The Torah teaches us that there is a great purpose in keeping G-d's commands:

G-d's desire is to set us apart. To establish His covenant with us, and be in relationship with us. Through the observance of G-d's will for our lives, He imparts vision and blessing unto us and to our children. This responsibility to walk in the halakhah, in the way of G-d's instructions, is not simply for our ancestors. It is an act that involves each of us today:

G-d gives each one of us, in every generation, the opportunity to walk out His Torah. It was not meant to cause us to stumble, but rather, to give us the opportunity to be in connection with G-d. To be partners with G-d in bringing redemption into the world.

According to the great Jewish philosopher, Abraham Joshua Heschel, the Torah is an answer to the supreme question: What does G-d demand of us? G-d is in passionate pursuit of a relationship with us. For Heschel, God's search of man, not man's quest for G-d, was conceived to have been the main event in Israel's history. The way to G-d is the way of G-d, and the mitzvot are 613 ways of G-d, a way where the self-evidence of the Holy is disclosed.

Observing the mitzvot is the opportunity to take a leap of action rather than a leap of thought. HaShem never promised that it would be easy, but He did promise that it would be possible.

As we prepare for Slichot tomorrow night (Saturday night/Sunday), and for Rosh HaShanah next week, may we truly see the value of keeping G-d's mitzvot, and may we grow exponentially in our pursuit of HaShem in the coming New Year!

"L'Shanah Tovah Tikateivu - May you be inscribed for a sweet New Year!"

The question arises as to why G-d would emphasize the observance of the Torah before bringing Israel into to the Promised Land. Would it not make more sense to first bring them into the Land, and then give them the Torah?

We are currently in the Jewish month of Elul – a time of preparation leading up to Rosh HaShanah, and the following High Holidays. The reason we have the month of Elul is because G-d is concerned about order and protocol. The entire Torah is about the proper order and protocol of living out our lives in the presence of HaShem. As such, we cannot just come marching into the High Holidays and expect to just shout out, “Here I am!” We have an opportunity for a mo’ed, a divine set apart time when G-d chooses to meet with us. Such an opportunity requires preparation on our part.

One of the several themes of Rosh HaShanah is the coronation of G-d as King. If we were to be summoned before an earthly king or queen, wouldn’t we want to prepare ourselves and make sure we were at our best? Then how much more so should we be preparing to meet with the King of the Universe! We have been given an opportunity to meet with G-d. The month of Elul is our preparation period to ensure that when we stand before G-d on Rosh HaShanah, that we are coming at our best, and have prepared ourselves to be in the presence of G-d. We must get ourselves right, so we can stand upright before HaShem.

That is the purpose in Ki Tavo. The Jewish people were given the Torah before coming into the Promised Land because coming into the Land meant coming before G-d. The land of Israel is interconnected with G-d in the deepest way. So coming into the land symbolizes coming into G-d’s presence. In this week’s portion it states:

You are to take the first-fruits of all the crops the ground yields, which you will harvest from your land that HaShem your G-d is giving you, put them in a basket and go to the place where HaShem your G-d will choose to have His Name live (Deut. 26:2).

G-d has chosen the land of Israel as the place where G-d’s presence resides on earth. By coming into the Land, Israel is coming into G-d’s presence. Therefore, G-d emphasizes Israel’s preparation and observance of the “How to’s” of being in the manifest presence of HaShem (i.e. the mitzvot). That is also why the section of blessings and curses in the parashah is so severe. Being in the presence of G-d requires greater accountability. As we the Jewish people had to prepare to come into the Promised Land (i.e. G-d’s presence), so should we be in preparation for the coming of Rosh Hashanah, and another opportunity to be in the presence of G-d.