Parashat Ki Tavo – 5786

The Ground of Choice

A D’var Torah for Parashat Ki Tavo

By Rabba Kaya Stern-Kaufman

In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo, we are witness to a grand ritual; a dramatization depicting the landscape of choices within which we all reside at all times.  One half of the Israelite tribes are told to stand on Mt. Gerizim while the other half of the tribes are to stand on Mt. Ebal. Between the two mountains lies a valley, a middle ground within which the tribe of Levi is to stand. From this middle ground of choice, the Levites call up to those on Mt. Ebal with a series of curses that will result from choices rooted in idolatry, dishonesty, greed and lust. The Levites then call up to those on Mt. Gerizim with a series of blessings that will result from choices to live a life of mitzvot, ethical behavior, honesty and support for the disenfranchised within the community.

In the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov (the eighteenth century mystic and founder of Hasidism) he expounds on the warning in Deut. 28:66 which states, “The life you shall face will be precarious…” The Besht (an acronym for Baal Shem Tov) explains this instability as an ongoing condition of life and not as a one-time curse in the drama of our Torah portion. (Sefer Ba’al Shem Tov, Parashat  Tavo, P.245)

One can never remain in the same place in relation to the Divine Mystery or in relation to life itself.  We are always adjusting our closeness and our distance, our sense of connection and our experience of judgment and separation. The Besht reminds us of the hayot, the winged creatures in Ezekiel’s vision (Ez. 1:14) who dash to and fro, (ratzo v’shov) away from the Holy One and then back toward the Holy One.  Motivated by love, they draw closer and then motivated by fear they retreat from the presence of the Divine.  They are constantly in motion, demonstrating  the ever-changing, unstable and precarious nature of a relationship with the Divine Mystery. This kind of ambivalent movement appears to be built into the cosmic structure of the universe and in turn,  it is built into us as well.

The Besht goes on to explain that in this world of ever-changing emotions, we simply cannot remain in one place. We are always involved in a dance of intimacy that moves us either toward the other, or away.  However, even when we move further away we cannot remain there, for no place is permanent. There are times therefore, when moving away actually facilitates coming closer again. Oftentimes, when we feel that sense of distance or alienation from the holy in our lives, from people or from community, it is easy to judge ourselves and others.  The Besht teaches that sometimes distance is a necessary precondition for moving closer.  Sometimes we need to move down in order to move up, to move away in order to come closer.

However, in every moment our challenge is to cultivate the awareness as to whether our movement is motivated by fear or by love.

Fear causes us to constrict, to limit our breath, to dim our light, perceiving others as threatening and resources as scarce and limited. Fear fuels conflict and competition and impedes paths toward collaboration and peace. Love, on the other hand, is generous and creative.  It causes us to expand, to draw closer to others and to give the benefit of the doubt. In this expanded state one experiences the abundance of life and can appreciate that there is more than enough for everyone.

Undoubtedly, we all vacillate between these poles of love and fear, all the time. In this week’s Torah portion, the Levites (the tribe charged with sacred service) stand in a valley between the mountains, in the middle space, the space of choice. While the other tribes represent choices, to move toward holiness or move away,  the Levites stand in the space between, performing the sacred service of orchestrating this drama of choice. The Levites call out to us as a chorus of mindfulness.  Will it be Love or Fear that fuels our choices, that animates our relationships?

While we may always fluctuate between these poles of fear and love, we can still become more aware of our motivations in each situation. When we become triggered by a person or a situation, we can pause to consider whether our response is motivated by love or fear.  And similarly, we can seek to better understand the underlying motivation in the behavior of others. From the middle ground of mindful awareness, we can make conscious choices regarding how we want to respond in any situation.  As we move through this month of Elul and toward the High Holy Days, let us strive to be more mindful of our emotional motivations and our reactivity.  Let us attune ourselves to the call of the Levites. Will it be Love or Fear that fuels our choices, that animates our relationships, that determines the destiny of peoples and nations?