Congregation Netivot Shalom

This week we read Parshat Ki Tavo, “When you come in [to the land]”, Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8. This portion continues Moshe’s appeal to the next generation to do better than their parents and to follow the mitzvot or be cursed with emotional, physical, and spiritual failures. The first section of the parasha is the declaration said when bringing the first fruits of the land to the Temple as an offering. This section of text, designed to be recited on the holiday of Shavuot, forms the central paragraph of the Passover Haggadah. The prophetic reading from the Book of Isaiah is the 6th Haftorah of consolation, which moves us from the low point of Tisha B’Av to the highpoint of the new year and the season of spiritual renewal. This reading, which helped inspire parts of the beautiful Shabbat prayer, L’cha Dodi, speaks of the brilliance of God being brighter than the moon and the sun. It’s a powerful message of hope and restoration that ends with the intriguing line: “I, God, will, in its time, bring [ultimate redemption] with great haste” (60:22). Shabbat Shalom! -Rabbi Shalom Bochner, Director of Life Long Learning