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!
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