We don't want you to join our Shul
We want you to join our Family
We don't want you to join our Shul
We want you to join our Family
Moshe instructs the people of Israel: When you enter the land that Hashem is giving to you as your eternal heritage, and you settle it and cultivate it, bring the first-ripened fruits (bikkurim) of your orchard to the Holy Temple, and declare your gratitude for all
that Hashem has done for you.
Our Parshah also includes the laws of the Maaser-tithes given to the Levites and to the poor, and detailed instructions on how to proclaim the blessings and the curses on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival—as discussed in the beginning of the Parshah
of Re’eh . Moshe reminds the people that they are Hashem’s chosen people, and that they, in turn, have chosen Hashem.
The latter part of Ki Savo consists of the Tochachah (“Rebuke”). After listing the blessings with which Hashem will reward the people when they follow the laws of the Torah, Moshe gives a long, harsh account of the bad things—illness, famine, poverty and exile—that shall befall them if they abandon Hashem’s commandments.
Moshe concludes by telling the people that only today, forty years after their birth as a
people, have they attained “a heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear.”
"And He brought us to this place, and He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey" (Devarim 26:9)
Rashi explains that "this place" is in reference to the Beis HaMikdash.
The question that comes up is why is it in such an order. We were first given Eretz Yisroel, and only later did we gain Yerushaliyim and the
Beis HaMikdash?
Rav Naftoli Tzvi Berlin explained that the Beis HaMikdash was a spiritual benefit while Eretz Yisroel is a physical benefit. Therefore,
when we express our gratitude to Hashem, we put our spiritual gratitude before our physical.
How many times do we thank Hashem for the physical benefits that He has given us, and how many times a day do we thank him for our
spiritual? We generally remember to thank Him for our family, health, job, house, food, etc... but do we remember to thank Him for the
opportunities to learn, for Shabbos, for Yom Tov, for the ability to do tshuva?
Probably not. It's not our nature. However, since the spiritual life IS our priority after all, wouldn't it make sense to thank Him for all the
spiritual opportunities that He has given us?
