Ki TavoArtscroll p.1068 | Haftarah p.1201Hertz p.859 | Haftarah p.874Soncino p117 | Haftarah p.1134

Volume 31No. 55

1

In loving memory of our first editor,

Rabbi Isaac Bernstein of blessed memory,

Harav Yitzchak Yoel Ben Shlomo Halevi of Finchley Synagogue,

whose 25th yarzeit is on 22 Elul

“All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you hearken to the voice of the Lord,your God: Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be thefruit of your womb, and the fruit of your ground…” (Devarim 28:2-4).

21 September 2019 21 Elul 5779

Shabbat ends London 7.48pmJerusalem 7.14pm

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 1

Sidrah Summary: Ki Tavo

United Synagogue Daf HashavuaProduced by US Living & Learning together with the Rabbinical Council of the United SynagogueEditor: Rabbi Chaim Gross Editor-in-Chief: Rabbi Baruch Davis Editorial and Production Team: Rabbi Daniel Sturgess, Rabbi Michael Laitner, Joanna RoseAvailable also via email US website www.theus.org.uk ©United SynagogueTo sponsor Daf Hashavua please contact Danielle Fox on 020 8343 6261, or dfox@theus.org.ukIf you have any comments or questions regarding Daf Hashavua please email rabbigross@theus.org.uk

1st Aliya (Kohen) – Devarim 26:1-11

Once the nation has come into the Land of Israel,there is a mitzvah for a produce-grower to takethe first fruits of the new harvest and place themin a basket, before bringing them to a Kohen inthe Temple (the mitzvah of bikkurim). After theKohen takes the basket, the person who hasbrought the fruit reads out a text which recallsthe initial descent to Egypt, the slavery and theredemption. It concludes with an expression ofgratitude to God for the bounty of the Land (seep.3 article).

2nd Aliya (Levi) – 26:12-15

At the end of every third and sixth year of theseven year shemitah cycle, one has to make surethat all the tithes from the produce of the Landfrom the previous years have been given to theirrespective recipients. Once that has beenorganised, a text known as viduy ma’aserot issaid, which declares one’s careful commitmentto the laws of tithing, followed by a prayer to Godto bless the Land.

Point to Consider: In what part of our liturgy isthe final part of the viduy ma’aserot also said?(26:15)

3rd Aliya (Shlishi) – 26:16-19

Moshe encourages the people to keep themitzvot and to view them every day as fresh andnew (Rashi). This will elevate the nation to thestatus of being holy and distinguished.

4th Aliya (Revi’i) – 27:1-10

Moshe tells the people that on the day they crossthe Jordan, they should take stones, coat themwith plaster and inscribe upon them the wordsof the Torah. They should erect these stones onMount Eival, where they shall also build an altarand bring peace-offerings.

5th Aliya (Chamishi) – 27:11-28:5

After the nation enters the Land, they will cometo Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival. Six of the

tribes are to stand on one mountain, six on theother. The Levi’im will stand in between themountains to call out the blessings and thecurses, to which the people will respond “Amen”(Rashi).

6th Aliya (Shishi) – 28:6-69

This aliya opens with further blessings. If wefollow God's will – our enemies will flee from us and other nations will be in awe of us. The sidrah continues with the tochacha, thepassage of retribution (which is recited in anundertone by the person reading from theTorah). If we do not listen to God and do notobserve His mitzvot, the consequences will begrave. Verse after verse warns of petrifyingsuffering, including illness, plague, blindness,children being taken captive, being at the mercyof other peoples, and the nation becomingscattered over the Earth.

Question: What connection is made to theExodus in the passage of retribution? (28:60.Answer on pg.6.

7th Aliya (Shevi’i) – 29:1-8

Moshe reminds the people of their wondrousExodus from Egypt, their miraculous survival inthe desert for 40 years and their victories overthe mighty kings Sichon and Og.

Haftarah

Taken from the book of Yeshaya, this is the sixthof the ‘seven haftarot of consolation’ read afterTisha B’Av. The prophet relates a vision of thenations of the world coming to Zion andrecognising God. Violence and pain will becomememories of the past – “never again shall yoursun set, nor shall your moon be withdrawn; forGod will be an eternal light”. These verses areincluded in the Memorial Prayer recited atcemeteries and shiva houses.

2

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 2

3In memory of David Yochanan ben Moshe

Different Destinies by Rabbi Rafi Goodwin, Assistant Rabbi, Chigwell & Hainault United Synagogue

In Temple times, someonewho grew one of the specificfruits which the Torahmentions that the Land isblessed with - grapes, figs,pomegranates, olives ordates - was commanded bythe Torah to select some of

the ripened first fruits, put them in a basket, bring them to the Temple and present them toa Kohen. This annual gift of the first fruits knownas bikkurim, expressed the idea that our materialpossessions are not an end in themselves, butexist to serve a higher, spiritual purpose.

The Torah makes a specific point of emphasisingthat bikkurim were to be brought in a basket(Devarim 26:2). The Mishnah, a foundational textof Jewish law, discusses what happened to thebasket. Did it remain with the Kohen, togetherwith the fruit, or did the farmer take it backhome? The Mishnah answers that this dependedon the identity of the owner: “The rich wouldbring their first fruits in baskets of silver and gold,while the poor would bring them in basketswoven of stripped palm leaves or straw”. The richkept their baskets, while the poorer people weretold to leave theirs with the Kohen (Bikkurim 3:8).How are we to understand this law?

The legal principle behind this facet of bikkurimis the concept of bittul, ‘nullification’. If a certainobject exists solely to serve another object, thenthe servient object has no role or identity asidefrom that purpose. They were therefore ‘nullified’,i.e. they became an inseparable part of the giftto the Kohen.

Not so the gold and silver vessels of the richperson’s bikkurim. These expensive baskets were valuable commodities in their own right,aside from the role they played in holding andtransporting the fruits. Therefore, they were notconsidered to be an integral part of the fruitsgiven to the Kohen; they were not ‘nullified’. For

that reason, the owners took them back from theKohen and returned home with them.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1813, thefounder of Chabad Chasidut) comments that inour own lives, the “choice first fruits” representour soul, and the basket in which they are placed represents the soul’s receptacle – ourbody and physical lives. Our goal is that our souls (the choice fruit) be transported andelevated, to become a “gift to the Holy Temple”,attained through a life of service to God.

We aim to ensure that our body, the basket, is a fitting receptacle; that we use all of our limbsto do mitzvot, such that the body becomessecondary and nullified to the soul, like thesimple straw baskets, helping the soul in itsmission to fully connect to God. While it isimportant to enjoy and appreciate the materialaspects of life, this should not become adistraction and an end in itself, like the gold and silver vessels which were not nullified to the fruits.

This article is based on an article by Rabbi YankiTauber from Chabad.org, itself based on an essayfrom Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 3

4In memory of Harav Yisrael ben Eliyahu

Defining Teshuvaby Rebbetzen Lauren Levin, South Hampstead United Synagogue

Our High Holiday prayers are replete with descriptionsof us returning to God, doingteshuva. What does thisentail? The English word‘repentance’ stems from themedieval French word‘repentir’, which originally

denoted both regret and repentance, with nolinguistic distinction between the two. Is teshuvano more than the feeling of deep regret formisconduct? Can we be commanded to ‘feel’something? And if we are fortunate enough to‘feel’ regret, will this suffice to change ourconduct going forward?

The Rambam (Maimonides 1135-1204) writesthat teshuva is in fact a practical process,beyond just feelings: “If a person transgressesany of the mitzvot of the Torah… when theyrepent, and return from their sin, they mustconfess before God, blessed be He… This refersto a verbal confession”.

This process is helpful in making a commandthat seems esoteric more tangible. Yet it runs therisk of teshuva becoming only a mechanical,verbal process. In addressing this, Rabbi YosefDov Soloveitchik (1903-93) considers thepractical ramifications of the Rambam’s view.Rabbi Soloveitchik explains mitzvot as havingdual elements: there is an action and there is thefulfilment of the command. Sometimes theaction and the fulfilment are achieved at thesame time. For example, on Succot there is amitzvah to take the arba’at ha’minim (the fourspecies). By lifting the species i.e. doing theaction, the mitzvah is fulfilled.

Then there are other commandments where theaction does not guarantee that the mitzvah istotally fulfilled, but rather acts as a trigger tofulfilling the mitzvah. For example, when theTorah commands: “and you should be happy on your festival’ (Devarim 16:14), the TalmudicSages explain this to mean that we should eat

meat and drink wine on the festival. However,eating and drinking are just the actions whichhopefully act as a catalyst to lift people’s spirits and make them happy. Only when true joy is felt has one fulfilled the command to behappy on the festivals.

So too teshuva: the confessional prayersformulated by the Rambam and codified intoJewish law do not guarantee successful teshuva.Rather, they kick-start the process, acting as afacilitator for introspection, remorse and resolvefor the future.

A different approach is suggested by RabbiAvraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook (1865-1935).Rabbi Kook offers a three pronged approach todoing teshuva. The first basic level is ‘innateteshuva’. He argues that once an individual hasdeveloped their sense of self, they will innatelyself-correct certain behaviours. The second is‘theological teshuva’. As the ‘people of theBook’, if we open the Tanach (Hebrew Bible) and read any of the striking passages aboutteshuva, this will encourage us to start such ajourney. The third level, which can only beachieved once the first two are in place, is‘cognitive teshuva’. It is driven by a clear visionof the type of lifestyle we are aiming for; anybehaviour that does not fit in with this will bemodified accordingly.

According to this, teshuva starts with self-belief.It then relies on connecting with our heritage and past, and culminates with a clear vision ofour future.

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 4

5In memory of Shmuel Nissim Ben Yaacov

The History of Jewish Philosophy: Part 6 – Karaites andtheir Influenceby Rabbi Chaim Burman, US Rabbinic Fellow

It may be hard to believe, but for centuries a group of Jews has existed whonever light Shabbat candles(even before Shabbat) sincethey consider doing so amelacha (prohibited activity).Some even refuse to cut

their challah with a knife on Shabbat, for thesame reason. Although they have “synagogues”,their services resemble Muslim prayer, withprostration on the floor and consisting almostexclusively of chanting psalms. These Jews, whohave always been a very small minority, arecalled Karaites and have had an importantinfluence on the development of Jewishphilosophy.

The origins of the Karaite movement areshrouded in mystery, but the general consensusis that the Karaites go back to Anan ben David,an ambitious Jew who lived in 8th centuryBabylon. According to one version of events,Anan was convinced that he was about to be appointed to the office of exilarch, a hereditary position of political power over theautonomously-governed Jewish communityliving under Arabic Abbasid rule. Although Anan was well educated and the next in line, therabbis appointed his younger and less learnedbrother, Chananiyah, because of his humility andpiety.

Inflamed with jealousy, Anan established a sectof his own, which denied the authority of therabbis in religious issues and rejected theirinterpretations of Jewish law. The Karaitesrejected all rabbinic and Talmudic interpretationsof the Torah and instead looked only to whatcould be deciphered from the literal written wordof the Torah. The word “Karaite” comes from theHebrew ‘mikra’, which is a term used to refer toBiblical scripture; their exclusive focus on theTanach (Hebrew Bible) explains their unusualpractices and prayer services.

The first Karaites were loose groupings of sectsthat merged elements from Judaism and Islam.It took the movement two centuries until it wasconsolidated by the great-grandson of Anan(whose name was also Anan). Although thisdissident movement was an aberration from thetraditional mainstream community, Karaites and“Rabbanites”, as they came to be called, livedside by side in many communities andsometimes intermarried, especially in Egypt.Wary of this coexistence and frequent contact,some of the greatest Jewish philosophers, suchas Rav Saadia Gaon (882-942) and Rabbi YehudaHalevi (c. 1075-1141), wrote classic works ofphilosophy, such as Emunot Vedeot and SeferHakuzari respectively (as covered in previousarticles in this series), as a way of clarifying theparameters of authentic rabbinic Judaism.

The Karaites spread across the Middle East,through Europe and to Russia. At the turn of the20th century, there were only 13,000 Karaitesworldwide. Yet their community has enjoyed arenaissance in Israel, where it now numbersaround 40,000. Contemporary rabbinic opinion isdivided about whether they are consideredJewish. This issue has been discussed and ruledupon by famous rabbinic authorities, such as theprevious Sefardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, RabbiOvadiah Yosef (1920-2013).

Addressing the Karaite claim that the Oral Torahwas of recent origin, Rabbi Yehuda Halevi had asimple but insightful counterargument. Writtentext without explanation is often undecipherable.Shabbat is certainly mentioned in the Torah, butwhen it writes that a person “should not leavetheir place on seventh day” (Shemot 27:29), howare we to understand that? Does it mean that oneshould not leave the town? The country? One’shouse? Maybe one is not allowed to get out ofbed! Therefore, when Moshe received the Torah,he must have been privy to the explanation andelucidation of its laws; God would surely explainclearly what He expected us to do. There must

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 5

The phrase “ShaarHashamaim” appears inparashat Vayetze, whenYaakov woke up from hisdream and realised thatthe holy place he hadslept on was the “gate ofthe heavens” (Bereishit

28:17). Shaar Hashamaim is the name of asynagogue in Belem, Brazil, founded in the 19thcentury by Moroccan Jewish immigrants. Itsornate building was most likely completed in1824, possibly making it the first ever synagoguein the region.

Fascinatingly, it was decorated in blue and white(long before those became colours associatedwith the modern State of Israel) and features threeStars of David above its entrance. It displayedsome grandeur in being built on two floors.Perhaps harking back to its Moroccan roots, themarble bimah is round and elevated.

The synagogue still functions today as a place ofdignified prayer – evoking a feeling connected toits name – a testament to the disparate origins of Brazilian Jewry which does not trace its lineagesimply back to the countries who ruled Brazilduring colonial times.

6In memory of Yehuda ben Yaakov HaCohen

Answer: The plagues which punished the Egyptians could be carried out against the Israelites

The History of Jewish Philosophy: Part 6 (continued from page 5)

have been some oral counterpart to the writtenlaw.

A notable point is that there are actually certainsignificant similarities between Karaite positionsand the opinions of great Talmudic authorities.Just as the Karaites interpreted verses to indicatethat one may not light Shabbat candles beforeShabbat since they will burn on Shabbat, theopinion of Beit Shammai (even though thehalacha does not follow this view) is very similar(see Talmud Shabbat 18b). How could it be thata position that was considered so antithetical totraditional Judaism was actually shared by greattraditional Jewish thinkers?

The answer to this requires an understanding of an important principle in Jewish thought:commentary and interpretation are useful andlegitimate tools of understanding Judaism, but only when they take note of the acceptedhermeneutical frameworks and principles.Whatever the conclusions of the Sages of theTalmud, they discussed and debated in a mannerthat was entirely consistent with the receivedknowledge from previous generations. TheKaraites, in contrast, interpreted in a way thatwas at odds with Jewish tradition, even if, onoccasion, they came to similar conclusions.

An Introduction to South American Jewry Part 5: The SecondOrganized Jewish Community and Synagogue in Brazilby Dayan Elimelech Vanzetta, Rabbinical and Halachic Administrator for US Burial,Lecturer for US in the City

Shaar Hashamaim Synagogue, Belem, Brazil

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 6

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 7

Ki Tavo Vol.31 No.55.qxp_Layout 1 11/09/2019 15:53 Page 8