Ki Tavo 5772

This week’s parsha begins with the mitzvah (commandment) of bikkurim, offering the first fruits to thank G-d for the Land of Israel and its produce. “And it will be, when you come into the land which the L-rd your G-d gives you for an inheritance, and you possess and settle in it, that you shall take of the first fruit of the ground, which you will bring from your land, which the L-rd your G-d is giving you…Then you shall rejoice with all the good that the L-rd your G-d has granted you and your household.”

Rashi notes that the law of bikkurim took effect 14 years after the people entered the land, only after the land was conquered (seven years) and divided (another seven years).  Why the wait?

Writes Rabbi Yossy Goldman on chabad.com: “In order to be able to fully experience the joy of his own blessings in life, a Jew needs to know that his brothers and sisters have been blessed as well.  As long as one Jew knew that there were others who had not yet been settled in their land, he could not be fully content. Since simcha, genuine joy, was a necessary component of the mitzvah of bikkurim, it could only be fulfilled when everyone had been satisfied…One Jew’s satisfaction is not complete when he knows that his brother has not yet been taken care of.”

Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld writes: “We have to be joyous to truly feel G-d’s presence…We can attain a truly lasting joy by making ourselves complete...Ultimately, our rabbis teach us that we make ourselves complete by helping others…We cannot expect to be complete in our service of G-d unless we are sensitive to others. And more than that, the more we work on helping others…the closer we will become to G-d and the more joyous our prayer will be.”

As parents, we must show our children that we serve G-d with joy. If we show we are happy to help others and to perform mitzvot, our children will grow up knowing that avodat Hashem, doing what G-d asks us to do, is the formula for true and lasting happiness. Our children need to see that we have a relationship with G-d and that we do good and perform mitzvot because we love, and are grateful, to G-d.

Ki Tavo 5771

In this week's parsha, Moshe continues to instruct the Israelites on how to behave when they enter (ki tavo) the Land of Israel. Moshe enumerates blessings and curses, and tells what will happen if his people fulfill the Torah, and if they do not. A reason for the curses is given: "All these curses will befall you…because you did not serve G-d, your G-d, with joy and with gladness of heart..."

Why is it that even when we fulfill Torah by performing mitzvot (commandments), if we lack this "extra" attribute of joy, we deserve such dire consequences?

The Maggid Mishneh explains that when we perform a mitzvah b'simcha (with joy), it proves that we understand that there is no greater happiness in this world than to serve our Creator, for the true purpose of creation is to serve Him. Simcha is the key factor in determining if we really are serving G-d. If we merely follow the laws and perform the mitzvot by rote and out of habit, without appreciating what we are doing, it can be said that we are not serving G-d at all, and therefore we deserve punishment. Simcha is the basic intention that must underlie avodah (service) of G-d.

As parents, we must show our children that we are happy to perform mitzvot, and that doing so, i.e., fulfilling the laws of Torah and living Jewishly, is meaningful to us and brings us joy. We cannot just go through the motions, without awareness and understanding. Further, we should be careful not to complain if we find that Torah laws are difficult to adhere to, lest our children adopt an attitude that Torah observance is a chore. Our children need to see that we have a relationship with G-d and that we perform mitzvot because we love, and are grateful, to G-d.

Published in the merit of a refua shlema (complete healing) for Nesha bat Freda Leah.