At the end of the long series of mitzvot the have made the last few Parshiot, we have the ‘tithe declaration’. Every three years after ensuring the correct distribution of the various tithes, the householder declares ‘I have removed the holy things from the house’, goes on to enumerate their correct disposition and ends with a request for G-d to bless His people and land. Most of the commentators see this as a positive declaration that the person has fulfilled the various mitzvot concerning tithing and is therefore worthy of G-d’s blessing. The great Italian commentator Seforno, however, turns this view on its head. Rather than a declaration of righteousness it is a confession of sin. He bases himself on the tradition that the Divine service was originally meant to be carried out by the firstborn, and only after the sin of the Golden Calf was transferred to the Levites. The consequences of this change was that instead of the tithes going to the firstborn of each household, they were transferred to one tribe living in specific locations. This according to the Seforno was a step backwards. According to this reading ‘I have removed the holy things from the house’ is not a positive statement but an admission of guilt. The householder laments that because of his sins the possibility of eating tithes in his house was removed and in this way he has removed holiness from his house. Religious service has been taken from the head of each household and given to a professional class of priests based in Jerusalem. This extraordinary reading of the text is a lesson and a rebuke to all of us. It is possible that the Seforno wrote just at the time Rabbis were beginning to become paid full time professionals. Jewish spirituality was in danger of being taken out of the hands of the many and transferred to the few. What would he say of our generation when so much of Jewish life relies on the efforts of a few professionals. Have we not truly ‘removed the holy from our houses’. When people who can not read a page of Talmud or understand a book of Jewish law complain about issues of agunot or conversion, they should hesitate for a moment and consider. Who has given the power to the Rabbis to make these decisions they don’t like? If Rabbinical authorities with a worldview with which they disagree effect their Jewish life in ways they don’t like, is it not their abdication of Jewish learning, practice and responsibility that has given them that power? If we are unhappy with Judaism as practiced today, we have no one but ourselves to blame.

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

After second, forget about first.

It is forbidden to remarry your divorced wife after she was married to someone else.

PARSHAH PUZZLE

A curse for each Tribe.

WEEKLY HALAKHA

First Fruits can be brought only during the time of the harvest, from Shavuot to Succot.