Parahat Ki Tavo

This week’s Torah portion starts with an interesting commandment. Upon entering the promise land, the Jews are to take the first of the fruits and bring them as an offering to G-d.

Durring the 40 years in the desert, the Israeli people had a very clear world view; everything comes from G-d. This was clear because they saw it, the food came down from the heavens, a well of water followed them around, and their clothes did not wear out. In that type of environment, it is easy to understand that everything comes from G-d. But when they enter the land of Israel, things will change. No longer will their food come directly from G-d. They will now have to work the land to get grain and fruits; G-d, of course, still guides things to ensure that the land “flows with milk and honey”.

When the children of Israel entered the land, so close to fulfilling their destiny, the most crucial of questions emerged: Would they see the fruits of their labor independent of God? Or would they bring the fruits to Jerusalem part and parcel of their religious experience?

This is, of course, the fundamental question of Judaism. What is G-d’s place in the world? Does G-d exist in the spiritual realm, with the physical world being independent? Or does G-d permeate all aspects of the world? The Jewish position is the latter, but to many of us seem to live as if the former were the truth.

After the miraculous victory of the 6 Day War in 1967, the popular slogan heard amongst Jews was “By our hand and our might”. This was a complete denial of G-d role in the physical world. The near destruction of Israel in the 1973 Yom Kippur War was G-d way of sending a wake up call; “See how close to destruction you come by your hand.” It wasn’t until G-d intervened, that the war turned into another miraculous victory for Israel.

As the children of Israel prepared for their entrance into Land of Israel, they were given a strategy which will allow the stay to be enduring and meaningful. God provided the tools needed to create a society with a God consciousness -- a society which will have tents of study and fields of labor.

But no schism could exist between the two. God must be found in the fields, marketplaces and study-halls. Every day revelation would be experienced. Holiness would permeate the streets and fields. This is the goal of the commandment of the first fruits.

Shabbat Shalom