Ki Tavo(When You Come) D’Varim/Deut. 26-29
Torah Portion: Ki Tavo (When You Come) D’varim(Deut.) 26-29
Haftorah Reading: Isaiah 60:1-22
Tonight we read the Torah portion that contains some perplexing and difficult verses that talks about the curses that will befall the Jewish people in the future. I want us to speak of these later. It also talks of the “Bikurim Blessings,” which in English is the first fruit offering. I want to start with this subject and then end with a discussion of the curses listed in our portion.
Vayera (He Appeared) Gen. 18-22
Torah Portion: Vayera (He Appeared) Genesis 18-22
HafTorah: II Kings 4:1-37
Tonight we look at a Torah portion that is truly filled with verses that challenge us on a number of levels. We will pick our way through some of these as well as others you might have questions about. However, I would like to begin with my first question this week – comparing Abraham’s actions with other earlier Biblical characters. For example, how did Adam and Eve handle their sinful actions when confronted by G-d? What did they do? They denied any personal responsibility. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. I asked you to look at Genesis 13:8-9 where a quarrel breaks out between the herdsmen of Lot and those of Abraham over the availability of grazing land for their herds. How does Abraham deal with this? He takes personal responsibility. He does not pass judgment. He does not ask whose fault the argument was. He does not seek to reap any financial rewards. No, He gives Lot his choice of land. He sees the problem and acts to solve it without passing judgment or blame. Many times we are more involved with blaming rather than bringing growth.