Parshat Ki Tavo: The Weekly Parsha Story Illustrated by AI

Today we have reached the portion of Kitavo. Moshe continues to speak to the Jewish nation before they enter the land of Israel, preparing them for what will happen after they arrive there. The portion begins with the words, "And it shall be when you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance. When you arrive in the holy land and begin to live there, you will have new and special commandments. The mitzvah of bikarim, the first gift to Hashem. Bikarim are the first and most beautiful fruits that grow on the tree or in the field. You need to take them and bring them to the temple in Jerusalem. The bikurim are brought to the temple in a unique way. You take a beautiful basket and put the very best fruits in it. You travel to Jerusalem to the temple, give the basket to the priest and recite a special text. The special text recited by the one bringing the bikurim is, "An Aramean sought to destroy my father. Our forefather Yakov went down to Egypt. There we were a small family and became a great nation. But the Egyptians were cruel to us. They afflicted us and imposed hard labor upon us. He cried out to God and he heard our voice. God took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and brought us to this place, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which you, God, have given me. This is an expression of thanks to God. Thanks for all the goodness. We remember where we come from and how we arrived here. After this, the basket is placed before the altar. One bows down to God and rejoices together with the Levites and the poor. Another mitzvah, tithes, caring for the poor and the Levites. There are several types of tithes. The first tithe is given to the Levites who serve in the temple. The second tithe is eaten in Jerusalem or it can be redeemed and the money brought to Jerusalem. With this money, fruits are purchased, tithes for the poor. Every 3 years, it is given to the poor instead of the second tithe. After 3 years, after giving all the tithes, one must recite the confession of the tithes. I have removed the sacred things from my house, and I have also given them to the Levite, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. I took out of my house all the sacred items I was required to give and I gave them to exactly those who needed them. I did everything exactly as I was commanded. I did not eat when I was in mourning and I did not touch it when I was impure. Now Moshe says something very important today here in the desert. We are making a covenant with God. What is a covenant? A covenant is like a special agreement. God commits to take care of us and we commit to keep the commandments of the Torah. Moshe says to the nation, "You are all standing today before the Lord your God who is standing there, the heads of the tribes, the elders and the officers, every single Jewish man, the little children, the women, even the converts who live with us, from the wood cutter to the water drawer, everyone. This covenant is important because not only those who are standing here are bound by it, but all future generations as well. Every Jew at any time is part of this covenant. Moshe tells the nation, "When you cross the Jordan and enter the land, you shall hold a special ceremony. Take large stones, coat them with plaster, and write on them all the words of the Torah. Afterwards, build an altar out of whole stones. You must not use iron on them. Offer burnt offerings and peace offerings on it, and eat joyfully before the Lord." Now comes the stage of the blessings and the curses, and the Levites will proclaim the blessings and the curses in a loud voice, and all the people will answer, "Amen." Cursed is the man who makes a graven or molten image. Anyone who makes idols for idol worship. Anyone who dishonors their parents. Cursed is the one who misleads the blind on the road. Anyone who leads a blind person the wrong way. Anyone who does not grant justice to the weak. Anyone who sins in matters of modesty. Anyone who harms a friend behind their back, such as speaking slander, a judge who takes a bribe and rules unjustly, anyone who does not uphold the entire Torah, and all the people answer, "Amen." This means that they agree and accept it upon themselves. The Torah promises, "If you listen to the commandments, you will merit blessings. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. You will be blessed both in the city and in the countryside. Your children, your crops, and your livestock will all flourish and multiply. The basket you take with you, and the food you have at home will be filled with blessing. Everything you do will succeed. Your enemies will come at you from one direction and flee before you in seven. This means they will be confused and run away in all directions. There will be rain at the right time. Your crops will grow beautifully. You will be wealthy and able to lend to other nations. You will be leaders around the world. Wow, how many blessings God promises the Jewish people for keeping the commandments. But if, God forbid, they do not keep them, terrible things will happen. Cursed you will be in the city and cursed you will be in the field. The opposite of the blessings, the baskets will be emptied and the food will be lost. Both the children and the crops will suffer. Severe diseases will spread. There will be no rain. And the land will be as hard as iron. No crops will grow. Instead of rain, there will be sand and dust. The enemies will prevail. You will go out to fight in one way. And you will flee in seven ways. There will be fear and terror in all the kingdoms of the earth. Moshe describes the most terrible thing of all, exile. You will arrive in foreign and unfamiliar places. You will be forced to hide and even to worship idols. All the nations will speak bad about you and mock you. You will be scattered throughout the world. You will be stressed. You will always be afraid. You will be anxious and fearful. Now the Torah tells us that the division on the mountains will be as follows. On Mount Garism for the blessings will stand Shimon, Ley, Yehuda, Yahar, Yseph, and Binyamin. And for the curse on Mount Ael will stand Ruven, Gad, Asher, Zevaloon, Dan, and Naphali. Now Moshe is preparing the Jewish people to observe the Torah in all its details. Will it really be so? And what challenges will accompany them? We will tell you about that in the next episode.