Parshat Ki Tavo כִּי תָבוֹא
August 28-29, 2026
15 Elul 5786
Annual Torah Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
Triennial Torah Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-27:10
This Shabbat we read Parashat כִּי תָבוֹא (Ki Tavo). Moshe continues his farewell address to בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (B'nei Yisrael), turning to the foundational duties and sacred attitudes required of the nation once they enter and settle the Land of Israel.
The portion opens with the ceremony of bringing the first fruits, בִּכּוּרִים (Bikkurim), to the central sanctuary and reciting the declaration of our history from servitude to freedom. Moshe then commands the nation to erect plastered stones inscribed with the Torah, followed by the covenantal blessings and the solemn warnings of the תּוֹכֵחָה (Tochecha) delivered between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.
Below, we look at the core themes of this week through three unique lenses.
Bikkurim: Gratitude as History and Memory - Insight from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
When presenting the first fruits at the sanctuary, the farmer recites the declaration beginning: "A wandering Aramean was my father" (Deuteronomy 26:5). In his essay "The Art of Giving Thanks," Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks explains why Jewish thanksgiving requires telling a historical story rather than merely reciting a prayer:
"We thank God not just for the food we eat, the earth that yields its produce, and the rain that falls, but also for the history that brought us here... We are who we are because of what our ancestors were." Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Moshe teaches that true humility comes from remembering our origins. By connecting our personal harvest to the broader narrative of the Jewish people, we recognize that our achievements are part of a larger covenantal journey.
Freshness in Daily Practice: "This Day" - Insight from Rashi and Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz
Moshe tells the people: "This day Adonai your G-d commands you to perform these statutes and ordinances" (Deuteronomy 26:16). Rashi, commenting directly on the words "this day" (הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, hayom hazeh), cites the classic Midrashic teaching:
"Every day they should be to you as new, as if on that very day you were commanded concerning them." Rashi on Deuteronomy 26:16
Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz explains that the central struggle of religious life is the erosion caused by habit. When a mitzvah becomes mere mechanical routine, its vitality diminishes. The Torah demands that we approach our ethical duties and sacred actions with the enthusiasm, attentiveness, and freshness of a brand-new day.
Joy as the Essential Ingredient - Insight from Maimonides (Rambam) and Sivan Rahav Meir
Toward the end of the warnings in our portion, the Torah notes that suffering arises: "Because you did not serve the Lord your G-d with joy and with gladness of heart, out of the abundance of everything" (Deuteronomy 28:47). In the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides underscores that joy is not an optional extra, but central to service:
"The joy that a person experiences in performing a mitzvah and in the love of G-d Who commanded it is a great divine service." Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Lulav 8:15
Journalist and educator Sivan Rahav Meir points out that this verse holds a mirror to our daily lives. Living a life of values is not measured only by technical compliance, but by the energy, warmth, and joy we bring into our homes, our communities, and our spiritual practice.
הַפְטָרָה: Haftarah Reading: יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Y'sha'yahu) 60:1-22
We read the sixth of the seven Haftarot of Consolation (Sheva d'Nechemta). The prophet יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Y'sha'yahu) calls upon Yerushalayim to rise from mourning into a brilliant future filled with divine light:
קוּמִ֥י אוֹרִ֖י כִּ֣י בָ֣א אוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּכְב֥וֹד יְהוָ֖ה עָלַ֥יִךְ זָרָֽח׃
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." (Y'sha'yahu 60:1)
The prophet concludes with an eternal promise that mourning will cease and justice will flourish forever:
לֹא־יָב֥וֹא עוֹד֙ שִׁמְשֵׁ֔ךְ וִירֵחֵ֖ךְ לֹ֣א יֵאָסֵ֑ף כִּ֣י יְהוָ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה־לָּךְ֙ לְא֣וֹר עוֹלָ֔ם וְשָׁלְמ֖וּ יְמֵ֥י אֶבְלֵֽךְ׃
"Your sun shall no more go down, nor shall your moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended." (Y'sha'yahu 60:20)
Questions to Contemplate
When I reflect on my personal and familial journey, what stories of past struggle help ground my gratitude for the blessings I experience today?
How can I bring a sense of renewal and vitality ("as if commanded this day") into one specific routine or relationship this coming week?
Compiled by Rav Baruch Shamash