Ki Tavo

[Intro — spoken plainly, no music yet]

פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תָבוֹא — the parsha that keeps saying one word: הַיּוֹם. Today.

[Chorus — sung together, slow and warm]

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — this very day,

נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם — you became His nation today.

And Rashi says: every single day,

let the בְּרִית be new as though it started today.

[Verse 1 — clear and steady]

וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל־פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה —

the first fruit of the land goes in the basket,

up to the place הַשֵּׁם will choose to rest His name,

וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ — and he says it out loud.

And Rashi brings from Sotah: what is וְעָנִיתָ?

A voice that is not shy and does not hide —

he tells it loud: אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי —

and הַשֵּׁם brought us out with a strong hand.

[Chorus — sung together, slow and warm]

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — this very day,

נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם — you became His nation today.

And Rashi says: every single day,

let the בְּרִית be new as though it started today.

[Verse 2 — clear and steady]

And when the basket stands before the מִזְבֵּחַ,

a בַּת קוֹל answers, so the Midrash says —

you brought your בִּכּוּרִים today — you brought them,

and you will merit to bring them next year again.

בִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן־הַבַּיִת —

I cleared the holy portions from my home,

and gave them to the לֵוִי and the orphan,

then הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ —

look down from Your holy place, and bless.

[Chorus — sung together, slow and warm]

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — this very day,

נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם — you became His nation today.

And Rashi says: every single day,

let the בְּרִית be new as though it started today.

[Verse 3 — clear and steady]

On great stones coated white the תּוֹרָה is written,

on הַר גְּרִזִים and עֵיבָל we stand,

six שְׁבָטִים here, six שְׁבָטִים facing,

and every answer — אָמֵן — across the land.

The בְּרָכוֹת and the warning both were spoken,

תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָבַדְתָּ אֶת־הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה —

it all comes down to serving Him with gladness,

when everything was good and in your hand.

[Chorus — sung together, slow and warm]

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — this very day,

נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם — you became His nation today.

And Rashi says: every single day,

let the בְּרִית be new as though it started today.

[Verse 4 — clear and steady]

וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה — I led you forty years,

and your cloak never wore thin upon your frame,

וְלֹא־נָתַן הַשֵּׁם לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת —

and Rashi says: a heart to know His name,

to recognize the חֶסֶד of the מָקוֹם,

and to hold Him fast.

עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — until this very day, He says it,

and every day the בְּרִית is new as the last.

[Chorus — sung together, slow and warm]

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — this very day,

נִהְיֵיתָ לְעָם — you became His nation today.

And Rashi says: every single day,

let the בְּרִית be new as though it started today.

[Intro — spoken plainly, no music yet]

פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תָבוֹא! When you come into the land — and the first fruits ripen.

[Chorus — everyone together, fast and joyful]

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל־הַטּוֹב —

rejoice in all the good!

אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ —

all the good He gave to you!

[Verse 1 — clear and steady]

The first fig ripens on the tree — into the basket!

Up to the place הַשֵּׁם will choose — carry the basket!

וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל־פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה —

the first of all the fruit of the ground,

the כֹּהֵן takes it from your hand — set down the basket!

[Chorus — everyone together, fast and joyful]

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל־הַטּוֹב —

rejoice in all the good!

אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ —

all the good He gave to you!

[Verse 2 — clear and steady]

Say it out loud: אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי —

my father was nearly lost, we were slaves in מִצְרַיִם,

but הַשֵּׁם took us out — בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה —

with a strong and mighty hand,

to a land of milk and honey — so set the basket down!

[Chorus — everyone together, fast and joyful]

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל־הַטּוֹב —

rejoice in all the good!

אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ —

all the good He gave to you!

[Verse 3 — clear and steady]

הַיּוֹם! הַיּוֹם! This very day —

אֶת־הַשֵּׁם הֶאֱמַרְתָּ הַיּוֹם —

you declared הַשֵּׁם your God today!

And He declared you His treasure —

לְעַם סְגֻלָּה — His treasured nation, today!

[Chorus — everyone together, fast and joyful]

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל־הַטּוֹב —

rejoice in all the good!

אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ —

all the good He gave to you!

[Verse 4 — clear and steady]

On great white stones the תּוֹרָה stands,

גְּרִזִים and עֵיבָל across the land,

six and six and the answer — אָמֵן! —

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ — rejoice with all you have in hand!

[Chorus — everyone together, fast and joyful]

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל־הַטּוֹב —

rejoice in all the good!

אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לְךָ —

all the good He gave to you!

[Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar]

This week's parsha — פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תָבוֹא. When you come into the land. Listen to what happens.

[Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt]

כִּי־תָבוֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ —

when you come into the land,

אֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ —

that הַשֵּׁם places in your hand.

[Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar]

Picture a farmer, early in the morning, walking the rows of his orchard. And there it is — the first fig of the season. The Mishnah in Bikkurim describes it: he ties a reed-rope around it and says — הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ בִּכּוּרִים. — let these be בִּכּוּרִים. When it ripens he lays it in a basket and goes up — up to the place הַשֵּׁם has chosen. The כֹּהֵן takes the basket, sets it before the מִזְבֵּחַ, and now the farmer must speak. Out loud — וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ — and Rashi brings from Sotah that it means a raised voice. And what does he say? A whole history in five פְּסוּקִים: אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי. My father was almost destroyed. We went down to מִצְרַיִם few in number. They worked us, they broke us, we cried out — and הַשֵּׁם heard, and took us out — בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה — with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and brought us here, to a land flowing with milk and honey. And now — הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי — see, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land that You gave me.

[Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt]

כִּי־תָבוֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ —

when you come into the land,

אֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ —

that הַשֵּׁם places in your hand.

[Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar]

In the third year, the house gets cleared. Every tithe goes where it belongs — the לֵוִי, the גֵּר, the orphan, the widow — and then a man stands and makes an accounting out loud: בִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן־הַבַּיִת — I have cleared the holy portions out of my house, it all went where it belongs. I did not eat it in mourning, I did not forget. And then he turns the accounting into a תְּפִלָּה: הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ — look down from Your holy dwelling, and bless Your people. And then the parsha says a word it will not stop saying: הַיּוֹם. Today. This very day הַשֵּׁם commands you. Today — you declared Him your God. Today — He declared you His treasure, לְעַם סְגֻלָּה. And Rashi says: every single day it should be in your eyes like the day you entered the בְּרִית.

[Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt]

כִּי־תָבוֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ —

when you come into the land,

אֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ —

that הַשֵּׁם places in your hand.

[Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar]

Now מֹשֶׁה looks across the יַרְדֵּן. When you cross, he says, raise up great stones and coat them with plaster, and write on them all the words of this תּוֹרָה. Build a מִזְבֵּחַ of whole stones — no iron has touched them — and rejoice. And then, the scene the parsha is famous for: six שְׁבָטִים standing on הַר גְּרִזִים, six on הַר עֵיבָל, the לְוִיִּם in the valley between. A voice calls out across the valley — and the whole nation, every man, answers: אָמֵן. The בְּרָכוֹת are read. And then the תּוֹכָחָה — long, and hard, and honest. And in the middle of it, one pasuk explains everything: תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָבַדְתָּ אֶת־הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה — because you did not serve הַשֵּׁם with joy, when you had everything.

[Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt]

כִּי־תָבוֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ —

when you come into the land,

אֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ —

that הַשֵּׁם places in your hand.

[Spoken Word — warm unhurried storyteller over soft guitar]

And at the end, מֹשֶׁה gathers them and points backwards. You saw it yourselves, he says. The wonders in מִצְרַיִם. Forty years in the מִדְבָּר — וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה — and your clothes never wore out, and the shoe never wore off your foot. And Rashi says on וְלֹא־נָתַן הַשֵּׁם לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת — a heart to know — that it means to recognize the חֶסֶד of the מָקוֹם, and to hold fast to Him. Keep the words of this בְּרִית, מֹשֶׁה finishes — so that you succeed in everything you do.

[Chorus — sung, warm and heartfelt]

כִּי־תָבוֹא אֶל־הָאָרֶץ —

when you come into the land,

אֲשֶׁר הַשֵּׁם אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ —

that הַשֵּׁם places in your hand.

[Intro — spoken plainly, no music yet]

פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תָבוֹא. When you come into the land — this is what you say.

[Verse 1 — quiet]

I walked out to my orchard

and the first fruit caught the sun.

The Mishnah says you tie a reed around it —

this one, הַשֵּׁם, this one is Yours.

I laid it in a basket,

I carried it up the road,

and standing in the place You chose,

I said it loud, the story that we know:

[Chorus — big]

אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי —

they tried to wipe my father out!

But You heard us and You brought us out —

בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה —

with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm!

הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי — here, I have brought

the very first of everything You gave —

it all came from Your hand!

[Verse 2 — building]

הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — this very day,

You called us Yours and we called You ours.

Not yesterday, not far away —

today, today, today.

[Chorus — big]

אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי —

they tried to wipe my father out!

But You heard us and You brought us out —

בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה —

with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm!

הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי — here, I have brought

the very first of everything You gave —

it all came from Your hand!

[Bridge — near silence, then explodes]

And when the blessings and the warnings both were spoken,

one line held the reason it all stands or it all breaks:

did you serve Him with joy —

בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב —

with joy and a good heart, when you had it all?

[Final Chorus — huge]

וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְכָל־הַטּוֹב —

so rejoice in all the good!

Rejoice in all the good He gave you —

it all came from His hand!

It all came from Your hand!