Parshas Ki Savo 5785 - Not Giving Up

This week’s parsha describes a dramatic ceremony the Jewish people were to perform upon entering the Land of Israel. Six tribes would ascend Har Gerizim, and six would ascend Har Eival. From the valley below, the Kohanim and Levi’im would proclaim a series of blessings and curses. Each time they faced Har Gerizim, they declared a blessing, and the people responded “Amen.” Then they turned to Har Eival and proclaimed the corresponding curse, and again the people answered “Amen” (Devarim 27:11–26; Sotah 32a, 37b).

How did Moshe determine which of the six tribes would stand on Har Gerizim for the blessing, and which would stand on Har Eival for the curse? Rabbenu Bachye explains that the four tribes descended from Bilhah and Zilpah, the maidservants, were placed on Har Eival, the “curse” mountain. The tribes of Leah and Rachel were placed on Har Gerizim, the “blessing” mountain. To keep the numbers even, however, two of Leah’s sons—Reuven and Zevulun—were assigned to Har Eival.

Rabbenu Bachye raises the following issue: The tribe of Shimon stood on Har Gerizim, the “blessing” mountain. Yet later, when Moshe blessed the tribes before his death, Shimon was the only tribe left without a blessing. Why? Because of the public sin of Zimri, a prince of Shimon, whose immoral act with a Midianite princess led to Pinchas’s zealous intervention (Bamidbar 25). If Shimon was deemed unworthy of Moshe’s blessing, why wasn’t the tribe assigned to the “curse” mountain?

Rabbenu Bachye answers with a significant insight. If Shimon had been excluded from Moshe’s blessings and placed on the mountain of curses, the tribe might have despaired completely and drifted away from the Jewish people. Moshe, despite his disappointment with Shimon’s failings, and despite Shimon’s unworthiness of being placed on the “blessed” mountain, chose instead to raise their public status—placing them among the tribes of blessing—in the hope of preventing their spiritual collapse.

We see that despite Shimon’s public sins and spiritual deficiencies, Moshe did not give up on them. Moshe felt that publicly demonstrating his love and support for Shimon, even though it was undeserved, might have a positive impact and spur the tribe to do tshuvah and improve.

Similarly, as we enter the final days of Elul, we can perceive the same message. Hashem, like Moshe, does not give up on us. Even when we fall short, He provides us with Elul - the opportunity to reflect on the prior year and do tshuvah. He hopes that by showing His love for us, even if it is undeserved, that we will react in a positive way and make spiritual corrections.

We should take advantage of these precious remaining days of Elul and work on improving ourselves and our relationships with Hashem and with other people. In that merit, we should be worthy of a kesiva v’chasima tova, to be written and sealed for a year of blessing, growth, and peace—for us, for all the Jewish people, and for the entire world.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Rabbi Avraham Garber