Why does misfortune befall the Jewish people? While there is no simple answer – or perhaps no answer at all - to this complex problem of theodicy,…
Ki Tavo: Year-End Readings
Observance of religious precepts is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Just because one is neglectful in one area of practice, Shabbat for example,…
Ki Tavo: Language Barriers
Those of us living in Canada are especially sensitive to the importance of language to the fabric of a country. The language that one speaks is, more…
Ki Tavo: Speak Up
One of the key aspects of our being created in the Divine image is the gift of speech. As the world was created with ten Divine utterances (Avot 5:1…
Ki Tavo: The Presence of G-d
In the secular world in which we live it can be—and often is—hard to feel the presence of G-d. The Western world has turned religion into…
Ki Tavo: In the Garden of Eden
"And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which You have given me" (Devarim 26:10). The Israeli farmer was to…
Ki Tavo: To Share or Not to Share
Parshat Ki Tavo opens with the mitzvot of bikkurim, the farmers’ bringing of his first fruits of the land to the Temple, and viddui maaser, the…
Ki Tavo: A Covenant of Love
With less than two weeks until Rosh Hashanah, the theme of teshuva begins to take centre stage. While the cycle of Torah reading--and for…
Ki Tavo: Real Estate Talk
The central aspect of the Pesach seder is the mitzvah of sippur yetziat mitzraim, retelling and reliving the Exodus experience. The Rabbis chose, as…
Ki Tavo: What a Waste!
Man has an innate desire to see the fruit of his own efforts. When life's blessings are handed to one on a silver platter, those blessings are…