From Parasha: Ki Tavo

 

Imitating God

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called Merciful, so should you be merciful, just as He is called Gracious, so should you be gracious, just as He is called Righteous, so should you be righteous; just as He is called devout, so should you be a devout one. (Sifre on Deuteronomy 10:12)....
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Good Karma

Tags:  actions, blessing, consequences, curse, deeds, disobedience, obedience, punishment, reward, success

But one who looks intently at the perfect Torah, the Torah of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)...
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God's First Fruits

Tags:  first fruit, first fruits, holy people, nation of Israel, people of God, treasured possession

If you make a batch of dough, take the first-portion of it and give according to the commandment. So also when you open a jar of wine or of oil, take the first-portion and give it to the prophets; and of money and clothing and every possession, take the first-portion, as it may seem good to you, and give according to the commandment. (Didache 13:5-7)...
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A Question to Ponder

Tags:  forgiveness

Just as He promised to scatter them, He has also promised to re-gather them. Although Israel failed as a nation to perform the stipulations of the covenant, the other partner of the agreement—God—remains faithful to His promises. In the end, He will reverse all of Israel's sorrows on account of His faithfulness, mercy and grace....
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End of the Curse

Tags:  curse of the law

The blessings in this week's Torah reading are not the ultimate reward for keeping God's commandments. Rather they are consequences that may be enjoyed in this world, but the ultimate reward is reserved for the World to Come. ...
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The Righteous will Live by Faith

Tags:  salvation

Amos came and reduced all the commandments to one principle, as it is written [in Amos 5:4], “For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel, ‘Seek Me that you may live.”’ To this Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak objected, saying, “[This can be understood as if it were saying,] ‘Seek Me by observing the whole Torah and live!’ [And that makes salvation dependent upon obeying all 613 commandments.] Instead, it is Habakkuk who came and reduced all the commandments to one principle, as it is written [in Habakkuk 2:4], ‘But the righteous will live by his faith.’” (b.Makkot 23b)...
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A Heart to Know

Tags:  forgiveness, provision, salvation

“Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways…” (Deuteronomy 10:12) What does it mean to walk in God’s ways? It means that we are to imitate the ways of God, in as much as we are able. The commandment to imitate God is one of the most fundamental principles of the life of faith. The Master expresses the idea, encouraging us to imitate God, “That you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:45)...
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