Parashat Ki Tavo – Gratitude, Teshuvah, and Awakening Before Rosh Hashanah

Dedicated in memory of our unforgettable friend Faggy a”h, who did so

much good for the town of Antwerp. May her neshama have an aliyah.

Why Ki Tavo Is Always Read Before Rosh Hashanah

Parashat Ki Tavo, always read before Rosh Hashanah, contains some of the most challenging passages in the Torah: the klalot, the warnings and curses Moshe Rabbeinu delivered before his death.

First, the Torah tells us about the blessings and curses at Har Gerizim and Har Eval when Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael. But in Ki Tavo, we also find heart-wrenching descriptions of suffering, which feel all too real even today. I remember when the Twin Towers fell; it was Parashat Ki Tavo that week, and people immediately connected the verses of collapsing towers to the tragedy. Moshe Rabbeinu’s words echo through history.

Ezra HaSofer arranged that this parasha should always be read before Rosh Hashanah. The reason is captured in the phrase: tichleh shanah v’kililoteha, tachel shanah u’birchoteha—let the year end with its curses, and let the new year begin with its blessings. Even when the Torah cycle took three years to complete, they ensured Ki Tavo was read before Rosh Hashanah, so that we would conclude the year with this crucial message.

The Segulah of Bikkurim

There is a beautiful custom on Erev Rosh Hashanah: to read the first eleven verses of Ki Tavo, which describe the mitzvah of bikkurim. Why? Because we want to show Hashem that we are grateful. By counting our blessings, both large and small, we acknowledge His kindness and open the gates for Him to bless us in the coming year.

The Lesson of the Deer – Ke’ayal Taarog

How should we respond to tragedy? David HaMelech gives us guidance in Tehillim: “As a deer longs for streams of water, so does my soul long for You, Hashem.”

The Midrash explains why David chose the imagery of the ayalah (female deer). When she is ready to give birth, her body cannot expand, and she cries out in pain. Hashem sends a snake whose bite causes her body to expand so she can deliver her fawn.

In another Midrash, when drought strikes and all the animals are desperate for water, they turn to the ayalah to pray. She digs with her antlers, crying seventy times, until a spring bursts forth. Only after the animals have drunk their fill does she give birth.

Here, we find a profound lesson hidden in the Torah’s words. The phrase ke’ayal taarog is grammatically irregular—ayal is masculine, taarog is feminine—but this irregularity draws our attention to the selfless role of the female deer. Even amid her own immense pain, she turns outward, putting the needs of others first and crying to Hashem for their sake.

This teaches us that sometimes in life, we must set aside our own struggles to pray and care for others. True strength lies in transcending personal pain, showing empathy, and supporting those around us. David’s message is clear: being part of Klal Yisrael means looking beyond ourselves, feeling the needs of others, and davening for them—even before our own challenges.

Gratitude in Every Circumstance

Why speak of tragedy, why mention curses, when Hashem blesses us with so much good? The Gemara teaches that when a person rejoices in everything, big and small, he sees Hashem’s love and hashgacha pratit. By thanking Hashem for even the trivial matters of daily life, we train ourselves to perceive His hand in every moment.

Then, when we face events we cannot understand, we can still trust that they too have a purpose. This is hinted at in the verse: Et Hashem he’emarta hayom—you have declared Hashem today. Rashi explains he’emarta as expressing loyalty and praise: “Hashem, I know that whatever You do is for my good, and therefore I will keep all Your mitzvot with a full heart.”

Why 98 Curses?

The parasha lists 98 curses. In Vayikra, there are 49, corresponding to the destruction of the First Beit HaMikdash. In Devarim, as Am Yisrael prepared to enter Eretz Yisrael, the number doubles to 98. Why? Because kol Yisrael areivim zeh bazeh—each Jew is responsible for one another. Greater responsibility brings greater consequence.

The word tichleh (as in tichleh shanah v’kililoteha) can also mean tachlit—purpose. The curses are not punishment for their own sake; they are meant to awaken us, bringing us to teshuvah and reflection.

Tragedy and Awakening

We cannot always comprehend why horrific events, like those of October 7th, occur. Yet alongside tragedy, we often witness spiritual awakening. A great rav recently compared our times to the Holocaust. Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt”l foresaw in the 1930s that assimilation threatened the Jewish people. Without a massive shock, our future would have been lost. Indeed, after the Holocaust, Hashem brought a worldwide spiritual renewal and the return to Eretz Yisrael.

The tragedies we read about in the parasha, and the tragedies we experience today, are not meant to frighten us alone. They are Hashem’s knock at our door: kol dodi dofek—“My Beloved is knocking.” Hashem is asking us to awaken, to return, to reconnect.

The Gift of Teshuvah

Chazal teach that before the world was created, teshuvah was created. It is a divine gift that defies logic. The Midrash asks: what happens to the sinner? Wisdom answers: he is trapped in wickedness. Prophecy answers: he must die for his sin. The Torah answers: he may bring a korban for certain sins. Hashem Himself answers: yaseh teshuvah v’yitkaper—let him repent, and he will be forgiven.

Teshuvah is a gift, especially in these days of Elul. Even when our hearts feel broken, teshuvah can restore us.

Serving Hashem with Joy

Moshe Rabbeinu warns that one of the reasons for the curses is: tachat asher lo avadeta et Hashem Elokecha b’simcha—because you did not serve Hashem with joy. Hashem gave us Eretz Yisrael, a Beit HaMikdash, and everything we could dream of—but if we fail to appreciate it, the blessings are incomplete.

As we approach Selichot and Rosh Hashanah, even amidst sadness, we must find joy in life’s blessings: the gift of life, the gift of teshuvah, and the opportunity for spiritual renewal.

David HaMelech’s One Request

David HaMelech endured endless suffering and rejection. Yet he declared: Achat sha’alti me’eit Hashem—“One thing I ask of Hashem: to dwell in His house all the days of my life.” His entire purpose was to be close to Hashem, no matter the challenges he faced. That is our calling, too, in these days of Elul.

Conclusion

As we enter Selichot and prepare for Rosh Hashanah, may we hear Hashem’s knock, awaken spiritually, and embrace the precious gift of teshuvah. May we learn to:

• Thank Him for every blessing, large and small

• Serve Him with joy

• Daven not only for ourselves but for all of Klal Yisrael, emulating the selfless ayalah

From Yerushalayim, with love and tefillot for a meaningful Shabbat and a sweet, blessed new year.