Parashat Ki Tavo

My dear friend and future rabbi Marisa James tells the story of the time that she leyned „Ki Tova“ at the Masorti Community of Moreshet Israel in Jerusalem.  The problem with leyning Ki Tavo is that when the long list of curses is read, 54 verses in all, it is done quickly and quietly, so as not to linger on the curses.  In order to read rapidly, Marisa had prepared for weeks, the horror of the curses balanced by her beautiful voice and the stunning Moroccan chant she uses.  Yet despite all the preparation, she very uncharacteristically struggled with actual reading in shul and in frustration afterwards apologized to the rabbi, Adam Frank, saying that she was sorry and really had prepared.  In a moment of deep wisdom he replied, “It is really ok.  Curses should never come easily to our lips.”

I love this story, as it brings needed insight into one of the more problematic passages in Torah.  For starters, there is this strange image in Chapter 27 of Deuteronomy of the tribes of Israel dividing into two groups and ascending two mountains when they cross the river Jordon.  Some tribes would stand on Mount Gerizim and the blessings in Ki Tavo would be pronounced on the people, and then the others would stand on Mount Ebal and the many curses would be read.  Either way this passage is seen, it is problematic.  Are we choosing the blessings and curses or are we being predestined to them?  What does it mean to choose a curse?

Next we need to face the massive disparity between the blessings and the curses – we read roughly three times as many curses as blessings in Ki Tavo.  Is the collective fate of the Jewish people so ordained?  Does this mean that we are three times as likely to be cursed as blessed, or that are three times as many paths to curses as to blessings?

Finally, and perhaps most perplexing, we are told in chapter 28 verse 47 of Deuteronomy that the curses are triggered by none other than “ . . . [not serving] the Eternal your G-d in joy and gladness over the abundance of everything.”  I am not always happy.  I struggle like all other humans.  Is the blessing truly that impossible to receive and the curse truly that easy trigger?

First of all regarding the mountains: it seems that although in the clear narrative of the text specific tribes are specifically assigned to a blessing or a curse, that the larger picture is indeed that of choice.  Chapter 28 starts with “If you indeed obey . . .” then the blessings will “come in abundance.”  This seems to clarify the earlier verses of the tribes standing on the mountains to bless or to curse.  Look at it like this:  When we are sitting down for a meal in a large group and someone mentions, say, a Mr. Smith that everyone knows—perhaps with that slight tone of voice that is the open invitation for open season – the speed at which the meal conversation descends into one story after another about Mr. Smith and all of his negative attributes is breathtaking.  We have all been there.  The disparaging of Mr. Smith becomes so swiftly self-sustaining, that should one actually say “Well, you know, Mr. Smith once did something very nice for me . . .” that the words would be met with shock.  This is the very practical understanding of the two mountains, that there is indeed choice.  Now the choice can happen nearly instantly and we can find ourselves on the Mount of Curse before we realize what happened.  What is critical, however, is that there was a moment of choice.  “No, we are not going to go there.  No, we are not going to spend the entire evening cutting down a person.”  Yet we find ourselves there so easily.

The second problem seems to be a logical extension of the first—if the curses come so easily than it makes sense that they would also be more numerous.  Many years ago, when I worked for a large East Coast health system, we were taught: “When a patient has a positive experience in the hospital—with anyone: nurses, doctors, registrars, anyone—they will tell two or three people.  When they have a negative experience?  They will on average tell ten.”  The Torah narrative seems to be acknowledging this unpleasant reality that is so self-evident in daily life.  It is easier to be negative than positive.  We revel in the recounting the great tribulations and find much less traction with the dinner table conversations of our pleasant times. 

And finally we arrive at the text about following the mitzvot in gladness.

Is the text really saying what it seems to be saying?  Many of our sages try hard to suggest other possibilities, as it is impossible to conceive of any of us serving every day without going through our constant bouts with sadness, anger and even depression.  One way to look at this, however, takes us back to choice.  I had a friend who was incredibly sensitive to physical space.  Poorly designed rooms our houses or even tastelessly furnished spaces would drive them to distraction, so much so that one could palpably feel the anger coming off them when they entered such a space.  After a while we came to the agreement that whenever this began occurring, that in that moment they would feel the negativity welling up, they would instead name three things about the space that were positive.  After a time this became automatic.  After a longer time the palpable anger disappeared.  Completely. 

I believe the secret here is that there is no secret.  The text simply reflects an unpleasant truth as well as the simple but oft impossible solution.  The unpleasant truth is that the walk to the Mount of Curses is easy-- three times easier than that walk to the Mount of blessings.  But in the first step of choice we must first be aware that our tendency is to go towards the curse.  When a "Mr. Smith" is mentioned we have one heartbeat to say the blessing before we find ourselves standing on the other mountain. 

So often we perceive concepts such as “blessing” and “curse” as passive realities.  It feels as though we “are blessed” or “are cursed” even though the text clearly states that we “choose” rather than “are.”  We walk towards or away from.  Awareness occurs in the mind but the moment of blessing is the physical activity the proceeds from the awareness and our choices.  Passively letting ourselves magically appear on the Mount of Curses is antithetical to the Jewish ideals that we must move our bodies and be fully interactive every day in the continuous act of creation in which we take part.  As Rabbi Frank said, curses should never come easily to our lips—but they do nevertheless.  Cursing Mr. Smith required the moving of lips.  Yes, blessing him would take three times as much effort, but that is the entire point.  Furthermore, the state of happiness in which we serve is not some impossible façade that we have to invent in order to avoid the curses.  Much like my friend that chose to begin changing the moments of extreme judgment, eventually the negativity was simply no longer the habit.  When that work has occurred, we are simply in the midst of perceiving others in gladness.  Walking to the Mount of Blessing has become automatic.

Schabbat Schalom.