"Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear .... " (Devarim 29:3). This seemingly simple verse is tucked away at the far end of Parsha Ki Tavo, easily missed after reading the heavy words of the Bikkurim declaration, the list of actions worthy of being cursed, and the terrifying description of the path away from Torah and Hashem. In context, these are words of gentle tochacha, as Moshe wonders at how those who had witnessed so many miracles and wonders could still harbor doubts and complaints. And yet, at the same time, this verse is comforting. From our ages old vantage point, our people have borne witness to everything that was promised and everything that was forewarned. We have seen, as well, just how challenged each generation, and each individual, is to be all that Hasherm hopes for us to become. Devarim 29:3 tells us that this too is Divine.
Parshas Ki Tavo contains some of the most terrifying and heart-wrenching words in the Torah. After 15 verses describing an idyllic life should Bnei Yisrael "obey the Lord your God, to observe faithfully all his commandments" (28:1), the next 53 verses describe the nightmare of going into gulus - nightmares we have seen come true throughout history. Knowing that we can see the actual unfolding of those curses, one must wonder how it is possible for us to continually make the same mistakes. And there in 29:3 is a hint of the answer: that our ability to understand, to see, and to hear the Divine messages that resonate all around us comes from Hashem.
One could, of course, take this theory, brush their hands off, and declare life solved - they will take on Torah and mitzvos when Hashem makes them ready. That person, however, is missing the more important meaning, which is that this is part of the process of coming to devakus, to clinging to Hashem. Perhaps there is significance to the fact that this parsha is read in the month of Elul. Right here in pasuk 29:3, there is a rallying cry for teshuva, tefila, and tzedaka. Open your eyes to the needs of others around you - tzedaka. As you daven, listen to your words and try to understand them - tefila. Make connections to other people properly, with empathy and understanding of how they approach the world - teshuva (repairing your relationships bein adam l’chavero). These actions are critical for the neshama to connect to Hashem, and they prepare one, in incremental steps, to receive the ultimate gift from Hashem, which is being able to understand how to be a proper eved to Him.
On this pasuk, 29:3, Rashi's commentary says In:
I have heard that on the day when Moses gave the Book of the Law to the sons of Levi, as it is written, (Deuteronomy 31:9) “And he gave it to the priests the sons of Levi”, all Israel came before Moses and said to him: Teacher Moses, we, too, stood at Sinai and accepted the Torah, and it was given to us; why, then, do you give the people of your tribe control over it, that they may tomorrow say to us, “Not to you was it given, but to us was it given”? Moses rejoiced at this matter and in reference to this he said to them, (Deuteronomy 27:9) “This day have you become the people [of the Lord thy God]”, meaning, Only this day have I come to understand that you are attached to and have a desire for the Omnipresent.
Only when Bnei Yisrael stood up to take hold of their birthright, stood up to claim it with joy and passion, was Hashem able to complete the process that began at Yetziat Mitzrayim.
Parshas Ki Tavo begins with the required statement recited by one who brings an offering of Bikkurim, first fruits. It is the famous lines of the Passover Haggadah that begin: "An Aramean sought to destroy my forefather…” and continues to summarize going to Egypt and the oppression that followed until Hashem rescued Bnei Yisrael and brought them to the Promised Land. Why recite this history every year? Because every generation, and within that every individual, is on its own unique journey to reach a point where Hashem grants them a mind to understand, eyes to see, and ears to hear - where Hashem helps them claim Torah and Jewish life in their hearts.
Our communities today are filled with men and women who stepped forward and chose Torah, but it is a process that must happen throughout one’s lifetime. More importantly, it is a process that we must teach to our children, so that they can reach the promised future of the Torah because they have been blessed with understanding, and because they make the active choice to claim it as their own.
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