Filed under: 11, PARSHA CI TABO | Tags: first curses, First fruits, Gan Aden, Garden of Eden, Magid of Koznitz, Manna from heaven, PARSHA Ci Tavo, Ramchal, Spiritual realms, ways of GOD, YHV"H
UPDATED SEPT 14THh, 2019
Ci Tavo בס”ד
This parsha is most appropriate before Rosh Hashanah. Our parsha begins discussing the offering of the First fruits of the soil as a thanksgiving offering. By this offering we affirm that YHV”H is our God, and that we walk in his ways. Then the parsha warns all Yisreal of the curse we inherit if we neglect to fulfill what the Torah asks of us or if we do what it has forbidden to us. Also we are informed of the blessings we will have if if we do what is asked of us in the torah. It becomes clear its either one or the other. The Magid of Koznitz teaches that from doubt one can come to confusion of thoughts this is the main curse as because of this one may cannot achieve cleaving to GOD.1 One must be a master of spiritual war against confusion of thoughts.2 The ways of GOD are not as our own so many times one may not see the blessings or these curses but be sure enough in God’s way, according to his Timing they will come.
There are eleven ingredients of the incense, the eleven goat wool coverings of the Tabernacle, and the eleven curses of our parsha. Holy life force can not enter the ten evil sefirot, for the holy does not mix with the profane. Rather, it hovers above them and enlivens them from afar. Therefore their number is eleven.
Of the eleven curses . The first, “ be he who makes a graven or molten image,” corresponds to the evil known as Arich Anpin of kelipah.
“All” is the “Sadeek” (righteous one) the yesod, it unites Z”A and Nukavah, namely, the ו”ה of the Name Yhv”h, which equals 11
Joseph saw 11 stars in his dream which foretold the future. Joseph was the eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob, and he died at the age of 110, remove the zero and you have 11.
. Over the words “for us and our children“(in parsha Nitzavim) there are 11 dots. In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 7, the prophet speaks of a vision of “horns” which symbolize the various regimes that we will encounter in our exile. The last and smallest of these horns will be the 11th. After this 11th “horn” the messianic period will be ushered in.
The Torah is a covenant, contract and set forth here are part of its terms. So let us realize by reading the curses, that which has already come upon us, and also remember what GOD did to Pharoe and all his country. The Ramchal teaches the curses in our parsha are contained in 53 verses, corresponding to the 53 parsha of the Torah itself. Alluding to the fact one can lose everything eternal. 53 is the numerical value of ”gan” referring to Gan Aden (Garden of Eden). These curses allude to the judgment of the World to Come. The first curses (in parsha Bichucoty) are concerning judgments in this world, they are in 32 verses.3 In the world to come one has alot more to lose.
Remember and understand what is written in our parsha ” You have seen all that the Yhv”h did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land. The great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles. Yet the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, until this day. (29:1-3) This alludes to the fact that we do not have knowledge of spiritual awareness readily accessible to our human form. For if we did we would never think of transgressing. It is for this reason that so many waste their lives not involving themselves at all with the work of their soul for which purpose they were created. If our perceptions were not as they are there would be no free will. One must always force themselves to think, meditate so as to attain awareness of GOD and their true Divine nature. That we are the people who GOD took through the desert 40 years and our shoes and clothing did not wear out. He provided us Manna from heaven and a miraculous well of water that followed us where ever we went. Then we will be faithful to GOD and the terms of this covenant. Concerning the blessings of the Torah the Zohar teaches us David woke at midnight and praised the GOD until the name ascended upon it’s throne at the hour when the light of the day appeared. If you work to establish the Holy name all the blessings of heaven will abide with you.4 Aretz Yisrael receives flow of blessing from the supernal land, the Spiritual realms. If we do the spiritual things GOD asks of us we will be sure to see the Torah’s blessings.5
In our parsha Verse 15 begins a general description of the dire consequences if we don’t keep the “mitzvoth” (commandment) including: disease, pestilence, heat, drought, sterility, defeat, death, blindness, madness, and dismay. Verse 30 begins to describe these punishments in even more horrible detail, and the descriptions continue to the end of the chapter. On account of these curses, this chapter is called the “Tochachah” (Warning).” Some have custom that the “Tochacha” is read quietly, without the usual chanting.
If we look at the Torah chronologically where its 53 parsha correspond to years the world will exist and we are told the world as we know it will only exist till the Biblical year 6000 and we are now in 5776 (2015) we find that ci Tavo corresponds to 1840-1940 at this time period some settlements were founded in the Holy Land, for the purpose of observing the mitzvot applicable to the land. These mitzvot can only be kept in the land of Israel and the early settlers wanted to renew the observance of these commandments. (Unfortunately, our nation did not withstand the test, and pretty soon, new kibbutzim were organized by completely irreligious Jews who did not keep any commandments, and later founded the secular State of Israel.)
This week’s parsha, Ki Savo, according the chronology of the Torah spoken of above, corresponds to the time period of the Holocaust. This parsha lists the worst curses in the Torah and is indeed testimony to the worst period in late Jewish history. Here the Torah warns what would happen when Jews turn from the ways of God and run after the ways of the nations and it was accurate to its last bitter detail.
Towards the middle of the Parsha, the Torah describes eleven curses for those who do not keep the commandments. The curses end with the words: “Cursed is the man that will not uphold the words of this Torah”. The entire second half of the Parsha is devoted to the terrible curses that will befall our nation if we don’t observe the commandments. This portion of the Torah is read quietly – for these are the sad words of rebuke.
Speaking from historic perspective, it is well known that the majority of the Jewish people abandoned the observance of the commandments during this century. By the time of World War II, most of our nation did not keep the mitzvot. The fast momentum at which the Jewish people were going astray was astonishing. Then the punishments started befalling us. On the saddest day of our year – the Ninth of Av, World War I started. The Russian revolution, pogroms in Ukraine, an unstable economy in Europe and the Great Depression in US were just prelude to the worst punishments still to come – with the outbreak of World War II at the end of the century. Which dealt a terrible punishment to the Jewish nation.
It was decreed from on High that European Jewry could no longer be the bedrock of the Jewish nation it was uprooted including its very foundation. Not only did all those who ran from Judaism die just because they were Jewish- kiddush Hashem, but nearly all the Torah giants, their students and communities were gathered to the Creator. Every single Jew who survived Hitler’s, may his name be blotted out, quest for world dominion was hand picked by God to be the new foundation, the new building blocks of the new Jewish Nation..If you are alive today you have been hand-picked to save the Jewish people. So lets do spiritual things GOD asks of us we will be sure to see the Torah’s blessings.Then all the people of the earth will see that GOD’s name is called upon us. In the merits of all the Ba’alai Tshuva the world over may we soon see the coming of the Mashiach and the building of the 3rd and final Temple, speedily in our day. Amen, kain yehe ratsone.
1. 1Avodat Yisrael p.1
1. 2Avodat Yisrael p. 10
1. 3Tikunim Chadashim-Ramcha’l p.101
1. 4Zohar Bichukoty p113a
1. 5Shoshon Sodot
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