Hey everyone! My name is Nina and I’m the jewish content chair for JTribe. So before I start with the dvar torah, can you raise your hand if your parents gave you rules to follow before you moved away for college? Okay and what about just loose words of wisdom about how to behave, act, and carry yourself? Okay that’s what I thought- jewish parents, right? So this weeks parasha, ki tavo, can almost be compared to a parent giving their child rules before sending them off to live their own independent lives. So, at this point in the jewish people’s journey from Egypt to Israel, we’re reaching the end of the 40 years in the desert. And, for those of you a little more familiar with the story, you might be able to recall the fact that Moses himself isn’t allowed in the land of Israel with the people he has been bringing through the desert. So, while he’s been a source of guidance and wisdom for the last four decades, he’s expected to stay at the border and let the jewish people begin a new chapter of their lives on their own. However, he’s giving them rules to follow to ensure the success of the religion and their existence. Sounds familiar, right? While reading the text and interpretations for this week’s torah portion, I was brought to a moment in the Callaway stairway on move in day last year, where my mom was giving me her own set of rules to ensure my success as an independent person living on my own in a different state. While her rules tended to tilt to the “don’t overwork yourself, keep yourself healthy, and don’t make stupid mistakes” side of things, they were equally as valid and relevant to me as the “bring the first of your crops to the holy temple” rule was for the jewish people at that time. So, Moses eventually sends them into Israel, which we hear about in a few weeks from now. Although he was a proud and successful leader, he never got the chance to see the fruit of his actions. And while I’m not saying that we’re never going to see our parents again, they don’t get to see our everyday wins firsthand. I find this to be a really meaningful lesson about leadership. As future leaders, we may not always get to see our legacy, which is similar to the way our parents were able to guide us to UT, but can’t join us and continue holding our hands in the same way they did in grade school. It’s our turn, much like the people of Israel, to take our first steps as independent adults and pave our own path to the bright future that god has in store for all of us. Shabbat shalom!
Student perspectives
Shabbat Ki Tavo Host - Nina
Shabbat host Tyler Winter
Shabbat Shalom,
This weeks Torah portion details a majority of the laws that still affect us today. However, there are two very large ones I would like to focus on. The first one is that you should shoo a mother hen away before you take her eggs; you do so out of respect for the mother, and in return you are blessed with a long and healthy life. This is to say that if you treat your family and your elders well and you do not let bad to be shown upon them that you and your family will live long and prosperous lives. This reminds me of my grandfather whom I tried my best to take care of during his later years while always acting with chivalry. I learned from him that family comes first, and a successful life is one with a successful family.
The other rule is to completely obliterate Amalek from your midst. Amalek was an evil nation that lived a long time ago. When we entered Israel we were commanded to completely obliterate them from our midst and should for all time. Now they are extinct and it means that we should eliminate all evils from in front of us and in turn we will be prosperous and live good lives. I hope everyone can maintain a chivalrous life without evil. Shabbat shalom!
Shabbat Shoftim Host Ben Levkovich
In this weeks parsha, Shoftim, we are told the rules of kingship and how we are to engage in wartime efforts. One of these rules is that when you are taking over land, you cannot cut down any fruit bearing trees, because “a person is like a tree in the field.”
What does this mean? What is this comparison between a person and a tree?
While there are many way that people are like trees, for example just as a tree has branches, so too do people reach out and affect others and just as tree produce fruit, we too create and give things to others. However, when I think about this metaphor of a person being like a tree, I think of the roots. They are the foundation, vital to the trees survival but yet they are hidden, underground where nobody can see them.
So to is our foundation as people. It is deep within us, far from anything others can see. And yet it is so crucial. Without a strong foundation, no matter how wide your branches reach or how sweet the fruit you produce is, any small wind can blow you over. So we must invest in our foundation, stay rooted in our traditions to ensure we have the strength to go out and make a difference in the world.
Shabbat Shoftim Host Maddie Goldberg
Hi, my name is Maddie Goldberg and I am a senior at UT this semester studying public health. Three years ago, I came to UT from St. Louis, Missouri without knowing anyone. I was nervous about leaving home for the first time, and all I could hope was that I would find a community of people who cared about and valued me. When I went to Shabbat dinner for the first time at Chabad my freshman year, I instantly felt connected to everyone around me in that room. We all had something very special in common: our desire to find a Jewish home in a new place.
I felt so welcomed by Rabbi Zev, Ariela, and their entire family. I knew at Chabad I could be myself, and I felt a sense of unconditional love and acceptance that can sometimes be hard to find in a new place. As the year went on, I found myself looking forward to Friday nights because I craved this feeling of warmth that Chabad provided me with. I began celebrating Shabbat more than I ever had at home, and my connection to Judaism grew stronger and stronger. When I studied abroad my second semester of junior year, I genuinely missed my weekly Shabbat dinners and the feeling of comfort that I got from them.
I am so happy to be back with my Chabad family this year as a member of the student board. I chose to be a student leader for Chabad because I know just how special it was for me to find a Jewish home when I came to college. In my position, I hope that I can make younger students feel as comfortable and welcomed at Chabad as I do!