Shabbat Greetings
This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8), is often remembered for its dramatic blessings and curses, but it begins in a much quieter place: gratitude. “When you enter the land… you shall take of the first fruits… and bring them to the place that God will choose.” (26:1-2)
The first mitzvah in the text is bikkurim, bringing the first fruits. The farmer does not begin by asking for more. Instead, they stop, look at what they have already received, and say, “Thank you.”
This timing feels especially meaningful as we approach Rosh Hashanah. The final weeks of Elul can easily become consumed by self-examination. We make lists of mistakes, unresolved conflicts, and things we want to change. That work is essential. Ki Tavo reminds us that genuine teshuvah doesn’t begin with guilt; it begins with gratitude.
The farmer’s declaration is remarkable because it tells a story. They don’t simply present fruit; they recount the Jewish journey: “My father was a wandering Aramean… We cried out to Adonai… God brought us to this land…” (26:5) Before speaking about today’s harvest, they remember yesterday’s struggles.
That is an important lesson for this season. As we prepare to stand before God on Rosh Hashanah, we are invited to tell our own story honestly. Not just where we have failed, but how far we have come. What blessings have we overlooked? What challenges have shaped us? Where have we seen God’s presence, even when it wasn’t obvious?
Ki Tavo also contains one of the Torah’s most striking instructions: “You shall rejoice in all the good that Adonai your God has given you.” (26:11) Joy is not presented as an emotion that simply happens. It is a commandment. We are obligated to notice goodness.
That can feel difficult in an imperfect world. Yet perhaps this is exactly why the Torah commands it. Gratitude changes the lens through which we see everything else. A heart that can recognize blessings is also more capable of honest repentance, because it knows that life is a gift worth improving.
As we reflect on gratitude this year, the death of Dolly Parton this week offers another poignant reminder of what it means to receive gifts and then share them with the world. Parton, who died at 80 on August 25, was celebrated not only for her extraordinary music and songwriting, but also for the generosity that became part of her life’s work, including her commitment to children’s literacy through the Imagination Library. Her life reminds us that our blessings are not meant to end with us. Like the farmer bringing the first fruits, we can take what we have been given: talent, resources, creativity, kindness; and turn it into a gift for others. May her memory be a blessing.
Later in the portion, the mood shifts dramatically with the tochachah, the rebuke. The consequences described are sobering, and they remind us that our choices matter. Jewish tradition places these passages before the High Holy Days not to frighten us, but to awaken us. They serve as a spiritual alarm clock: there is still time to change.
That is the gift of these last two weeks before Rosh Hashanah. The gates are still open. Conversations can still be had. Apologies can still be offered. Habits can still be changed. We have not reached the Day of Judgment yet; we are still in the season of preparation.
Perhaps the message of Ki Tavo is that these two movements belong together. We begin with gratitude and end with accountability. We celebrate the blessings we have received, and we accept responsibility for what we do with them.
May these remaining days before the New Year be filled with honest reflection, sincere gratitude, and the courage to return to our best selves. May we enter Rosh Hashanah with hearts that are both humbled by our shortcomings and uplifted by God’s blessings, ready to write the next chapter of our story with purpose, compassion, and hope.
SHABBAT SHALOM