Living with Fear and with Hope

Ki Tavo

Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8

Précis: The parasha contains numerous religious concerns regarding the formation of a civil and moral community (including tithes of first fruits and tithes to support the Levites). The People are promised that if they follow God’s instructions, they will be transformed into a “holy people.” They are further instructed that they have a choice of their own destiny: there are blessings and curses (the “Admonition”), and they must to choose between the two, and take the consequences. The parasha ends with Moses reminding the People about all that God had done for them in bringing them from Egypt, providing sustenance, defeating their foes, and giving them the Land.

Deut. 28:66 “The life you face shall be precarious; you shall be in terror, night and day, with no assurance of survival.”

             This week’s reading is comprised of blessings and curses. The curses, called the "Admonition" or “rebuke” (tochacha) are so frightening that in many congregations, it is customary for the reader to recite the verses very rapidly, in a soft undertone, almost inaudibly to the congregation. With fifty-four verses of curses, this is not an easy task.

            This particular verse, however, is a curse with which we all live in the modern world. Life is precarious, and we are faced with terrors. Sudden death and illness spring up all around us. Loved ones unexpectedly and suddenly pass away. Reading the obits becomes a daily challenge. In the natural world, we experience storms like Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy; terrible floods and droughts occur, wild firestorms seem to be increasing, and the climate itself is changing. Add to these fears are concerns about terrorist attacks, be it the latest threat from Al Qaeda, unrest in the Middle East, or attacks on Israel.

            Economic anxiety is there as well. On a personal level, the past decade has taught us that no matter how well we prepare financially, there is always the threat of unemployment and financial loss. For those in congregational life, many face similar financial uncertainty with declining rates of affiliation and changes in demographics. We all walk around under a cloud of “precarious” uncertainty. How are we to overcome this modern curse, so well-articulated 3,000 years ago in our Torah?

            First, we need to acknowledge that we cannot control everything. We must prepare for the worst and pray for the best. 

            Second, we need to find strength in each other. Whether it is our family or our neighborhood or synagogue community, we can overcome hurdles only with the support of others, and we must lend support to those in need of our help and understanding.             

            Third, we need to reject fear, and recognize that fear is a contagion. We must inoculate ourselves against it by learning more about the world, by listening carefully to those wiser than ourselves, and by understanding that this too shall pass.

            Finally, we need to maintain hope. Yes, there are 54 curses leveled at us by this parasha. But there are blessings in the text, too, which are promised to those who live a life of concern and care for others. Shabbat Shalom