Podcasts about parashat ki tavo

Rabbi Chananiah ben Akashia teaches us that Hashem desires to bestow abundant merit upon the Jewish people. For this reason, He gave us many mitzvot—each one an opportunity to earn immense spiritual reward. While the ultimate reward for mitzvot is reserved for the World to Come, Chazal teach that mitzvot also bring tremendous benefits in this world. Our sages explain that the Jewish people were not originally deserving of redemption from Egypt. It was only through the merit of two mitzvot that they were finally freed. The sea itself split in the merit of Yosef HaTzaddik, whose steadfast resistance to Eshet Potiphar became a merit for all of Klal Yisrael. The Midrash at the beginning of Parashat Ki Tavo tells us that Hashem gave the mitzvah of bikkurim (bringing the first fruits) to the Jewish people as a merit to help them enter the Land of Israel. The Torah also teaches that honoring one's parents brings the reward of long life. And in the merit of emunah , Chazal say, we will be redeemed from our current exile. There are countless examples of how mitzvot serve as a source of zechuyot . Every test and opportunity Hashem gives us is a chance to accumulate spiritual wealth that benefits not only us but our children and grandchildren for generations. We may not always see the full reward of a mitzvah, but we can be certain that every one of them helps us in unimaginable ways. A powerful modern example was shared by A.J. Gindi, the head of Renewal—an organization that helps kidney patients find life-saving matches. A woman with an extremely high PRA level came to the organization, desperately in need of a kidney. Due to her rare profile, the chance of finding a match was extraordinarily slim. Even Renewal's vast international database turned up nothing. They held a special donor event in the hopes of a miracle—and miraculously, a match was found. Before the transplant, the woman was asked what merit she believed had brought about such an unlikely success. She replied that she personally wasn't aware of any special merit, but she shared a story from her grandmother's experience during the Holocaust. While imprisoned in a concentration camp, her grandmother was shown rare kindness by an SS officer, who gave her a pass allowing her to move freely without being questioned. She thanked him and pleaded for passes for her parents as well, which he granted. Overjoyed to help her family, she returned with the passes—but was then approached by someone who begged her to obtain one more. At first, she refused, fearing that pushing further might result in the officer rescinding everything. But then the person explained: the pass wasn't for himself—it was for the Bobover Rebbe , who was in their barracks. "We must save his life," he said. The woman, a professional artist, decided to try to replicate an identical pass. She spent the entire night replicating it with precision. The pass was delivered to the Rebbe, and baruch Hashem , it saved his life. The kidney recipient concluded: "Perhaps in the merit of my grandmother saving a life, Hashem is now saving mine." After the successful transplant, the donor was asked what merit she thought enabled her to be the match. She replied, "I'm not sure, but I come from a family of rabbis. In fact, my grandfather was the Bobover Rebbe." Everyone present was stunned. Eighty years after a brave woman risked her life to save the Rebbe, Hashem repaid the kindness in kind—his granddaughter was now saving her granddaughter's life. This is just one example of how a single mitzvah can echo across generations. Every mitzvah carries infinite merit, benefiting us both in this world and the next. It is our responsibility and privilege to embrace each opportunity with joy, knowing that every act of goodness creates a ripple of blessing beyond what we can ever imagine.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We are now taking Bitachon lessons from the Pesukim that we read at Bikurim, that are the foundation of Magid in the Haggadah . We're telling the story of Yaakov going down to Mitzrayim and the next two words that we're going to discuss are ויגר שם Vayagor Sham / And they sojourned there. The Baal Haggadah explains that Yaakov Avinu's intention was not to become entrenched in the land, just to be there temporarily. He proves it from a Pasuk in Bereshit where the brothers tell Paroah, "Lagur ba'aretz banu/We came just to be sojourners ." (The Haggadah quotes from Parashat Ki Tavo in Devarim , which is a short synopsis of the events that occurred in Bereshit, which we refer back to) Ki ein mir'eh la'tzon asher la'avadecha/ We have no grazing area for our sheep. We're shepherds. We have no grazing area. And we're here temporarily. There's a very important lesson hiding in this little story about them not having a grazing area for their sheep. We know that the Egyptians worshipped sheep, and they did not like the shepherds who, so to say, did not necessarily treat sheep with the same respect that they did. Their sheep were not sheared or used as a commodity the way the Jewish people did. Yaakov and his family, going back to his time in Lavan's house, benefitted from and used sheep for their own purses. This was not the way the Egyptians worshipped them. So in truth, they were coming down to Egypt with a profession that would cause them to be distanced from the Egyptians. So we can see two areas where Hashem was preparing the road for them, decades in advance. Avraham was a shepherd, Yitzchak was a shepherd, Yaakov was a shepherd. They were all shepherds. The great Tzadikim are all called shepherds. David was a shepherd... Rabbeinu Bachya on this pasuk, and many others, explain that this is because a shepherd has time to think and meditate and contemplate, and that was a way to connect to Hashem, in a profession that allows for it. That is why they chose that profession. That's the simple, natural explanation. But now, as Hashem is always preparing the future, there are another two great benefits. Benefit number one is, when you're dealing with sheep on a day-to-day basis, cleaning them, and getting down and dirty, so to say, with them, you lose your respect for them, so there's no way you're going to treat them as a god. You know what they are. You're not going to worship them. So benefit number two is that the Egyptians would distance themselves from us. They were forced to separate from the Egyptians because they were not in the business that the Mitzrim appreciated. Look how Hashem was preparing from generations before, to put us in a situation that was right for us. When they came to Egypt, they might have said, " Oh my gosh, this is the worst possible profession! No one, no one likes this profession here." But in hindsight it was actually a protection. It might have caused us to be distanced, and that might be why we moved to the ghetto of Goshen and did not mix with everybody else. But that's what was necessary, and that's what was good for us.

What goes best with a peanut butter sandwich?  Jelly? Honey? Pickles?  And what does that have to do with sharing our story and gospeling?  Find out by checking out our latest sermon, "What Else Goes on A Peanut Butter Sandwich? Parashat Ki Tavo" by Rabbi David Wein.

RAB MARCO KASSAB- Parashat Ki Tavo: El otro bajur es “mejor”. by FOOD 4 OUR SOUL

RAB MARCO KASSAB- Parashat Ki Tavo: No tengas miedo de dejar algo en el “plato”. by FOOD 4 OUR SOUL

https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/lemynh.html  Living Emunah on Yamim Noraim Gaining faith from the Days of Awe This week's parasha Ki Tavo begins with the mitzvah of bikurim , where a farmer brings a basket of fruits from the seven species to the Kohen and recites certain pesukim . The Mishnah describes the bringing of the bikurim as a very elaborate process. There were crowds of people waiting to greet the landowners in Yerushalayim, with music playing in the background. It is noteworthy to point out that the farmer only had to bring one fruit from each of the species. The sefer Mapik Margaliot writes, we see from here the unbelievable value that the Torah places on the littlest deeds that we do. Imagine a farmer with orchards full of fig trees or date trees and thousands of fruits that are going to grow upon them, and he takes just one to do the mitzvah of bikurim , and the Torah makes such a big deal over it. When he walks to Jerusalem with the basket, everyone who sees him stands up in honor of the mitzvah he's doing. To the onlooker, it may have seemed that a king or president had just arrived, but it was just a man holding a basket of fruit. To us, it looks like something simple, but the Torah knows how valuable it really is. Sometimes the evil inclination tells a person, "You're going to learn Torah now? It's not worth it. You're going to be late. You're not going to understand what's being taught. It's going to take you at least ten minutes just to find parking." Or if a person wants to go to shul to pray, the evil inclination tells him, "How much are you going to concentrate anyway? Most of the tefila you space out. It's not worth the effort." Let us make a simple kal v'chomer . If for one fruit, that is worth less than a penny to the farmer, the Torah gives him endless honor. How much more so if a person would wake up early in the morning and push himself out of bed to go to shul at a time when he wished he could sleep just a little longer. He fights himself and he goes anyway. How many worlds is he building in Shamayim for those efforts? Or after a long day's work, a person comes home and is so tired he just wants to relax, but instead he strengthens himself and goes back out to learn, sometimes in the freezing cold, searching for parking. Every word of Torah gives endless rewards. How much more so when they are learned with difficulty? Every deed that we do is worth so much and we can never underestimate even the smallest things that we do. A woman related, she heard a short class about giving chizuk to others. The rabbi specifically mentioned that if someone is going through a difficulty and that person has ever gotten chizuk that has helped him, then he should use that chizuk to give someone else he knows who is going through the same difficulty. The woman told this to her son who was having a very hard time in shidduchim . He took the advice and called someone that he knew was struggling in the same area. He gave him all the lines that have helped him in the past. The other boy thanked him for the kind words and then said, "You know, I have someone that I think would be great for you." P.S. A couple of weeks ago, they were celebrating their engagement. Every deed accomplishes worlds in Shamayim . We don't necessarily get to see their effects down here, but rest assured, every deed we do is immeasurable. Shabbat Shalom.

Parashat Ki Tavo

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Ki Tavo | Why Did Bnei Yisrael Need a Second Tokhacha? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why is the imprecation (תוכחה) in our Parasha so much more frightening and graphic than the earlier one in Vayikra 26 Parashat Ki Tavo is perhaps most well-known for the lengthy and painful imprecation which Moshe integrates into the covenant which he initiates with Bnei Yisrael in the Plains of Moav - a decidedly second and "other" covenant to the original one entered into at Sinai. We explore the need for a second covenant and the significantly more frightening imagery in the second תוכחה and propose why it may have been needed for this second generation, born free in the desert. לע"נ אחי יונתן הלל בן הרב אשר אהרן ומרים Source sheet >>

Parashat Ki Tavo - Moshe's Essential Lesson by Rabbi Avi Harari

Aula ministrada para os alunos da Yeshiva Guevoha 19/09/2024

Parashat Ki-Tavo begins with the mitzvah of bikkurim – the requirement that a farmer bring the first of his fruits that ripen each year to the Bet Ha'mikdash , and present them as a gift to a kohen . The Torah commands, ובאת אל הכהן אשר יהיה בימים ההם – "You shall come to the kohen who will be in those days." Rashi explains that the Torah adds the words אשר יהיה בימים ההם – "who will be in those days" – to teach us אין לך אלא כהן שבימיך כמו שהוא – "all you have is the kohen in your times, the way he is." A person should bring his bikkurim to the kohen who is there in his time, even if this kohen is not of the same caliber as a kohen of a previous generation. Rashi makes a similar comment earlier in Sefer Devarim (17:9), in reference to the Torah's command that one bring his difficult Torah questions אל השופט אשר יהיה בימים ההם – "to the judge who will be in those days." In that context, too, Rashi explains that the Torah is emphasizing that even if the judge is not as great as the judges of earlier generations, אין לך אלא שופט שבימיך – "all you have is the judge who is in your times." The Ramban raises the question of how Rashi applies this to the context of bikkurim . After all, the kohen simply receives the bikkurim . He does not need to be wise, scholarly, or righteous. When it comes to judges and halachic scholars, it's understandable that one might be reluctant to bring his halachic question to a rabbi who is less impressive than the Rabbis of yesteryear. But why would a person feel this way about his bikkurim ? The answer given is that when a person gives something to someone, he wants to feel good about the recipient. A farmer is bringing the first fruits, which he worked very hard to produce, to give them as a gift to a kohen . If he sees that the kohanim in his generation aren't quite on the same level as the kohanim of earlier generations, he might feel uneasy about presenting them with this gift. The Torah therefore tells him, אין לך אלא כהן שבימיך כמו שהוא – all you have is the kohen in your time. These are the kohanim you have been given, so appreciate them, and support them. This is something which is relevant when it comes to family members. Many people, if not all of us, have issues with somebody in the family, or with several members of the family. It could be a spouse, a parent, a child, a sibling, a parent-in-law or a child-in-law. They think, "If only he wouldn't do that," or, "If only she wouldn't be weird in that way," or, "If only he wouldn't talk like that," or, "If only she didn't act this way." People seem to always be complaining about someone, or more than one person, in their family. We need to remember, אין לך אלא כהן שבימיך כמו שהוא – these are the family members that Hashem gave us. Yes, they aren't perfect, just like we ourselves aren't perfect, and just like all people on earth aren't perfect. Yes, they're a little weird in some way, just like we ourselves are weird is some way, and all people on earth are weird in some way. We have to accept them and love them for who they are. אין לך אלא כהן שבימיך כמו שהוא . The Gemara in Masechet Hulin (58b) tells what appears to be a very peculiar story about two small flies. The female fly got angry at the male fly, and stayed away from the male for seven years. The reason it was angry is because it once saw the male fly suck blood from a person, and did not inform the female fly so she could also have some blood. The Gemara questions how this could have happened, given that this was a special species of fly that lives only for a single day. How could the female fly have separated from the male fly for seven years, if they lived for only one day? The Gemara answers that the "seven years" refers to שני דידהו – their "years." Meaning, this refers to just a short while, the amount of time proportional to seven years in the life of a human being. What is the meaning of this seemingly bizarre story? One Rabbi explained that the Gemara here is talking not about one-day flies, but about us. So many families are torn apart over nonsense, just like this pair of flies. So many siblings are not on speaking terms because of some silly fight, because somebody got offended by something that the other person did. And if only they realized that they live for just "one day," that life is shorter than it appears, they wouldn't have made an issue out of it. Let us try to appreciate the family we've been given, the people we are blessed to have in our lives, flawed and imperfect as they may be. Instead of complaining, let us be grateful for everyone we have around us, and work to strengthen and enhance these relationships as best we can.

RAB MARCO KASSAB- Parashat Ki Tavo: Transforma “mucho” a “todo”! by FOOD 4 OUR SOUL

Dos niveles de entrar en Israel, vivir el judaismo de la manera más integro El Nombre de la Parsha

Featuring:Rabbi Aryeh SiegelYeshiva Ruach HaTorahBrooklyn, NYRabbi Aryeh Siegel shares a beautiful D'var Torah on this weeks Parashat Ki Tavo.Thank you, Rabbi Siegel for leading us this week with your clear and thoughtful explanation.

KI TAVO: The Greatest Blessing, Coed Jewish School Effect - Stump The Rabbi (177) https://youtu.be/qS-_LRMUjh0 In KI TAVO: The Greatest Blessing, Coed Jewish School Effect - Stump The Rabbi (177), Rabbi Yaron Reuven delves into the profound teachings of Parashat Ki Tavo, unpacking what it means to receive the greatest blessings in life. This Shiur also explores the controversial topic of coed Jewish schools and their effect on the community. Whether you're looking for ancient wisdom to enrich your life or keen insights into modern Jewish issues, this enlightening Shiur offers a compelling blend of both.

KI TAVO: The Greatest Blessing, Coed Jewish School Effect - Stump The Rabbi (177) https://youtu.be/qS-_LRMUjh0 In KI TAVO: The Greatest Blessing, Coed Jewish School Effect - Stump The Rabbi (177), Rabbi Yaron Reuven delves into the profound teachings of Parashat Ki Tavo, unpacking what it means to receive the greatest blessings in life. This Shiur also explores the controversial topic of coed Jewish schools and their effect on the community. Whether you're looking for ancient wisdom to enrich your life or keen insights into modern Jewish issues, this enlightening Shiur offers a compelling blend of both.

Parashat Ki Tavo:  The Greatness of The Levites -  English only.  The tribe of Levi was set apart from the other tribes of Israel. However, this week's Torah portion includes a perplexing detail about the honors granted to the Levites.  September 2, 2023.

In the beginning of this week's Parasha, Ki Tavo, we read about the mitzvah of Bikurim where the landowners bring up a basket of their first fruits to the Bet HaMikdash. There they read a portion from the Torah thanking Hashem for all of the chasadim that He does for them. The Midrash in Bereshit says in the zechut of this mitzvah alone, Hashem created the entire world. What is so special about Bikurim? The purpose of our existence is for us to recognize Hashem in this hidden world and serve Him properly. When a landowner works his field and puts in all the necessary efforts to produce a crop, it will obviously appear that he is the one who made it happen. His mitzvah is to go to the Bet HaMikdash and declare that Hashem is the One who made everything happen and thank Him for it. That act of recognition and thanks is worth creating the entire world because it is fulfilling its purpose. The sefer Torat Chaim writes, Hashem does kindness with us every moment of the day. It's just that we don't recognize all of them. We think things are running naturally and we don't sense that with every move we make and every breath we take, we are experiencing chesed Hashem. The Rabbi continued, technically, we should be thanking Hashem at every moment, but because that's not possible, the Rabbis instituted a thank you section in the Amida which we say three times a day to include all the 'thank you's that we owe for the rest of the day. One of the areas that we are tested in this world is how we respond to challenges. Do we recognize the challenges are from Hashem for our best or do we feel like we're being picked on and complain about them? We must also realize that one of the areas we are tested in is how we respond to blessing. Do we recognize the blessings are from Hashem? Do we thank Him for them? That's a test we would much rather have, so let us do it the best possible way. The Torat Avigdor writes, one of the reasons the words "קל עליון-supreme God" are written next to the words "-גומל חסדים טובים Who grants benevolent kindnesses" in the Amida is for us to contemplate the fact that any chasadim we have are directly from Hashem and the people who seem to be the immediate cause of them are just His messengers. How can we improve in this area of thanking Hashem for everything we have? It could happen that a person was once facing adversity. For example, he had a dangerous illness. He cried and prayed to Hashem many times for salvation and, baruch Hashem, it came – the doctors declared him totally healed. Naturally, at that time, he must have felt indebted to Hashem. But after time went on, did he still feel the same thankfulness for living a regular, healthy life? That is where the test kicks in, to be appreciative of the blessing of health, without the challenge of it being threatened. If we could contemplate all the undeserved blessings that we have, we would be so humbled and we would look forward to thanking Hashem. The Gemara says in Masechet Berachot, when a king makes the first bow to Hashem in the Amida, he should remain like that for the remainder of it, never getting up until it's over. One of the reasons given for that is since Hashem blessed him with so much, he needs to be even more humbled and appreciative. The more Hashem blesses a person, the more hakarat hatov he needs to have - and we are all blessed. The Pele Yoetz writes, if that applies to physical blessings, how much more so to spiritual ones. If a person is fortunate enough to be religious, to know Hashem, to follow mitzvot, to be clear about his purpose in life... Or if someone is fortunate enough to live his daily life revolving around Hashem – praying, learning – he should be so humbled and appreciative that he is from the select group in this world that have this merit. When we become more thankful individuals, it brings more beracha. Right after Modim in the Amida, we ask Hashem for the most wonderful gifts – שלום, טובה, ברכה, חיים, חן וחסד ורחמים. How could we ask for so much? Because once we appreciate, the pipelines of blessing burst open. הודו לה' כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו-B'ezrat Hashem, we should have the praises of Hashem on our lips all the time. Shabbat Shalom.

Parashat Ki Tavo - Shin Of Tefilin And Putting On Tefilin On Chol Hamoed by Rabbi Benjamin Lavian

What Connects Parashat Ki Tavo And Rosh Hashanah by Rabbi Benjamin Lavian

La renovación del pacto

Parasja Ki Tavo (wanneer je binnengaat)We lezen:Deuteronomium 26:1 – 29:9(8) / Jesaja 60:1–22 / Johannes 14:15-21.En wanneer u in het land komt dat de HEERE, uw God, u als erfelijk bezit geeft, en u dat in bezit neemt en erin woont, moet het zó zijn dat u van de eerstelingen neemt van alle vruchten van het land, die u binnenhaalt van uw land, dat de HEERE, uw God, u geeft; en u moet die in een korf leggen en naar de plaats gaan die de HEERE, uw God, zal uitkiezen om Zijn Naam daar te laten wonen. U moet naar de priester gaan die er in die dagen zal zijn, en tegen hem zeggen: Ik verklaar heden voor de HEERE, uw God, dat ik gekomen ben in het land dat de HEERE onze vaderen gezworen heeft ons te geven.Deuteronomium 26:1-3 (HSV)De Torah-lezing van deze sabbat begint met de instructies van de Eeuwige om, nadat men het Beloofde Land is binnengegaan, de eerstelingen van het land apart te zetten en ze naar de priester te brengen. Dit wordt gedaan als een daad van toewijding aan de Eeuwige en als een offerande aan Hem. Het concept van het 'eerste' of het 'beste' dat aan de Eeuwige wordt gewijd, symboliseert dankbaarheid en afhankelijkheid van Hem. Hierdoor wordt de Eeuwige erkend als het centrum en de bron van ons bestaan. Tegelijkertijd is dit ook een stap in geloof en vertrouwen, waarbij men gelooft dat de Eeuwige zal voorzien in wat nodig is. Omdat dit een eerstelingsoffer betreft, dient het opdragen van de eerste 10% als bewijs dat de overige 90% ook beschikbaar zal zijn, volgens het principe van overvloed en zegeningen dat voortkomt uit gehoorzaamheid aan Zijn instructies.Deze parasha bevat ook het bekende hoofdstuk over de zegen en de vloek; een gedeelte dat veel mensen moeilijk vinden. Het lijkt erop alsof het volk onder druk wordt gezet en van hen blinde gehoorzaamheid wordt gevraagd. Hoewel dat een begrijpelijke gedacht is, wordt in de Tenach gehoorzaamheid vaak aangemoedigd naast het ontwikkelen van een oprecht begrip van de wil van de Eeuwige en een diepgeworteld verlangen om die te volgen. En daarmee komen we op een andere prominent thema van deze parasha: de toestand van ons hart. In Deuteronomium 10:16 riep Mozes uit dat het volk een besnijdenis van het hart moest ondergaan. En in deze parasha lezen we dat het de Eeuwige zelf zal zijn die het hart van het volk zal gaan besnijden.In het gedeelte van Johannes 14 lezen we hoe dit plaatsvindt. De Trooster, de Geest van de waarheid, zal ons hart verlichten en inzicht schenken in de wil van de Vader. Op deze manier komt de vervulling van Mozes' wens om een begrijpend hart te hebben tot stand door de werkzaamheid van de Heilige Geest. En hier, net als bij Mozes, zien we ook in de woorden van Jeshua geen pleidooi voor slaafse of blinde gehoorzaamheid. Onze gehoorzaamheid aan de wil van de Vader is namelijk geworteld in onze liefde voor Hem en voor degene die Hij heeft gezonden.Support the show

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At our Virtual Morning Minyan on August 31st, Rabbi Lizzi advocates Veganism. Well, not exactly — you'll have to listen to find out what this week's Torah portion has to say about G_d's original dietary prescription for humans. Every weekday at 8:00 am, Mishkan Chicago holds a virtual Morning Minyan. Our Thursday sessions are hosted by Mishkan's Founding Rabbi, Lizzi Heydemann. You can join in yourself, or listen to all the prayer, music, and inspiration right here on Contact Chai.https://www.mishkanchicago.org/series/morning-minyan-summer-fall-2023/Mishkan Chicago's High Holiday tickets are now on sale to the general public! For scheduling, pricing, venue information, and tickets, follow this link:https://www.mishkanchicago.org/high-holy-days/****For upcoming Shabbat services and programs, check our event calendar, and see our Accessibility & Inclusion page for information about our venues. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates.Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.Transcript

בס"ד מקור: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7p3G-uk57I הידברות https://www.youtube.com/@TVhidabroot/videos לקניית ספרי כבוד הרב הגואל אלקריף 2 אפשרויות לפנות להוצאת יפה נוף לינק לאתר: https://bit.ly/3ERazQ6 או לגשת לרחוב משה פרדו 5 בני ברק מייל לשליחת שאלות סיפורים לכבוד הרב הגואל rutrut40@gmail.com

The Torah states in Parashat Ki-Tavo, והלכת בדרכיו – “You shall follow His ways” (28:9). The Rambam understands this pasuk as establishing a Torah obligation to resemble Hashem, by following His example. Just as Hashem is רחום וחנון – compassionate and merciful – we, too, are to be compassionate and merciful to other people. This mitzvah , I believe, is telling us something very important, and very profound. We need to be merciful to other people because we, too, need mercy. We are all in the same boat. We all have struggles. We all do some things right, and do some things wrong. We all succeed in some ways, and we all fail in some ways. We all mess up on occasion. Every one of us, without exception, needs Hashem's mercy and compassion. And so when we see somebody else who is struggling, who needs help, who messed up, who failed – we need to show compassion. So many of us silently relish other people's mistakes and failures. When we hear about other people who are dealing with some difficult problem or crisis, there is often a part of us that celebrates the opportunity to feel superior, to feel that we've got our lives more in order than that person. Of course, we would never communicate these feelings, and, of course, we will certainly try to help if we can. We're not mean, and we're not bad people! But somewhere deep inside, we feel gratified to hear that somebody is struggling, because it allows us to feel that we're doing better than others. But this feeling of gratification is so fake. We all struggle, we all fail sometimes, we all have problems. מה הוא רחום, אף אתה היה רחום . We all require Hashem's mercy and kindness, so we should extend mercy and kindness to others, as well. When we hear of somebody who is struggling, we must remember that we struggle, too. We aren't necessarily any better. Somebody once approached Rav Avigdor Miller and asked how he should prepare for the judgment of Rosh Hashanah. Rav Miller looked at him and said: “Smile!” The fellow was startled. Smile? This is what we should do to prepare for our judgment? Few of us would ever have included “smile” in our list of 20 things we should be doing to get ourselves ready for Rosh Hashanah. Rav Miller explained by way of an analogy to a businessman who owned a chain of retail stores that were losing business. He proceeded to review all the stores and take inventory, to determine which products should be sold at a discounted price, which stores to close, and which employees to lay off. As he spoke to the manager of one store, the manager told him that a certain employee needed to remain, and could not be fired under any circumstances. “This guy is so warm and friendly,” the manager explained. “He greets every customer with a smile, and makes them feel welcome. People come into the store just because of him and his smile. He cannot be laid off.” If we smile and are friendly to all of Hashem's “customers,” Rav Miller explained, we can't be “laid off.” We are needed. If we make people feel good about themselves, if we uplift them, if we are encouraging and helpful, then we are worthy of a favorable judgment. The best thing we can do to help ourselves going into Rosh Hashanah is to smile to everyone, to show everyone compassion and graciousness, to realize that we are all in the same boat, that we all struggle. If we smile and act kindly to others, then Hashem will smile and act kindly to us, and inscribe us for a happy, healthy, prosperous year, amen .

The Arizal, in the introduction to his sefer Shaar Mitzvot, brings up a question: We see many promises from our rabbis in the Gemara: If you do such and such Mitzvah, you'll have it good, you'll have a long life, etc. And yet we see people that do these Mitzvot, and it doesn't seem to come true. It's as if, heaven forbid, the promise of the Gemara is not true. He answers that in order for these promises to work, when a person does the mitzvah, the mitzvah cannot be like a load that he's trying to remove from himself. Rather, he should imagine, while doing the Mitzvah, that he is profiting millions of gold coins. He should be happy when he does the mitzvah, with a happiness that has no end; with a heart and soul that's full of enthusiasm. It should be, as if, in his words, not just imagination, but with the feeling that they're actually giving you million gold coins. What is a gold coin worth? I have no idea. Let's just say that today, it's worth $20. So that's $20 million for one mitzvah- not for a whole day's mizvot. So when you put on your Tefilin, you're happy as if you actually got $20 million in your hands. And he says, that's the meaning behind the pasuk in last week's Parashat Ki Tavo, that says the curses came because you didn't serve God with happiness and gladness of heart. He says that was the secret behind the great rabbi in the Gemara, Rav Bruna who prayed Netz, and did not stop smiling the entire day. What does this have to do with the topic of bitachon? The following words from the Arizal hit me. What does that smile show? The Arizal says, היות אמונת בטחונו בבורא יתברך בתכלית האחרון יותר משאם היה השכר מזומן לפניו בפועל His faith and reliance in God is such, to the nth degree, more than if money was set in front of him in actuality . That means, and this is, to me, the real bitachon takeaway: I am so convinced in God's reward and I rely on Him so much that his word is true. His guarantees are true. That's what bitachon really means, I feel guaranteed. I am so convinced in that guarantee, that I feel as if it literally is there. This is not a just a mashal . It's so clear that I have it in my hand. More than if it was real. We have to imagine what it feels like to have $20 million in hand. And again, not for the years of Mitzvot but for one individual mitzvah , for a pair of tefilin. When you feel like that, then all the promises of the Mitzvah are there. This is a very, very important lesson, and it shows us how necessary our Emunah and Bitachon is, for our Mitzvot to get the most bang for our buck. And he says, “ The more real simcha and inner happiness you have, if you keep that up, I have no doubt, that you'll have with Ruach Hakodesh.” I have no doubt that God's Divine spirit will come upon you. And he says this applies to every Mitzvah we do. When you learn Torah or do other Mitzvot, it must be with tremendous enthusiasm, with passion, as if you're standing in front of the king and serving him and trying to find favor in his eyes, because you know you're going get something very special. To be on this level every day of the year is almost impossible, but on Rosh Hashana it's easier, because the whole point of Rosh Hashana is that you're standing in front of the King. And that's what we have to visualize the whole Rosh Hashana, I'm standing in front of the king. I'm serving Him. I'm happy. I'm full of joy. Hopefully, we will be able to internalize this lesson and be full of happiness that we merited to serve the great King. Have a wonderful day.

Parashat Ki Tavo - Baal shem Tov Baal& Hatanya and Rashi ZY"A... by Rabbi Benjamin Lavian

The pasuk says in this week's Parasha, Ki Tavo , ושמחת בכל הטוב – we are to rejoice with all of the good that Hashem gives us. In this world, when a person appreciates what others do for him, those people are happy to give him more. But when a person denies the good, it makes others turn away from giving him. At the end of the year, when we are going to request of Hashem to give us a new year of blessing, the best thing we could do is to first appreciate how much He has given us already. One of the reasons people don't appreciate is because they feel that everyone else has more than them and everyone else is happier than them. But they are very mistaken. The sefer Orchot HaYeshiva tells the story of a young man who went to see Rav Shach, zatzal , and lamented that it seemed to him that his friend, who had gotten engaged at the same time as he did, seemed to be happier than him. He was asking the Rabbi if he should perhaps break off his engagement. Rav Shach replied, “The boy you are talking about was here before and he had the exact same complaint. He thought that you seemed happier than him.” This is the nature of man, to always think that others are happier than he, but in actuality, Hashem gives each person exactly what he needs to be happy, to do his job. If we could only focus on what we do have rather than on what everyone else seems to have, we would be so much happier. Just saying the Birkot HaShachar in the morning with kavana can bring a person such an appreciation for Hashem. The Chochma U'Musar writes, before we say each beracha , we should think about what exactly we are about to thank Hashem for and then appreciate it to the fullest. For example, he said, one of the berachot is פוקח עיוורים – that Hashem gives eyesight to the blind. Simply, we are saying when we go to sleep we can't see and each day when we wake up, Hashem gives up the ability to see once again. We are supposed to imagine the feelings of a blind man, lo alenu , and then imagine that all of a sudden, a doctor came up with a medication that could cure the blind. How much joy would a blind man have finally being able to see? That is the amount of appreciation that we are supposed to show Hashem every single day because nothing is a given and just because a person has something today doesn't necessarily mean he'll have it tomorrow. It is only because of the chesed of Hashem that we are able to enjoy the blessings He gives us each and every day. We also have to feel so fortunate that we have the zechut to serve the Melech Malchei HaMelachim HaKadosh Baruch Hu . The sefer Mizmor L'Asaf writes, when a person enters the shul in the morning, he should be overcome with hakarat hatov that Hashem gave him the privilege of entering His home to come and speak to Him. The more we appreciate, the better our avodat Hashem will be, the happier we will be and the happier Hashem will be to give us even more.

La mitzva de las primicias y el amor al prójimo.

בס"ד מקור: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho87KTbUnrA הידברות: https://www.youtube.com/c/hidabrooTeem/videos

Y.piha

“If much of Deuteronomy is a prophetic vision or dream, the tochachah is the nightmare.”-Metallica"Exit light! Enter night! Take my hand — we're off to Never Never Land."-Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks[note: check to see if quote attribution is correct before publishing]Please email rabbideena@mishkanchicago.org with any corrections to this week's episode description.Produced by Mishkan Chicago.  Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss. See our upcoming Shabbat services and programs here, and follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for more updates. Check out Shabbat Replay on Contact Chai for more from Rabbi Deena.Transcript

Parashat Ki Tavo: Elevating Reshut Into Mitzvah

It is forbidden to demand payment after the Shemita year for loans given before the end of Shemita. If the borrower offers to pay the loan, the lender is obligated to say, "Meshamet Ani" ("I cancel"), announcing the debt's annulment.The Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Ki-Tavo, writes that this Halacha applies even to borrowed goods. For example, if a person borrows a dozen eggs from a neighbor toward the end of Shemita, and after Rosh Hashanah he approaches the neighbor to pay for the eggs, the neighbor must refuse to accept the payment. The reason, the Ben Ish Hai explains, is that borrowing grocery items is akin to borrowing money: the borrower uses the goods however he likes, with the expectation that he will pay the value of those foods with something else. This situation is identical to a monetary loan, which is given so that the borrower can spend the money and the repay the debt with other money. Therefore, a debt incurred by borrowing goods also falls under the obligation of "Shemitat Kesafim" (the remission of debts after Shemita).In light of this Halacha, the Ben Ish Hai recommends that people specifically make a point of lending goods to their neighbors before Shemita, in order to have the opportunity to fulfill this special Misva. One should approach his neighbor before Rosh Hashanah and offer to lend items such as flour or eggs, and then, when the neighbor comes after Rosh Hashanah to pay, the lender should declare, "Meshamet Ani," and thereby fulfill the Misva of "Shemitat Kesafim."Summary: Just as the end of the Shemita year cancels all loans, it similarly cancels debts incurred by borrowing grocery items such as food. Thus, if a neighbor borrowed eggs, for example, from his neighbor toward the end of the Shemita year, once Rosh Hashanah comes the lender may not demand or accept payment.Visit www.iTorah.com to download the Prozbol form.

In Parashat Ki Tavo, Moshe instructs the people to do an extensive ceremony when they come to a specific mountain after they enter the land. Many aspects of this ceremony are reminiscent of Sinai. A mountain, words of Torah written on stones, building an altar and offering sacrifices. It looks like a reenactment of entering into a covenant with God at Sinai and all of the obligations entailed by berit. But why is there a need to reenact Sinai? Wasn't that one-time event powerful enough on its own to solidify entry into covenant for all future generations?

Source Sheet: https://tinyurl.com/2mbn4wa8

Jill Zenoff joins us for a delicious (if not overly-cheesy) episode for Parashat Ki Tavo. A friend of farms and food, Jill brings a unique perspective to our conversation about first fruits, blessings, curses, and — of course — cheese. We love cheese. How does the first harvest connect to our world today? How does it connect to Tikkun Olam — repairing the world? We'll cover all this and more, all with a taste of Torah and — again — cheese. In fact, in a Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist first, Jill pairs our Midrashic Mixology cocktail with a cheese! This episode is brought to you by Lactaid. Ok, not really, but it probably should be. To continue the conversation: Jill's Instagram: @cheese_camp_director_jill Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don't forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it's a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Kate Griffin

Parsha Talk: with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Jeremy Kalmanofsky and Barry Chsler. Parashat Re'eh [Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17] is the beginning of the legislative core of Deuteronomy, which will extend over the next few weeks until the beginning of Parashat Ki Tavo [read this year on September 17]. One might look at it as the foundation of Israelite religious life, with laws calling for the centralization of cultic life “to the site that the Lord your God will choose” [12:5], the dietary laws [ch. 14], צדקה (charity) [ch. 15], and holidays [ch. 16]. We spent a lot of time talking about the centralization of the cult: what did it mean for our ancestors in ancient Israel, and in what ways it might be applicable or desirable today. This did not leave a lot of time to discuss other things, but there is always next year! Comments, questions, and criticisms may be directed to parshatalk@gmail.com. Shabbat Shalom!

Parashat Ki Tavo: The Good Within the Bad