Many Jewish teachers and philosophers have felt decidedly uncomfortable with the idea of reward and punishment as a motivation for observing the Torah. The Torah should be kept for its own sake or for love of G-d. Keeping the mitzvot only in order to receive a reward or to escape punishment, is behaving in an immature manner, like a child that behaves because it wants sweets from its parents. A truly religious person is beyond that, and understands that observance of the mitzvot is its own reward. This is, of course, in seeming contradistinction to the plain meaning of the Torah, which promises reward for keeping the Torah and threatens dire retribution for non-observance. This, indeed, is the main focus of this week’s Parshah. Yet the position outlined above, that keeping the Torah is its own reward, is also found in the Parshah. After the conclusion of the mitzvot with the tithe declaration, and as an introduction to the ceremony of the acceptance of the Torah, a short passage deals with G-d’s relationship with Israel. We have bound ourselves to G-d in order to observe all His commandments, walk in his ways and so on. G-d has bound Himself to us in order to make us a special nation and to keep all His commandments. The mitzvot are not only part of the obligation of Israel to G-d; but part of the promise of G-d to Israel. The Torah is, for Israel, not merely a duty to be fulfilled; but the reward for fulfilment of those duties. Just as the later Jewish philosophers argued, Moses seems to be saying that keeping the Torah brings its own reward, irrespective of the external consequences of our behaviour. This is an important idea, and not only in a Jewish context. Too often we see the Torah as a burden, something to be kept, wholly or in part, for external reasons. Whether for Jewish continuity, eternal life or respect for the past, we see Judaism as something we observe for reasons other than its own power, beauty, and moral voice. This is a poor basis for Jewish life. We need to love the Torah, enjoy the mitzvot and connect with their message. Only then will we bring to Jewish life the passion it deserves. In a wider context, we see the breakdown of the constraints of external authority. We therefore need a strengthening of internal moral authority, seeing in doing good its own reward, if society is not to collapse. While Moses certainly appreciated, and used, the promise of external reward, he also understood that internal motivation is the best guarantee of good.

ALIYAH BY ALIYAH SYNOPSIS

Rishon	The bringing of First Fruits to the Temple.
Sheni	The tithe declaration.
Shelishi	The covenant between G-d and Israel.
Revi’i	The writing of the Torah on boulders when crossing the Jordan.
Chamishi	The warnings to be pronounced. The blessings of obedience to the Torah.
Shishi	The dire consequences of disobedience.
Shevi’i	Moses reminds the people of G-d‘s power.
Haftorah	Isaiah: 60: All the nations shall serve a restored Zion.

 Sidra Statistics

Parshat Ki-Tavo

·               has 122 verses;

·               is the 7th in Deuteronomy,  50th  in the Torah

·               2nd  longest in Deuteronomy,  16th  longest  in the Torah   

·               has  3 pos +  3 neg =  6  mitzvot.

 

PAST PARSHAH PUZZLE

WEEKLY HALAKHA

 

Mitzvot should be performed with joy.