Written by Hindy,
Written by Hindy, טו אלול תשפג, September 1, 2023
This week’s parsha is Parshat Ki Tavo, and its name comes from the declaration that the Israelites will go forth into the land of Eretz Yisrael. It is not written as an “if”, rather this parsha opens with the “when”. While this parsha discussed the bikkurim and ma’aser, it also includes a very interesting story which is not told over much. In this parsha, the Torah is inscribed into literal stones, in seventy languages. Why is this and what does this have to do with us now?
וַיְצַ֤ו מֹשֶׁה֙ וְזִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר שָׁמֹר֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃”
Moses and the elders of Israel charged the people, saying: Observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you this day”, this pasuk groups Moshe and the Elders together, commanding all of the people the same thing. The Sforno writes that the Zakenim, as leaders of the people, would be directly involved in making these stones. This makes sense, given all the languages the Torah needed to be translated into. There must not only be witnesses, but also those who could remember the placement of the stones to teach the younger generations .
It goes much further than this, in fact the Medrish even said that these stones lasted until Yehoshua reconstructed them, and then the second set lasted until the age of the Mishna. Why were they so important? These stones were written in all languages, (the 70 are the blueprint for all others) and so these stones were accessible to all. Let language not be a barrier to Torah consumption, instead these stones needed to uphold the idea of the sharing of knowledge.
There is then the idea that the Zakenim were similar to the stones themselves, symbolically at least. In the sense that the stones mentioned in this parsha were intended to be physical pillars with the Torah inscribed, and the Zakenim were pillars of spiritual light, both strong and absolute. It can make us look to these stones, these pure and rich sources of Torah as a guide, and as an inspiration.
As mentioned in this parsha, there are symbols all around us. In the case of Moshe standing along the Zakenim, it was not only a symbol of spiritual strength, but also of passing the torch. As stated above, Yehoshua, Moshe’s student, and the next leader of the Israelitesreconstruted these pillars of Torah for all to see in the Holy Land. Just as Torah is holy, so too these stones with the written Torah brought holiness to the land and elevated it, even before it was fully conquered. Let us take this as a message to search for leaders of Torah, ones who will be as unchanging as a stone. Yet also ones who are full of light and joy, who can uplift our Torah learning and our lives.
Shabbat Shalom,
Hindy