In this Shabbat’s weekly Torah portion Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8, contains the extended blessings and curses which the Children of Israel will earn, depending on whether they keep or violate God’s covenant. It also details the ceremony of the first fruits which must be brought to the Temple, as well as the declaration over the second tithe.

Topic 1: Appreciating the Gifts of the Land
Moses teaches the people what they are supposed to do with the bounty which God will give them when they enter the land. First, they are to bring their first fruits before God to the Tabernacle. There, they will be placed in a basket and laid before the altar. The farmer must proclaim his recognition… Read More »

Topic 2: A Commitment to the Covenant
Moses reminds the people that they have committed this day to accept God and follow in His ways, and in return, God has accepted them as His people, to protect and to treasure. Moses and the elders then command the people together to record the words of the covenant on stones once they cross the… Read More »

Topic 3: The Blessing and the Curse
This extended passage contains the blessing which the people are promised for fulfilling God’s covenant, as well as the curse they will receive for violating it. Moses instructs the people, upon crossing the Jordan, to line up six tribes on Mount Gerizim, and six on Mount Ebal. The blessing are to be recited facing Mount… Read More »

Topic 4: Appreciating What God has Done for the People
Moses rounds out the portion by reminding the people of all God has done for them. He recounts the plagues and miracles in Egypt, the wonders which they have witnessed in the desert. He reminds the people that for forty years in the desert, their clothes and shoes have not worn out and they have… Read More »

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