Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Ki Tavo 18 Elul 5774 (13 September 2014) AS SHABBAT APPROACHES Torah from the Earth - by Rabbi Oury Cherki, Machon Meir, Rabbi of Beit Yehuda Congregation, Jerusalem At Mount Sinai, the Torah was given from heaven and not from the earth. A tremendous and powerful voice of G-d came out from the mountain peak, and the nation was not allowed to climb up or even to touch the edge of the mountain, under a threat of death. When the Torah is given in this way, it creates more fear in the soul than love, and it is a source of trembling and intimidation. Evidently, the conditions of life and awareness that existed at the time when the Torah was given were such that no other way of giving it was possible. According to the sages the Torah was given before its proper time – that is, before conditions were right for fully integrating the Torah into life, without any feeling of coercion and acting against man's natural instincts. If Divine guidance had waited another 974 generations, not only would the Torah have been received in a state when mankind could fully identify with it, but there would have been no need for external revelation to the soul of man. Rather, the mitzvot would have been observed without an explicit giving of the Torah, as in the time of the forefathers, who indeed observed the whole Torah before it was given to us. Rav Saadia Gaon explains that the reason for moving up the time of the Divine revelation was to prevent a long period of suffering that would have been the fate of mankind if the Torah had not been received in ancient times. But this means that it was necessary to add to the threatening events at Mount Sinai another more friendly momentous occasion, which would be able to heal the damage caused by holding the mountain over the heads of the people like a large bowl (the first event took place outside of the Land of Canaan, the natural place of the Torah). This was the gathering that took place on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, which the Torah describes in this week's portion. Here, everything has been turned around. The people of the nation are at the top of the mountain, and the voices, human voices which come out of the mouths of the Levites, burst out from the earth. This shows that the Torah of Eretz Yisrael stems from earthliness, from life itself, without any element of coercion. This is a type of Torah that enhances the faith in the ability of mankind - which has already heard the words of G-d at Sinai – to coordinate his knowledge with that of G-d, based on the depths of his own nature. The dual sources of the Torah, from heaven on one hand and from the earth on the other, correspond to two sources of holiness that are described by Rav Kook (Orot Hakodesh, volume 2, General Sanctity, chapter 23). On one hand there is "normal" sanctity which fights against nature, and on the other hand is the perfection that will come about at the end of days due to the action of the "sanctity of nature," which will defend its position

with strength after it had been shunted aside during the long period of exile. In a hidden way, this has created the secularist movement, which speaks in the name of "a life of normalcy" and does not realize that its own moving force is the holiness that is hidden within nature. In the end, both types of sanctity will achieve peace with each other and they will recognize that they have a common root. Thus, those who received the Torah from heaven will recognize the wealth hidden in those who received it from the earth, and those who received it from the earth will lovingly accept the power of life embodied in the revelation of the heavenly Torah. Rabbi Cherki is the head of Brit Olam – Noahide World Center, Jerusalem POINT OF VIEW Give the Proposed Constitution of the Bayit Yehudi a Chance - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute "The little one will become a thousand and the youth will grow into a mighty nation. I am G-d, I will bring it about quickly, at its proper time." [Yeshayahu 60:22, from this week's Haftara.] If no legal revolutions have taken place during the week, before you see this article, a new constitution will have been presented for approval at the central committee meeting of the Bayit Yehudi Party. I am writing this article before the meeting takes place, of course, but I assume that the constitution will pass, even though it is very easy to attack it, as will be seen below. I for one support the idea, in spite of many significant points that have been raised by its opponents. Down with Democracy! One of the main complaints against the constitution is the dimming of the democratic process in the party, almost whittling it down to nothing. The constitution gives the chairman of the party an almost superhuman status, including the right to personally pick some candidates for the Knesset (one man or woman out of every five on the party slate) for reasons of "fixing distortions and balance," the exclusive right to appoint ministers and deputy ministers, and a preference for proposals that he makes to the party institutions – among other proposals which grate on the ears of the democrats among us. The Mafdal, which was an ultra-democratic party, is making way for a party to be directed by "stars," similar to such parties as Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas, and the Movement, which give no hint of any democracy in their approach, and to similar parties from the past, such as Shinui, Kadima, Haderech Hashelishit, and others which have all been sent to the dustbins of history.

2 Even though I agree that this is indeed the direction that the proposed constitution is taking, I still support it and say we should give it a chance. Don't stand on democratic principles if it is possible to go much further by ignoring them. They have no absolute value in terms of political organization. In view of the success of the Bayit Yehudi in the current Knesset, and in view of the enthusiasm and support shown by large segments of the population, including some who are "light" in their observance of the traditions (see below for more on this), and based on the fact that this may be the only way to strengthen right-leaning Jewish nationalism – I suggest that we accept this "decree" and ask democracy to wait on the sidelines for a while... But, you may well ask, weren't most of the parties mentioned above short-lived, like falling stars, or false gods? Here is my answer: The Bayit Yehudi Party was founded on the solid foundation of the religious Zionist movement that preceded the establishment of our country (under various names), and it participated in every Knesset since then. Religious Zionism will continue to exist, and this does not depend on a specific chairman or the details of a new constitution. It will always basically continue to be a Jewish Home. "Jewish" Instead of "Religious" And now we come to the next claim, which is more significant. This is the idea that the declared religious character of the "Bayit" – the home – will be blurred by the new constitution, and that it will be transformed into a nationalistic-Zionist home that is not necessarily religious, based on the accepted definitions in our world. In this case I also admit the facts, and even so I support the new constitution (although with a trembling hand). A religious and sectorial party is a model for nostalgia and adventure. In political life, and among the graduates of religious Zionist educational facilities, it is no longer so sacrosanct. Quite a few men and women who grew up at the hub of religious Zionism "crossed the lines" and can be found wandering around within other parties, including some men wearing very large kippot and women with their hair covered. This is a simple fact, there is no denying it! Personally, I am not tied to this nostalgic wish, and I can show that I have felt this way for a very long time. In various Mafdal forums, for decades in the past, I have supported the idea of accepting nonreligious people into the party (what was once called "Chil") under various conditions. Many times I have suggested changing the name from the "National Religious Party" to the "National Jewish Party." I objected to appointing a rabbinical forum with absolute authority in the party, and I insisted on giving such a body no more than advisory status. I much prefer for every MK to "choose his own rabbi," and to bind himself or herself to spiritual leaders of their own choice. In principle, we note that the scale of "religiosity" has greatly expanded as compared to what it used to be. The camp that is called "religious Zionist" includes a very broad spectrum of lifestyles and philosophical outlooks. And the educational institutions in our camp have also spread out in many different directions. The overlap between the "political right" and

"religion" is nowhere near as strong as it was in the past, and even the definition of "Zionism" is different from what it once was. All of these elements, among other things, justify putting more emphasis on "Jewish nationalism" than on the concept of "religious nationalism." Torah Representation One very important and overriding consideration is the fact that the "Ichud Leumi" faction (National Unity) has been incorporated into the Bayit Yehudi Party in the Knesset. It is true that this was not done in a democratic manner, but we have already noted that it is not necessary to maintain a commitment to the democratic "religion" in matters pertaining to politics. In my opinion, this combination has already given some tangible benefits, and we can hope that it will continue to do so, by giving a significant representation to the Torah-true branch within religious Zionism. I do not know if at the time this was done to avoid a loss of electoral strength and out of a fear that a competing party might be established. Perhaps this is indeed so. However, the result was a positive combination that should be maintained in the future. It is impossible to explicitly require as part of the constitution that there will always be representatives from the Torah Zionism branch of the party, but every effort must be made to preserve this arrangement. And the proposed constitution, which grants the chairman superpowers and flexibility to maneuver, will allow him to maintain the representation of the religious camp in the party, similarly to the way it has been incorporated within the party in the current Knesset term. And one final point, a "small tip" for the Ichud Leumi faction – Change your name! Nobody can even remember which splinter groups were combined to make up your faction! LET YOUR WELLSPRINGS BURST FORTH Self-Reckoning - by Rabbi Moshe Shilat, Director of "The Torah of Chabad for Yeshiva Students" Elul is a month of self-reckoning. In order for a business to be profitable it is necessary now and then to check how it is operating, to take an overall look and fix any problems. The same is true for spiritual labors. In the month of Elul the people "must do a true accounting in their souls of everything that happened to them during the past year, in order to determine the virtues and strengthen them and the failures in order to fix them. And as a result of this proper preparation, we have the merit of achieving a good year in both material and spiritual terms." [from a letter by the Sixth Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak]. The reckoning must be accompanied by faith and a certainty that G-d will help a person overcome all the difficulties, and that we will succeed in obeying His will – with love, with joy, and with enthusiasm. Otherwise, the reckoning might send us into despair. We teach ourselves to maintain this faith during the month through the verses of the chapter, "A song to David: G-d is my light and my support" [Tehillim 27:1]. G-d lights the way for us and helps us overcome problems that rise up against us. G-d is a fortress of our life, and we should not fear anything.

3 Personal or National This year, in the month of Elul, the nation of Yisrael is specifically involved in a general reckoning for the nation as a whole. We have barely recovered from the war that ended (?) as the month of Elul began, and it is natural for us to be troubled by the situation in our land and in the world as a whole. But what this means for us is that we must concentrate on our own personal reckoning and not sink only into the depths of universal analysis. In connection with this, it is interesting to note the words of the Rebbe of Chabad in one of his letters for Rosh Hashanah: "The crowning of the Creator as 'the King of the earth' which Bnei Yisrael are able to achieve on Rosh Hashanah renews the personal link of every Jew with the Holy One, Blessed be He. This is the innermost and direct contact that every Jew has as an individual and not only as a member of the general community. "We must note with sorrow that for various reasons there have been times in the past and places where the spiritual uplifting of Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Penitence was not utilized to its full possible extent. The Days of Awe passed by, and in many communities and for many individuals the high level of the soul dissipated, and the good change that was expected of every Jew, man and woman, was not seen in everyday life. And because of this, the improvement of community life was also lacking. "One of the main reasons for this is that the uplifting and the raising of the spirit of the time were not utilized in a way that would obligate the individual himself but only for matters that are relevant for others. It is not rare to see these days used to attack general subjects and worldwide problems. Messages are put out that do not obligate any specific person, and certainly do not impact on our own private living space. Such a path makes everybody happy, and it can even be justified somewhat in that Rosh Hashanah is relevant for all of creation. And there is never any lack of 'vitally important' issues in the world which must be modified or improved. "The discussion, the exuberance, and the decision-making related to such 'burning' issues (which the ones involved in the conversation usually cannot influence in any way) provide a convenient excuse not to pay attention to the vital and necessary personal reckoning or to day-to-day personal living, which is a realm over which a person has full control. "The truth is that we must first pay attention to the individual and to the ego. We must emphasize enhancing holiness even in simple and mundane matters of day-to-day living. Only afterwards should we relate to the social life of the individual as part of the community." Holy Time In the letter, the Rebbe also discusses the fact that in holy times it is necessary to exploit the awakening of the soul for spiritual matters, and to cry out, as is appropriate for the time, "Make Me a king over you," through the use of repentance, prayer, and charity.

The spiritual uplifting and the rejuvenation of these days must cast light on and encompass all the days of the year. This should bring about a closer link between every Jew and the Holy One, Blessed be He – a link that will be expressed in daily living according to the Divine Torah and its mitzvot. It goes without saying that the improvement in spiritual life will lead to an improvement in material life too. Let the coming year be blessed in every way. Amen. A FAMILY NAMED "YISRAELI" Starting Over - by Rabbi Yikhat Rozen, Director of the Or Etzion Institute – Publishing Torah Books of Quality Natanel's Story Tomorrow is the first day of the new school year. I opened my schoolbag and took out everything that was even remotely connected to last year. The copy of the Torah with the torn binding went back to the bookcase, the wrinkled notebooks full of pictures that I had drawn went into the garbage pail – while I saved the notebooks from important subjects. From deep within the schoolbag I took out piles and piles of old workbook pages, announcements to the parents, good wishes for my birthday (which was about half a year ago), and lots more. It was fascinating to look at all the old papers and remember the interesting experiences of the past year, but what else could I do? There is no way that I could keep all of that stuff. I threw it all out, and eventually it would make its way into the garbage. I picked up the bag to shake out all the excess dust, and I couldn't believe that it could be so light... From my pencil case I shook out little stubs of pencils, shavings, marking pens that had long since gone dry, three erasers, six marbles, two pencil sharpeners, and a big load of used crayons. I carefully sorted everything. Some of the stuff went straight into the garbage, and whatever was still in good shape went back into the case. And now it was time to refill the schoolbag and the pencil case with my new stuff: I very carefully put in my notebooks, with flashy new covers, file binders that had no wrinkles at all, and a pencil case full of good and usable tools. That's it. Everything was ready for school. But was I ready too? Of course! I had made my decision. This year I was going to be the most diligent student! I would never again be delinquent in doing my homework! I would never forget a notebook in the house! And no teacher would ever catch me daydreaming in class, and it goes without saying that I would not disturb the class or be involved in anything that is not directly connected to our lessons. I will take good care of the notebooks and the books, and at the end of the school year they will look as good as new. All that was necessary was for me to pay attention and be a bit more careful than in the past. But doing all that will not be a problem for me!

4 Well, the new year started. It was really fun to begin all over again. The books and the notebooks had a wonderful new scent, the walls of the school were covered with fresh paint, the bathrooms had been fixed, and there were no longer any leaky faucets... The problem was that this was exactly how I had felt when we came back to school last year. Then too everything was new and shiny, with a pleasant scent. Then too I was full of good intentions, to be one of the best students. But the feeling did not last throughout the year. The crisp new notebooks became wrinkled, the pencils and the crayons quickly broke, and my energy to learn new things quickly left me. Would it always be this way? On the first day, the teacher spoke to us about the cycle of the year. We spoke about the month of Elul, and how it is a time for repentance, and about Yom Kippur, which is a time when we are forgiven for our sins. And then, suddenly, I heard myself ask a question: "Teacher, doesn't Elul come around every year? Every year we repent, and then during the year we go back to the same old sins. So what is the point of it all?" The teacher said to me, "That's a very good question," and he looked at the class. "What do you all say about Natanel's question?" Avi said, "I always do the right thing. The new year gives us an opportunity to improve ourselves, like I do." (I am not sure that he is as good as he thinks, but that doesn't matter right now...). Dan said, "If we would not repent we would have a huge pile of sins. This way, we can at least keep the size of the pile down." And Dvir said, "Maybe we can at least improve in some ways." And then Noam chimed in, in a thin voice. "And we learned once that good intentions are counted as a mitzva even if we don't do all that we would like to." The teacher summarized the situation for us: "That's all very good. I suggest that everybody should choose a few things where he wants to improve this year and make a special effort. That way he will be able to look back next year and say – look, I changed, I grew up, and today I am better than I was in this or that way. Even if we can't change everything in one year, we can at least make a change in some things!" Will I succeed? This year I am sure that I will! RESPONSA FOR OUR TIMES Rosh Hashanah for Three Days (!!) - by Rabbi Re'eim Hacohen, Rosh Yeshiva and Chief Rabbi, Otniel Question: Is the fact that Shabbat comes right after two days of Rosh Hashanah just a coincidence, or is there a deeper

significance? Is there anything special about having this happen at the beginning of a Shemitta year? Answer: The Beginning and the End Just this combination of Rosh Hashanah and Shabbat can light up each one of the factors with a new light and give the entire process a deeper meaning. Shabbat, as the day which comes after the six days of creation, is a summary and a peak of the entire week. The purpose of mankind's labor during the six days of the week is to prepare for Shabbat, which has some of the traits of the world to come, when Divine plenty descends to the world and man stops his labors and enjoys the pleasant ways of G-d. It is a day when holiness is revealed by its descent from above to below, and by the humble role that man plays. However, Shabbat was also the first full day in man's life. It is the start of a new week. It is a time that was given to man for rejuvenating his strength, so that he will be able to return to the world and his labor. From this point of view, the link to G-d on this day is not the high point of a process but a return to the starting point. And Shabbat belongs to mankind. A Harsh Decree and a Weak Decree When the beginning of the month was set by direct testimony of seeing the new moon, a decree was made that wherever the new month was not formally declared by a Beit Din, a court, Rosh Hashanah would last two days. In this way the sages tried to give the people outside of Eretz Yisrael the ability to celebrate the holiday on the same day as the people in the land. However, with our calendar, we can tell exactly when Rosh Hashanah occurs in every year. Why do we continue to celebrate two days? In addition, the definition of the second day as a time of doubt gives it an appearance of not being independent. Is the second day of the holiday "weaker" than the first one? The Talmud teaches us about the people of Yisrael, "If they are not prophets they are at least sons of prophets" [Pesachim 66a]. The Oral Torah exists, and it is inspired by the spirit of the Holy One, Blessed be He. The current form of the Oral Torah does not receive its authority only from the distant past, it creates a new existence which draws on the will of G-d as it is revealed through the sages. Thus, the second day of Rosh Hashanah, first established because of doubt, has taken on its own independent significance. According to the masters of the Kabbalah, each day of Rosh Hashanah is symbolic of a different kind of judgment. The first day is "Dina Kashia," a harsh decree. And that is the meaning of creation – it is a result of separation. G-d "kicked" the world and thereby created it. This separation process was necessary. As long as the infinite G-d continued to exist in every place, there was no possibility of a separate material creation. The creation of the world is intimately linked to a need to hide the face of G-d from the world.

5 However, on the second day things changed. Our sages declared that the holiday should be extended by one day, and this teaches us that mankind has the power and the ability to cope with the absence of the Holy One, Blessed be He. G-d didn't really leave the world, He is merely hidden, and we have the power to reveal His real presence. And therefore the second day is not as harsh, and it is a time of "Dina Rafia," a weaker decree. Sin and How to Repair It The Talmud teaches us that on the day that Adam was created, beginning with noon, the preparations for Shabbat should have begun. In order for this to happen G-d should have finished the process of hiding His face, since as long as the Holy One, Blessed be He, "remained visible," man, the created being, could not continue to exist. However, hiding the light of the Holy One, Blessed be He, creates shadows, and instead of preparing for Shabbat Adam sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge. When the first Shabbat began, it did not enter a pure and perfect world. With this reality, Shabbat could not achieve its goal as a day of a peak and achieving a goal. The world did not reach completion in the cosmic sense. Our calendar is an expression of this fact. The way the calendar is set up the first day of Rosh Hashanah will never be on Friday. Since there was a failure of existence, Shabbat cannot appear at this point in a way that would symbolize perfect creation. First of all, the world must be repaired. However, in the end, the Holy One, Blessed be He, revealed His ultimate will within the world that had been spoiled by Adam's sin. The sages of the Oral Torah were given the ability to fix the fault of creation. Shabbat, in the reality "after the sin," serves as a "jolt of energy" to allow the continued labor of mending the situation, in the six days that follow Shabbat. "Returning" to the Garden of Eden On Rosh Hashanah this year, just as when the world was created, we will enter the first Shabbat of the year right after the end of the holiday. And this will take place specifically after the second day, which is set aside for the attempt of mankind to repair the damage. On this day we will pray to return reality to its original status, to repair the sin of Adam, and to begin the Shabbat in a perfect world, as was originally planned for creation. In addition to the above, we have been privileged this year to enter the year of Shemmitta. During the year, man is commanded to base his food on fruits from the trees, since direct produce from the land is forbidden, because of the decree of "sefichin" – food that grows in the field by itself. We are therefore placed in an existence that is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, where Adam was first put, and he ate only from the fruits of the trees. This year gives us an additional opportunity to repair Adam's sin, to return to the reality before the sin, and to return to the Garden of Eden. SOMETHING ABOUT BOOKS Rival Geonim who Settled their Differences - by Rabbi Yoseph Leichter, The National Library of Israel, Jerusalem

After the passing of Rav Aharon Hacohen in the year 4720 (960), Rav Nechemia Ben Cohen-Tzedek replaced him as the Gaon. Rav Sharira, who served as the Chief Judge with Rav Aharon, refused to accept Rav Nechemia's authority, and he left the yeshiva. Rav Nechemia appointed his brother Rav Chofni as Chief Judge. In the month of Nissan 4722 (962), Rav Chofni passed away, leaving three sons: Shmuel, Yitzchak, and Chaim. In his commentary on the Torah portion of Vayechi Rav Shmuel Ben Rav Chofni writes: "We wrote eulogies that were delivered for our father the Chief Judge of our place, Mar Chofni Ben Cohen-Tzedek Gaon, may he rest in peace. We said: The dust of his grave has the scent of spice, he who gave sermons on blemishes and tents... Who is there left who can remove doubts and make halachic decisions? ... He taught Torah, he gathered students like the Kohanim in their clothing and like Yaavetz (see Divrei Hayamim I 4:10)." [Commentary on the Torah by Shmuel Ben Rav Chofni Gaon, Jerusalem, 5739, page 396]. After the passing of Rav Nechemia, Rav Sharira took over the position of Gaon in 4728 (968). And then the relatives of Rav Nechemia were shunted aside. This caused friction that continued for several generations about the right to be at the head of the yeshiva, and the leadership was passed over from one family to another. Rav Shmuel Ben Rav Chofni was a gifted and learned man. His great knowledge can be seen in his varied literary activity, which is reminiscent of the areas of interest of Rav Saadia Gaon. In one of his letters, Rav Shmuel writes, "You indeed are aware of our strength in Torah, and our skills in the wisdom of the Torah, the Mishna, and the Talmud, and that we commented on several books from the scriptures and various tractates from the Mishna and the Talmud..." In another responsa he wrote: "Your questions have reached us, and we have written the replies according to the dictates of our religion and the halacha. You are invited to write to us all of your questions and all of your doubts from the Torah, the Mishna, and the Talmud. Then we will be able to send you replies as you wish, and you will benefit from them. And you will know our strength and the difference between us and the others, and you will recognize our skills in the Torah of G-d." Evidently at the time Rav Shmuel led an independent yeshiva, which gave him the possibility of replying to questions in the style of a Gaon. In his letters to the Diaspora, Rav Shmuel asks for personal support, since any money sent to the yeshiva is given to Rav Sharira Gaon, and he does not receive any of it. After several years of tension between them, the two rabbis reached an agreement. Rav Shmuel wrote the following in a letter to the community of Kairouan: "Complete peace reigned between us and Mar Rav Sharira Gaon, before he passed away, and with his son the Gaon, let him be protected, since he has married our daughter. And we have written a document, that all donations that are received by each one will remain for him alone, without sharing with the other. But whatever comes without a specific name or in the names of the

6 wise men of the yeshiva will be divided half and half between me and my son-in-law." In about 4750 (990), the yeshiva of Sura was reopened. It was led by Rav Tzemach Tzedek, from the family of Rav Paltoi Ben Abayei. Rav Tzemach Tzedek evidently died in 4748 (998), and then Rav Shmuel Ben Chofni was appointed the head of the yeshiva of Sura. One of the rabbis in the yeshiva was Rav Dosa Ben Rav Saadia, who was very old at the time. The way that any money received would be divided was described in a letter written to Kairouan. Half went to Rav Hai Gaon, a quarter to Rav Shmuel, and a quarter to Rav Dosa. After Rav Shmuel passed away, Rav Dosa was appointed the Gaon of Sura in 5673 (1012), seventy years after the passing of Rav Saadia Gaon. As noted above, Rav Shmuel was very prolific. Many of his works appear in the list of books in the Geniza: The book of enforcement (making a sale against a person's will); purchasing, loan guarantees, and expenses (related to family economics); the obligations of judges; relationships of neighbors; divorce; laws of deposits, buying and selling; giving testimony; gifts; collateral; and much more. His method of analysis in his halachic works was to cover the issue completely. This was in addition to his commentaries on the scriptures, the Mishna, and the Talmud. However, since he wrote his books in Arabic, they were not widely distributed within Yisrael. Only in recent years have the remnants of his books been gathered from the Geniza and translated into Hebrew. This includes the laws of tzitzit; divorce; a book about adolescence; partnerships; a commentary on the Torah; and chapters from a book giving an introduction to the Talmud. However, many important sections of his books remain in manuscript form, waiting to be redeemed. (Mazal tov to my son Yotam and his wife on the birth of twins, a boy and a girl. My best wishes for them to raise the children to Torah, a chuppah, and good deeds.) E-mail: Yosephl56@gmail.com INSIGHTS FOR THE SHABBAT TABLE "The Secret of This Covenant" (Ramban) - by Bar-on Dasberg The covenant, both blessings and curses, appear both in the Torah portion of Bechukotai and in this week's portion, Ki Teitzei. Why does it appear in the Torah twice? At first glance there is a simple reason for the repetition. The covenant in Bechukotai was declared at Sinai to the generation which had left Egypt, while this week's portion is repeated to the next generation, right before entering the land. However, the commentaries did not take this easy route, evidently because when something is written for one generation in the eternal Torah, it is clearly relevant for every other generation too. And there are therefore various explanations of the terms of reference of each of the covenants. Here we will discuss the approach of the Ramban (Vayikra 26:16; Devarim 28:42).

According to the Ramban, the Sinai covenant refers to the destruction of the First Temple and the building of the Second Temple, and the covenant on the Moav Plains refers to the destruction of the Second Temple and the building of the Third Temple. There are several indications that Ramban has Christianity and Islam in mind in what he writes. (1) The other religions deny that a Third Temple will be built, and here the Rambam shows that a prophecy about it appears in the Torah. (2) The Christians interpret the Book of Daniel as a vision of the ascendency of Christianity, but the Ramban shows in his commentary that Daniel was only referring to the second redemption, which will be dwarfed by the third redemption. (3) The Ramban comments on the future redemption – "'And your G-d will transfer all of these curses to your enemies and those who hate you and pursue you' [Devarim 30:7] – Your enemies and those who hate you is a hint of the two nations which will always pursue us." That is, Christianity and Islam. RIDDLE OF THE WEEK by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience" Ki Tavo They are released from their obligations all year round, But their goal will not be achieved if "you do not listen." Answers for last week, Ki Teitzie: (What three Hebrew words that rhyme are blanked out in the following? The mitzva of ---- brings a ---- to those who observe it. This is a unique mitzva that cannot be performed with ----.) The mitzva of "shichechah" (leaving forgotten sheaves in the field for the poor) brings a "berachah" (a blessing) to those who observe it. This is a unique mitzva that cannot be observed "bekavanah" (deliberately). This weekly publication is distributed in Canada by MIZRACHI ORGANIZATION OF CANADA and by THE ZOMET INSTITUTE OF ALON SHVUT. It is an extract from SHABBAT B’SHABBATO, a weekly bulletin distributed in hundreds of synagogues in Israel and has been translated by Moshe Goldberg. If you are interested in sponsoring or advertising in an issue of Shabbat B’Shabbato contact the Mizrachi office in Toronto at 416-630-9266, mizrachi@rogers.com; or in Montreal 514-483-3660, mizrachimontreal@gmail.com.