Israel Hasbara Committee
Thoughts on Parshat Ki Tavo
A weekly Torah column from the OU’s Torah Tidbits
By Menachem Persoff
Parshat Ki Tavo reintroduces us to the command to bring First Fruits to the Bet Mikdash in Yerushalayim. This ritual was accompanied by much pomp and ceremony as the throngs gathered from all around the country for the poignant moment at which they would present their fruit baskets to the Kohen. The ceremony would climax in a moving declaration of gratitude to G-d for his eternal role as the Guide of Jewish history.
Indeed, one of the central themes picked up by the commentators is that of Hakarat Hatov, the declaration of thanks for Hashem’s bounty. But it is more than that. The Torah begins with the word “Bereishit” – ‘in the beginning’ – implying, according to the Midrash Rabbah, that the world was created for the Reishit, these first fruits brought by Bnei Yisrael.
The Abarbanel explains: More than any other mitzva, this command infuses into man’s consciousness that, “The earth, and all that is in it, is the Lord’s” (Psalms 24:1). By recognizing that the source of everything stems from Hashem, one is intrinsically accepting the yolk of the Kingdom of Heaven. That is one of the key elements of Judaism, one of the pillars on which all faith rests.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe noted that there is reciprocity involved in the ceremony. For by bringing the First Fruits to the Temple and displaying to G-d the product of His fields, Hashem, in return, confers His blessings on the people. May it be His will.
Source: Torah Tidbits, OU Israel Center.
Posted by www.infoisrael.net with permission of the OU.
Edited by IHC Staff, www.infoisrael.net.
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1 comment:
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