Thoughts on Parashat “Ki Tavo”
by Rabbi Dana Sharon
“Ki Tavo” portion is also known as “The great rebuke portion”, because it contains a long and drawn-out description of blessings and curses that will come upon the people of Israel, according to their actions. When I look up from the books and look at what is going on around me, it is easy for me, too easy for me, to fulfill the mitzvah of rebuke…
These days are the days of the month of Elul, on my desk the machzor for the Tishrei holidays is already open in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and beyond, Yom Kippur, and this passage brings up before me the text of Rabbi Mordechai Rotem’s confession:
“We closed our ears to the cry of the poor and wretched.
We disdained people of honesty and integrity […]
We set our sights on “only by might and only by power” […]
We were afraid to proclaim the truth out loud.”