Drash Cards for Ki Tavo (5767)

by Marc Mangel

• Here’s the big picture:  we are three weeks from Yom Kippur but this Parsha begins Ch 26, v 5 and ends Ch 29, v1 with the Exodus — our defining myth

• Who’s a Jew? The person who tells of the Exodus; peoplehood is created by the myth.

• But along with this story in the long rebuke (we had the short rebuke in VaYikra 26:1-46, where God was talking).

• In the long rebuke (Ch 27, v 1-26; Ch 28 v 1-69) Moses is talking.

• The theme of the blessing and curses is that God does not bring destruction, human misbehavior does.

• Moses says: problems are caused because you did not serve God amid gladness and goodness of heart (Ch 28, v 47), which is a symptom

• The plan is this  (Ch 27):  1) Cross the Jordan, 2) Write the Torah on huge stones in 70 languages of the world, 3) Cover it in plaster; 4) Half of the Tribes stand on Mt Grizim, half on Mt Ebal, with the Levites in the valley; 5) the Levites recite the blessings and curses and the people say amen.

• What should we do today?  Pirke Avot,  Misnah 4/3 tells us “Do not be disdainful of any person and do not scorn anything, for there is no person without his hour and no thing without its place (in the plan)”.  Not so easy, but we are three weeks from Yom Kippur….