Weekly Torah Portion

Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life K-6

Parashat Ki Tavo Deuteronomy 26:1 – 29:8

In this week’s parashah, Moshe recounts for the Israelites of their recent journey, leaving slavery in Egypt and journeying to freedom in the land of ‘milk and honey’. One of the often most repeated phrases in the Torah, the people are reminded to leave a tithe, or portion of their fields, to support the vulnerable in the community – the stranger, the orphan and the widow. Moshe speaks to the people of their obligations and responsibilities regarding the rules and teachings of the Torah and how to serve God with joy and gladness of heart, in seeking to elevate the Jewish people to be a holy people belonging to God.

Family discussion

• Who are the vulnerable members of our community, society, nation and world today? What kind of actions can we do to support and assist them?
• Why do you think the Torah is instructing us to serve with joy and gladness?

Month of  אלול/Elul – Repentance (re-turning)  תשובה/Teshuvah 

One of the most significance mitzvot and aspects of this time in the Jewish year is תשובה /teshuvah or repentance. Repentance can be understood as acknowledging one’s mistakes and missteps, expressing remorse, making amends and then working to change one’s actions so the mistake is not repeated. In Hebrew, תשובה/teshuvah is connected to the word שוב/shuv meaning to ‘turn’. In this sense, תשובה/teshuvah is a ‘turning’ or ‘re-turning’ to God, or returning to our true/ideal/best self. Every day is filled with opportunities for reflection and תשובה /teshuvah, and we are reminded of this three times a day in one of the blessings of the Amidah prayer.

The שופר/shofar continues to sound and to call us, during the month of אלול/Elul – ‘לשפר/ leshapear‘ to work on improving ourselves and our world.

“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. But I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my country. When I found I couldn’t change my country, I began to focus on my town. However, I discovered that I couldn’t change the town, and so as I grew older, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realise the only thing I can change is myself, but I’ve come to recognise that if long ago I had started with myself, then I could have made an impact on my family. And, my family and I could have made an impact on our town. And that, in turn, could have changed the country and we could all indeed have changed the world” Rabbi Israel Salantar

Year 1 Shofar blowers