Torah to Go - Parashat Ki Tavo Remembering Our Stories Around this time of year, just under two weeks before Rosh HaShanah, my wife and I sit down together to figure out the menu. Inevitably, we make the same things every year, with a new thing or two just to spice it up. Whether it is Nanas apple Challah recipe, or Savtas matzah balls, the foods we eat on Rosh HaShanah give us a glimpse into our pasts, reminding us of relatives who are no longer with us, places we used to live, and traditions we hope to pass on to our own children. This weeks Torah portion, Ki Tavo, opens with the ceremony where the Israelites were to present their Bikurim, first fruits, to the high priest at the temple in Jerusalem. As they do so, they recite a passage we are familiar with from its prominent place in the Passover seder, beginning with the words My father was a wandering Aramean. At this pivotal moment in the year, when they took a moment to stop and be thankful for what they had, looking forward to the year ahead, the Israelites would stop and remember where they came from. Perhaps the fruits they presented came from trees planted by their ancestors, or they are taking the same route that they took with their parents as children. This ritual is a reminder of the past that we can hold with us in the present. The Talmud teaches us that the mitzvah of presenting ones first fruits, and the ceremony that goes with it, could only be done when the Israelites entered the land. This implies that one had to present their first fruits with a sense of gratitude for where they were at that time, settled in the land of Israel. In turn, in order to be thankful for where they were in the present, they had to recognize that the path to the present was not easy. In just under two weeks, as many of us gather with friends and family, let us take stock of where we are and how we got here, never forgetting the sacrifices that others made to give us the lives we have now. Only with an appreciation of past and present can we begin to think about how we want to shape our futures, as the new year is upon us. Shabbat Shalom and an early Shanah Tovah! Ilan Schwartz Rabbinic Intern
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 19:14:06 +0000
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