Our parasha Ki Tavo describes the moment of the transformation of nomadic families into a people living in their country. At the time of the covenant that was made on Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, we read in the Torah “Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel that in that day they’re becoming a nation.”
As an opposite way of the inspiring vision and the festive spirit that dominates various declarations of independence among other nations, here in parasha ‘Ki Tavo’ we encounter a description whose dominant tone is one of warning and threat to each and every one of the new citizens of the designated land.
The covenant opens with a series of twelve curses that will be placed on the entire nation, in case of deviation from the path of the Torah. The book of Deuteronomy’s describes perception of human nature, and from it the future of the new Hebrew society, is fundamentally pessimistic. Moral failure, both on the personal level and on the social level, lie at the door of the future Jewish state from the moment of its establishment.
The Talmud says: “The tribes received the blessings and the curses as follows: Six tribes went up to the top of Mount Gerizim and six tribes went up to the top of Mount Ebal. The leaders of the people, the priests and the Levites standing below in the valley between the mountains, those that deserved to be servers of the nation standing at the foot of the mountains, in the narrow valley between the Mount of the Curse and the Mount of Blessing. The worthy leaders stand as the tongue of the scales between the mountains. Our Sages teaches us that we learn from here about the leader’s proper behavior: (a) The leaders must feel in their body and soul that their lifestyle and decisions can tip the scale between blessing and curses for the entire nation, (b) The leaders live the terrain, that is, they see the way the people are going. From up close and not above the mountain tops, (c) the worthy leaders follow the path to which they are leading.
The sage’s emphasis is on the great responsibility of the leaders for the fate of the nation. But we must remember that the curses and blessings were uttered to the entire nation and all the entire nation answered “Amen”. The responsibility is applied to every citizen in Israel.
These are the days that the foundations of our society are shaking, it is appropriate to return to the status of an alliance on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eibal. Only then will the scripture be fulfilled in us, “This day you will become a people to the Lord your God.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Refael Cohen