruits.
Wishing everyone a good Shabbat, and a Happy Rosh Hashana,
LeShana Tovah Tikatavu V'Tikatamu
Avi Feldblum
AT&T Tech. - ERC
uucp: {allegra, ihnp4}!pruxa!ayf or
!pruxc!ayfmartillo@csd2.UUCP (Joachim Martillo) (09/11/85)
/* csd2:net.religion.jewish / gth@erc3ba.UUCP (A.Y.Feldblum) / 1:47 pm Sep 5, 1985 */ > Dvar Torah - Ki Tavoh [tabo'] > If we look now at the parsha itself, it begins: > >When you come to the land that Hashem gives to you for an inheritance >and you shall inherit it and dwell on it. > >This same sentence appears once before, in Deut 17,14 in the parsha >concerning appointing a king. There the "you" refers to the nation as a >whole, the nation picks a king. Here, the rest of the parsha talks >basically about the individual farmer. But this first sentence alerts us >to look for a "national" flavor to the whole issue. Ki tabo' is naturally contrasted with ki tese'. Now ki tese' the previous weeks parashah treats individual moral weakness (like a soldier who captures a beautiful non-Jewish woman and cannot control himself). While some of the described punishments in ki tese' are capital, nothing compares to the agony described in ki tabo'. I submit that the punishments in ki tabo' are so great because this parashah treats national as opposed to individual moral failure. A suggestion of this comes from the contrast ki tese' vs. ki tabo'. In Hebrew, the sum comes (ba') in in the evening and it goes out in the morning (yose'). In the morning people feel confident and they have yet to sin this day and they are confident to stand before God. At night people are aware of their failures and they want to be judged but as members of a community. Therefore in the morning we pray haboher be`amo yisra'el (God who *chooses* his people Israel) and in the evening 'oheb 'et `amo yisra'el (who *loves* his people Israel). We do not want the possibility of God acting as a connoiseur in the evening. The contrast between the morning and evening prayers seems related to the contrast between ki tabo' and ki tese'. The clincher comes in with the prayer of the first fruits. What does first fruits have to do with `am yisra'el (the nation of Isra'el). In Yirmiyahu Israel is caller re'shit tebu'ato -- the first of his produce -- note also tebu'ato is from the same root as tabo'. As we sanctify the first fruits so is Israel sanctified. Let's now look at >the first part of the statement made by the farmer: >I state today to Hashem that I have come to the land Hashem promised our >forefathers he would give us. >This statement is difficult to understand if we take the "I" to be the >individual farmer. How can someone, hundreds of years after the >settlement of Israel say, I state today that I have come to the land. >Rather, in some sense the individual farmer speaks in a "national" >sense, I - the nation of Israel - have come to the land Hashem has >promised us. This statement of a historical event that occurred in the >past is the first part of the individual farmers bringing of the first >fruits. We bring the first produce to Hashem, and at that time we, not >remember but re-experience the historical fact that Hashem gave us this >land, and therefore we bring him its first produce. > > This concept of re-experiencing a past event is a difficult one >for me to grasp. However, let me point out that the main body of the >text the farmer says is what forms the basis of the Hagadah of Pesach >(Passover). There too we say that each person is required to see himself >as though he went out of Egypt - we each must re-experience the exodus. >Today we no longer have bringing of the first fruit and the one >prescribed prayer. Now all our prayers tend to be prescribed, but it >remains important for us, each in our own way, to re-experience that >which Hashem has given to us, and to offer to Hashem our first fruits. This parashah clearly connects directly to the exodus. Because of this connection the agonies described are so heinous. Israel in a sense became re'shit tebu'ato during the exodus as a replacement for 'Adam hari'shon. The plagues and the exodus together form an uncreation and recreation of the world. Consequently the two forms of the ten commandments one mentioning yisi'at misra'im (Can this be connected to the word tese' in some way) and the other mentioning ma`aseh berei'shit. Well, if Israel fails, there is no new 'Adam and no purpose to the world and it dissolves back into uncreation. The last section of the parashah could also be an exhortation to be extremely careful and fulfil the obligation to God as well as an expression of happiness at the achievement of spiritual community (Rashi's tradition) or that after 40 years of training they were now ready to no continue without their teacher (Moshe is about to die shortly -- I believe this is the other tradition which Rashi describes).