Feature Tidbit
for Parashat Ki Tavo

NOW We (should) Understand!

At the beginning of D'varim, the Torah introduces the Book by telling us that Moshe Rabeinu spoke to the people, told them many things, and BEGAN explaining Torah and Mitzvot to them (us).

In this week's sedra, after a presentation of many, many mitzvot, as well as the history lessons of the 40 years of wandering, we find that we are finally getting the idea of what it means to be part of Bnei Yisrael. Moshe and the kohanim speak to the people and tell them that NOW (after their experiences and after a thorough education process) they (finally) have become ON THIS DAY a nation unto G-d. Although Rashi explains this as teaching us that the experience of becoming G-d's nation and of receiving the Torah (which is pretty much the same thing) should be fresh in our eyes as if it happened today, we can also understand it as our finally being able to UNDERSTAND the depth and significance of the commitment we made at Sinai. It was very special when we proclaimed NAASEH V'NISHMA, committing ourselves to Torah without all the details and without understanding it. So special, that NAASEH V'NISHMA will always be the hallmark of our uniqueness as a nation and a major factor in our special relationship with G-d.

But it is/was not enough. Say to a good friend, "Can you do me a favor?" and he is likely to say, "Sure". Sometimes, you'll say to the friend, "wait until you hear what I'm going to ask of you". THEN, see what reaction you get from him. As quick as the "Sure" came, the follow-up may or may not be as forthcoming.

Moshe Rabeinu is telling us in this week's sedra that we have reached the latter point. First HaShem asked us if we would take the Torah, and we said, sure. Then we underwent a tough 40 year period, filled with experiences that helped us mature and come to understand to what we had said, sure. 40 years is a maturing period for an individual, as Pirkei Avot teaches us - BEN 40 L'BINA, as well as the growing period for the Nation as a whole. Perhaps this is the meaning of NOW you have finally become a nation. And perhaps this is why we entered into a covenant with G-d in "Eretz Moav, besides the BRIT (covenant) that we entered into at CHOREV (Sinai)". And that is why the Torah tells us that it was "on this day", at this juncture of our young existence as a People, that G-d has given us "a heart with to know, eys with which to see, and ears with which to hear". Only after the 40 years of wandering is it possible to put things into perspective.

G-d says, through the Navi, that He remembers "the kindness of our youth", that we followed Him through the wilderness. However many times we complained to Him, how ever many times we SEEMED to lack complete faith, the bottom line is that we chose - and continue to choose - G-d as much as He chose us.

The BRIT on the threshold of Eretz Yisrael (which was to be reconfirmed upon entry into the Land) was itself a confirmation of the covenant of Sinai.

The last pasuk in the sedra echoes the same theme. Preserve the terms of the Convenant and do them (mitzvot), so that you will succeed (another meaning of the word in the pasuk is "act intelligently) in all that you do.

We started on a NAASEH V'NISHMA basis, but we advanced to the level of understanding what it is we are doing (to some extent - not completely, never completely). The challenge is to continue to grow as Torah Jews and always love what and who we are.

In the Tochacha we read of one of G-d's "complaints" that would result in the devastating punishments described, namely that we would not serve G-d "with joy and goodness of heart". SIMCHA comes in two forms. Plain, physical joy, each person "doing his own thing", "whatever turns him on". This is not REAL Simcha. The Simcha that the Torah talks about, that it commands on the Festivals, when a person brings Bikurim, when we take the Lulav & Etrog on Sukkot, - that is spiritual, religious, pure SIMCHA.

R. Yaakov Auerbach z"l found a beautiful G'matriya that conveys this idea.

IVDU ET HASHEM B'SIMCHA - serve G-d with joy = 70+2+4+6 (82) + 1+400 (401) + 26 + 2+300+40+8+5 (355) = 864.

The FULL g'matriya (gotten by spelling out each letter in a word: SHIN-YUD-NUN = 360 for SHIN, not just 300) of SIMCHA = 360 + 80 + 418 + 6 = 864.

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