Parsha Talk Ki Tavo 2022 5782

Parsha Talk, with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. Parashat Ki Tavo [Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8] features some texts which appear in Mishnah Sotah 7, where there is a discussion about which texts may be recited in any language, meaning a language one understands, and which must be recited in Hebrew, presumably because the ritual itself is what is important, and not so much one’s understanding. In the latter group [actually mentioned first in the Mishnah] is the passage recited by the farmer who brings his first fruits [Deut. 26:5–11] and the blessings and curses [Deut. 27:12–26}, which is something of an anomaly because they were only recited once, when the Israelites crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land [see Josh. 8] In the former group is the vidui ma’aser, the confession over the tithe [Deut. 26:12–16]. We spent most of our time discussing the ritual of the first fruits and the confession of the tithe, which more than filled up our time. Give a listen! Shabbat Shalom!!