Yom Kippur, 5775, 2014:

Rabbi David Etengoff

To Be Before Hashem

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

The mitzvah of reayon, appearing in the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), was one of the high points of each of the Yamim Tovim (Jewish Festivals):

Three times in the year, every one of your males shall appear before the L-rd, your G-d, in the place He will choose: on the Festival of Matzoth and on the Festival of Weeks, and on the Festival of Sukkoth, and he shall not appear before the L-rd empty-handed. (Sefer Devarim 16:6, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach).

Rav Pinchas Kehati zatzal (1910-1976) offers a concise halachic analysis of this pasuk (verse):

From here we may learn that there is a commandment incumbent upon every Jewish male who has reached the age of majority to travel up to Jerusalem during the Three Festivals. He must do this in order to appear in the Beit Hamikdash so that he may offer the sacrifices known as the olat reiyah (completely burnt offering) and the shalmai chagigah (festival offering). No measure was biblically ordained for this commandment. That is to say that the Torah did not stipulate how long or how many times the pilgrim was obligated to appear in the Holy Temple during a particular festival. This means that someone theoretically could have fulfilled his obligation by appearing in the Beit Hamikdash for but a moment. If he chose, however, to linger in the Holy Temple – this was certainly praiseworthy… (Mishnaiot Mevuarot, Mishnah Peah 1:1)

The commandment of reayon was given great prominence within Rabbinic thought. This is illustrated, for example, in the well-known first Mishnah of Mishnah Peah: “These are things for which no measure is prescribed: Leaving over the corner of the field for the needs of the poor, First-Fruits, appearing before Hashem in the Holy Temple, the practice of loving kindness, and Torah study…”

Given the manifest importance of the mitzvah of reayon, one cannot help but wonder why the Torah did not require Jewish males who had reached the age of majority to appear in the Holy Temple, as well, on Yom Kippur. After all, contrary to popular misconception, Yom Kippur is the most joyous day on the Jewish calendar – for on this day, if we engage in heartfelt teshuvah (repentance), we are forgiven for all of our sins. This, in turn, gives us the opportunity to achieve true reconciliation with Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One blessed be He) and encounter Him as His beloved and loyal people. Rav Nissan Alpert zatzal (1927-1986), perhaps the greatest disciple of Rav Moshe Feinstein zatzal (1895-1986), in his posthumous work entitled Limudei Nissan (volume II, page 187), noted that the renowned Torah giant Hagaon Rav Zalman Sorotzkin zatzal (1881-1966) both asked and answered the question, “Why was Yom Kippur excluded from the mitzvah of reayon?” Rav Sorotzkin’s answer is at one and the same time deeply insightful and spiritually inspiring. Moreover, it enables us to gain a new appreciation of the singular character of Yom Kippur:

Why did the Torah not require the Jewish people to ascend in pilgrimage to the Beit Hamikdash on Yom Kippur? This was the case since at that time [i.e. on Yom Kippur] Hakadosh Baruch Hu was equally close to them (the Jewish people) wherever they may have been. In addition, anyone who has the least spark of Jewishness [in his heart] can intimately feel the overwhelming nature of this holy day.

Thus for Rav Sorotzkin, Yom Kippur has an entirely different character than the Chagim (Festivals) of Pesach, Shavuot, and Succot. These Yamim Tovim require man’s appearance in the Holy Temple since that is where G-d is found at these times. In stark contrast, Yom Kippur does not require man’s pilgrimage to the Holy Temple, since Hashem’s Schechinah (Divine Presence) is so manifest and palpably present on this day that the physical space outside the Beit Hamikdash “contains” His glory no less than the Holy Temple itself!

There is a well-known Mishnah that appears in Mishnah Yoma 8:9:

Rabbi Akiva said: Happy are you O’ Jewish people. Before whom are you purified and who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven. As it says: [Sefer Yechezkel 36:25] “I will sprinkle upon you the purifying waters and you will become purified.” It says as well [Sefer Yirmiyahu 17:13] “Hashem is the hope (mikvei) of the Jewish people.” Just like a Mikveh purifies the impure ones, so, too, does the Holy One blessed be He purify the Jewish people.

Rav Alpert utilized Rav Sorotzkin’s above-found answer to provide us with a novel understanding of this passage:

And this is what Rabbi Akiva said when he declared: “Happy are you O’ Jewish people. Before whom are you purified and who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven.” This means that on this day they [the Jewish people were and are] before Hashem since the entire world is filled with His glory [on Yom Kippur], since He is close to us [as He is on no other day]. With these words Rabbi Akiva was able to comfort his colleagues [compare Talmud Bavli, Makkot 24b]. Even though the Holy Temple was destroyed, and they were exiled amongst the impure nations, on one day during the year the Holy One blessed be He drew near to them to purify them, to recognize their merits, and to sanctify them. (Brackets my own)

With G-d’s help, and our own heartfelt efforts, may each of us recognize that Yom Kippur is the one day during the year, even in the absence of the Beit Hamikdash, wherein the Holy One blessed be He draws near to us to purify us, to recognize our merits, and to help us become a truly holy nation before Him. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom, G’mar Chatimah Tovah, and Tizku l’shanim rabot

 

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:

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Rosh Hashanah 5775, 2014

The Meaning of the Shofar

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

The shofar is universally recognized as the symbol of Rosh Hashanah. Its piercing blasts reach the essence of our beings and bestir our souls to thoughts of teshuvah (returning to Hashem). In a well-known passage in the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) presented the inherent rationale of the kol shofar (sound of the shofar):

Even though the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a decree [of the Torah], it contains an allusion. It is as if [the shofar’s call] is saying: “Wake up you sleepy ones from your sleep and you who slumber, arise. Inspect your deeds; repent, and remember your Creator.” Those who forget the truth in the vanities of time and throughout the entire year devote their energies to vanity and emptiness, which will not benefit or save: [What, then, should they do instead?] “Look to your souls, improve your ways and your deeds and let every one of you abandon his evil path and thoughts.” (Sefer Maada, Hilchot Teshuvah III: 4, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger with my emendations to enhance clarity) 

The Rambam wrote these words in the 12th century, yet they are as relevant today as they were when he first composed them. Unfortunately, year after year, we have a tendency to “forget the truth in the vanities of time” and “devote [our] energies to vanity and emptiness, which will not benefit or save.” Therefore, Maimonides teaches us that the shofar is a “wake-up call” that announces: “Look to your souls, improve your ways and your deeds and let every one of you abandon his evil path and thoughts.” This “wake-up call” motif is first found in the Torah proper (Sefer Shemot 19:16), and is prominently repeated in the Shofrot section of the Mussaf of Rosh Hashanah: “It came to pass on the third day when it was morning, that there were thunder claps and lightning flashes, and a thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very powerful blast of a shofar, and the entire nation that was in the camp shuddered.” (This, and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

The sound of Hashem’s shofar, accompanied by voices and torches, and a smoking Mount Sinai, was so incredibly intense that we not only heard the sounds, we actually saw them: “And all the people saw the voices and the torches, the sound of the shofar, and the smoking mountain, and the people saw and trembled; so they stood from afar.” (Sefer Shemot 20:15) Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan zatzal (1934-1983) noted in his work, The Living Torah, that seeing sounds is a psychological phenomenon known as “synesthesia,” wherein the stimulation of one sense simultaneously triggers the response of another. While the coinage of this term is of relatively new vintage, Rav Kaplan notes that the unusual stimulus-response behavior found in our verse was already described in this manner by the Midrash Mechilta (circa 130 CE), Rashi (1040-1105), Ibn Ezra (1089-1167), and the Rambam (Moreh HaNevuchim I:46). It seems that the Sinatic revelation was so powerful that one sense alone was incapable of processing its content; instead, we needed to employ multiple senses in an attempt to apprehend the meaning of this never-to-be repeated moment. In sum, it was a gift from Hashem, as if He said to us: “Hear, see, and palpably feel My presence in your midst, for I am the L-rd your G-d who took you out of Egypt.”

The sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, while initially appearing to herald G-d’s presence amongst us as the Judge on the Day of Judgment, is, in reality, representative of Hashem’s beneficent and merciful kindness. David Hamelech (King David) gave voice to this concept in Sefer Tehillim 47:6: “G-d (Elokim) shall be exalted with the trumpet blast; the L-rd (Hashem), with the sound of the shofar.” Herein, trumpets depict the manifestation of G-d (Elokim) among us, similar to the sound of these instruments announcing the arrival of an earthly king. Yet, when the Creator searches for and relates directly to the Jewish people, we find that He appears in the guise of Hashem, the ba’al harachamim, the ultimate master of compassion and mercy. King David recapitulated and reinforced this concept in a later verse in Sefer Tehillim 98:1: “With trumpets and the sound of a shofar, raise your voices before the King (Melech), the L-rd (Hashem).” A careful reading of this verse reveals that there is a direct one-to-one correspondence that obtains between “trumpets” and “the King,” and “the sound of the shofar” and “the L-rd” (Hashem), that is, they form a parallel pair. Once again, the shofar is inextricably tied to the middat harachamim (quality of mercy), i.e. Hashem.

Our encounter with the pasukim (verses) from Navi (the Prophets), within the Shofrot section of the Mussaf of Rosh Hashanah, while simultaneously underscoring the theme of Hashem’s mercy, introduces us to a new theme, namely, the fulfillment of Judaism’s eschatological vision. The onset of this time is described by the prophet Yeshiyahu (18:3) in these terms: “All inhabitants of the world and dwellers of the earth, when a standard of the mountains is raised you shall see, and when a shofar is sounded you shall hear.” In a later verse, he proclaims that the “great shofar” will sound on that day, and once again, the middat harachamim is front and center:

And it shall come to pass on that day, that a great shofar shall be sounded, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those exiled in the land of Egypt shall come and they shall prostrate themselves before the L-rd (Hashem) on the holy mount in Jerusalem. (27:13)

Let us now briefly summarize the essential concepts we have explored on our journey to understand the meaning of the shofar and the Shofrot section of Mussaf Rosh Hashanah:

·      The shofar is a wake-up call to engage in teshuvah

·      The shofar at Mount Sinai was both heard and seen

·      The shofar is ultimately the representation of Hashem’s merciful kindness

·      The shofar heralds the fulfillment of Judaism’s Messianic vision for all mankind

With Hashem’s help, may this be the year “when a shofar is sounded and we shall all hear,” and see the realization of Hashem’s kingdom on earth. As Zechariah the prophet declared so long ago: “And the L-rd shall become King over all the earth; on that day shall the L-rd be one, and His name one.” (14:9) V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shanah tovah u’metukah

 

Tizku l’shanim rabot

 

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:

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Parshiot Nitzavim - Vayelech 5774, 2014

Therefore, Choose Life!

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

Parashat Nitzavim contains a well-known pasuk (verse) that is very timely in the final days before Rosh Hashanah: “This day, I call upon the heaven and the earth as witnesses [that I have warned] you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. You shall choose life, so that you and your offspring will live.” (Sefer Devarim 30:19, this, and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Tanach Complete Tanach) As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we look back upon the past year and reflect upon the many changes that life has wrought. These thoughts naturally lead us to focus upon the meaning of the phrase: “You shall choose life, so that you and your offspring will live.”

Rashi (1040-1105), suggests the following interpretation:

[G-d says: “Even though you have free choice [nevertheless,] I instruct you to choose the portion of life.” It is like a man who says to his son, “Choose for yourself a fine portion of my estate,” and then directs him to the best portion, saying to him, “This [is the portion which] you should choose for yourself!” And regarding this, the verse says, “The L-rd is my allotted portion and my cup; You guide my destiny” (Sefer Tehillim 16:5).

One of the key elements found herein is the idea of free will. The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) emphasized the singular import of this concept and devoted chapters five and six of Hilchot Teshuvah to its explication:

This principle is a fundamental concept and a pillar [on which rests the totality] of the Torah and mitzvot as [Sefer Devarim 30:15] states: “Behold, I have set before you today life [and good, death and evil].” Similarly, [Sefer Devarim 11:26] states, “Behold, I have set before you today [the blessing and the curse],” suggesting that the choice is in your hands. Any one of the deeds of men that a person desires to do, he may do, whether good or evil. Therefore, [Sefer Devarim 5:26] states: “If only their hearts would always remain this way.” From this, we can infer that the Creator does not compel or decree that people should do either good or bad. Rather, everything is left to their [own choice]. (5:3, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger with my emendations)

Hashem wants us to choose the proper path of Torah observance upon which to tread.  As the Rambam makes quite clear, nothing stands in our way. The choice to pursue that which is good and righteous or, G-d forbid, the opposite course is totally within our control. “…the Creator does not force or decree upon anybody to do good or bad, but lets them choose.” Yes, we will almost inevitably make mistakes. Nonetheless, if we begin our journey during the upcoming year with the proper attitude and orientation, if we dedicate ourselves to studying and living according to the Torah and the interpretations of our rabbis, we stand a much better chance of strengthening ourselves in precisely those areas that are crucial for “choosing life” for ourselves and our families.

The waning days of Elul are the time for us to ask ourselves life’s “big questions.” Perhaps the biggest of all of these queries is “What is life?” This is the question that has captivated introspective thinkers, philosophers, and theologians since time immemorial. In many ways, as well, this is the question that speaks to the center of our very being. Little wonder, then, that it has been answered in myriad ways throughout the course of man’s journey through time. Since each civilization, society, and religion has had its own unique response, we must look to the Torah and its Sages for the authoritative answer to such a central and fundamental question.

One source that can serve as an authentic guide is the Siddur (Prayer Book). On a daily basis, it helps us chart a course through the waters of confusion and grapple with the question, “What is life?”  The birchat hachodesh (monthly prayer announcing Rosh Chodesh, the new Jewish month) provides us with clear thoughts as to how to understand  “life” according to our holy Torah. Therein we beseech Hashem for a month filled with goodness and blessing. Specifically, we request the following:

• A life of peace
• A life of goodness
• A life of blessing
• A life of sustenance
• A life of physical health
• A life in which there is fear of heaven and fear of sin
• A life in which there is no shame nor humiliation
• A life of wealth and honor
• A life in which we will have love of Torah and fear of  heaven
• A life in which our heartfelt requests will be fulfilled for the good

(text based upon the Artscroll Siddur).

Life, as presented in this prayer, is like a diamond. It is comprised of many facets that are themselves composed of the multitude of our physical and spiritual needs.  In addition, and in many ways, our relationship with Hashem emerges as the single most important aspect of our lives. This bracha teaches us quite clearly that everything in our lives stems directly from chasdei Hashem (Hashem’s kindness).

Yet, how can we hope to receive the blessings found in the birchat hachodesh? How can we achieve the closeness with Hashem that we so desperately need? How can we communicate with our Creator so that will be able to enter into a genuine I - Thou relationship? Fortunately, the Torah answers these questions in the very next verse, after we are urged to choose life: “To love the L-rd your G-d, to listen to His voice, and to cleave to Him. For that is your life and the length of your days, to dwell on the land which the L-rd swore to your forefathers to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob to give to them.” (Sefer Devarim 30:20) In many ways, this pasuk emerges as a synopsis of our obligations toward our Creator: We must love Him, we must listen to His voice, and we must cleave to Him. The Seforno (Rabbi Ovadiah ben Yaakov, 1470-1550) explains what we must do in order to cleave to Hashem: “that all of your deeds should be in His name.” In other words, all our actions, from the most mundane to the most sublime, must have one essential purpose: to completely dedicate ourselves to Hashem and bring honor to His name.

May we have the wisdom and vision to dedicate our lives to the service of Hashem. In turn, may we be the recipients of His unbounded kindness, so that our lives will be replete with all of the blessings of the birchat hachodesh. May we all, therefore, choose life!

Shabbat Shalom


Shanah tovah u’metukah

Tizku l’shanim rabot


Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email [email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on “Tefilah: Haskafah and Analysis,” may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. They are available here: http://tinyurl.com/82pgvfn.

** Follow new postings on my Twitter accounts: @theRavZatzal and @Torahtech613.

*** Interested in 21st Century Jewish Education? See my blog and Scoopit.com Pages:

http://21stcenturyjewisheducation.org

http://www.scoop.it/t/educational-technology-yeshiva-edition

http://www.scoop.it/t/great-digital-judaic-studies-resources

 

Parashat Ki Tavo 5774, 2014

On the Destiny of the Jewish People

Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shmuel David ben Moshe Halevy, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, and the refuah shlaimah of Yosef Shmuel ben Miriam, Devorah bat Chana, and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and to the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

Our parasha begins with the phrase, “v’hayah ki tavo el ha’aretz,” (“And it will be when you come to the land”). The exact expression, “ki tavo” (spelled in full with a vav), is found three other times in the Torah, namely, in Sefer Bereishit 24:41, 30:33 and 38:16. Let us examine each of these verses in order to ascertain if there are any shared or complementary thematic elements that are introduced by this phrase.

Sefer Bereishit 24:41: This pasuk (verse) is a retrospective presentation of the dialogue between Avraham and his unnamed servant, whom the Midrash consistently identifies as Eliezer. Herein, Avraham commanded Eliezer to find Yitzhak a wife from his (i.e. Avraham’s) family, and seal that obligation with an oath: “You will then be absolved from my oath, when you come (“ki tavo”) to my family, and if they do not give [her] to you, you will be absolved from my oath.” (This and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) In this instance, “ki tavo” signals a major step in the continuation of the Jewish people: Avraham knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the future of the Jewish people was inextricably interwoven with Yitzhak, and that the monotheistic religious revolution he had begun could only be sustained through the unceasing efforts of his most cherished son. Avraham, the progenitor of our people, had been blessed with Sarah – without whom his goals would have remained merely wistful dreams. He, therefore, realized that as great as Yitzhak was, he could not reach his full potential alone, and that he needed a beloved life partner to ensure the continuity of the Jewish people. As a result, the search for Yitzhak’s wife was prominently punctuated with the term, “ki tavo,” to alert us to a change in the destiny and future of our people.


Sefer Bereishit 30:33: Six chapters later in the Bereishit narrative, we are met with a crucial and life-changing interaction that obtained between Yaakov Avinu (our father Jacob) and his deceitful father-in–law, Lavan. With the exception of Benyamin, all of Yaakov’s sons, including Yosef, had now been born. At this point, Yaakov clearly recognized that by remaining with Lavan, he was subjecting his household to both spiritual and physical dangers. He realized that in order to protect his faith and family, he would have to leave his father-in-law and all for which he stood. Therefore, he announced his intentions to Lavan who, following the mores of his time, finally asked Yaakov to establish his rightful wages for the many trying years of his devoted and selfless labor. As was to be expected in such an angst and tension-filled encounter, Yaakov needed to be exceptionally forthright and transparent in order to avoid any impression that he was asking for that which was not his. He negotiated an honest and straightforward settlement and then declared to Lavan: “And my righteousness will testify for me at a future date for it will come upon (ki tavo) my wages before you. Whatever is not speckled or spotted among the goats or brown among the sheep [shall be counted as] stolen with me.” While this initially appears to be nothing other than a business deal, one is struck by the terms “my righteousness” (“tzidkati”), “at a future date” (“b’yom machar”), and “ki tavo.” Once again, the term “ki tavo” is unmistakably the harbinger of the future of the entire Jewish people, a time when our righteousness, as the servants of the Almighty, will surely be recognized by the entire world.

Sefer Bereishit 38:16: The next pasuk is an essential part of one of the most unusual accounts in Chamisha Chumshei Torah (The Five Books of the Torah), namely, the physical encounter that transpired between Yehudah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar, who was playing the role of a harlot: “So he turned aside toward her to the road, and he said, ‘Get ready now, I will come to you,’ for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law, and she said, ‘What will you give me that you should come (ki tavo) to me?’” There are a multitude of disturbing elements in this story and many questions that we can ask. Yet, Midrash Rabbah Bereishit 85:8 exonerated Yehudah’s behavior in the following fashion:

At first [glance] Yehudah paid her [Tamar] no attention since she covered her face [and was clearly a harlot]. He, therefore, desired to walk away from her. At that moment, however, the Holy One Blessed be He caused the angel that is in charge of desire to say to him: “Yehudah where are you going? From where will kings come forth? From where will the great ones arise?” Therefore, the text immediately states: “So he turned aside toward her to the road.” In other words, this [entire matter] was against his will and not for his benefit. (Translation and brackets my own)

Tamar, as well, was completely vindicated by our Sages and viewed as a consummate tzedeket (righteous woman) as the following passage from the Zohar (I:158 b) clearly portrays:

There were two women from whom the seed of Yehudah blossomed. There came forth from them King David, King Solomon, and [there will come forth] the Melech Hamashiach (the Messiah). These two women were similar to one another, i.e. Tamar and Ruth, for in both cases their first husbands died, and both actively pursued the physical relations [that would eventuate in offspring]. The seed of Yehudah was established (lit. “built”) and perfected by these two [women], and both acted out of righteous motives. (Translation, brackets, and parentheses my own)

Once again, “ki tavo” heralds a change in the destiny of Kenneset Yisrael, the trans-historical entity of the Jewish people, up to and including the coming of Mashiach.

Given what we have learned from the preceding narratives, we are now ready to determine if “ki tavo” in our parasha has the same future-oriented connotation that we have identified until this point. Herein, the direct meaning of the Hebrew text serves as our guide, since the word that precedes “ki tavo” in the first pasuk of our sidrah (Torah portion) is “v’hayah,” a Biblical future tense form of the verb “to be.” In other words, we may legitimately translate our three-word expression as: “In the future, it will be the case when you come.” Come where?  “… into the land which the L-rd, your G-d, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it.” Clearly, the phrase, “ki tavo,” in our parasha reflects the same meaning as in the verses we have analyzed from Sefer Bereishit. In a word, ki tavo portends transition and change, and speaks to the future and destiny of the Jewish people.

Parashat Ki Tavo is always read before Rosh Hashanah. Chazal (Our Sages of blessed memory) instituted this practice because it contains one of the two instances of the Tochechah, in this case, 54 verses of frightening and devastating curses that will ensue if we, as a nation, violate Hashem’s mitzvot. Beyond a doubt, these terrifying verses should lead nearly everyone to moments of deep introspection and heartfelt contemplation – two constitutive elements of the teshuvah (returning to Hashem) process. Hence, it is read before the Day of Judgment.

In my opinion, however, there is another reason why Chazal instituted the reading of our parasha at this time. It appears to me that this is contained in the very first verse of our Torah portion: “And it will be, when you come (ki tavo) into the land which the L-rd, your G-d, gives you for an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it.” How can we reinterpret this pasuk in light of what we now know about the phrase, “ki tavo?” I believe Hashem is giving us an incredibly powerful and optimistic message immediately before Rosh Hashanah, when each of us stand in fear and tremble before Him: No matter how far we have strayed from his Torah, no matter how disloyal we may have been, no matter what we have done or failed to do, He will take us back once again and cradle us in His beneficent “arms” if we but reach out to Him in true and authentic repentance.

May it be that when the Jewish people wholeheartedly return to G-d b’teshuvah shalaimah (complete repentance), we will witness the fulfillment of our pasuk and the realization of our nation’s ultimate destiny under the guiding hand of the Melech Hamashiach. With Hashem’s help, may this time come soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon. 

Shabbat Shalom

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