Milk, Honey & Curses (Ki Tavo)

This week I have had the privilege to be on the beach on the Long Island Sound—to be in nature for a second time this summer as it comes to a close.

The ocean, rain, sun, clouds, the gentle sway of the tide, the feel of my feet sinking into the sand, walking through the crunch of shells, seeing the moon rise, the sun set.

I’ve seen so many wonders, felt the restorative power of them strengthening my body—and felt the blessing of being with an old friend who has brought so much blessing into my life over three decades.

Together, we have felt the blessing of having lived so many decades.

I keep thinking, I will have to store these many blessings up to bring back with me to the city.

But then I remind myself that I must continue to look for and find them there when I get back.

In contrast, the parsha this week is full of curses. The dire warnings seem to never stop.

Ki Tavo, “when you come” into the land, a land of milk and honey, this is how you should act, and the faith you must have.

If you don’t, says Moses of God, instead of delighting in our abundance and numbers, like stars in the sky, or grains of sand on a beach…

Well, we know the drill: plagues, chronic disease, uncertainty, panic, scorching heat, drought, starvation, infertility, death.

And being scattered throughout the world.

After each curse, we are to say, Amen.

There are some blessings in the parsha as well, if we follow in God’s ways, taking care not to lead the blind astray, for instance.

Towards the very end of the reading, Moses reminds the people that they have seen the wonders that God made happen before their very eyes.

“Yet, to this day, God has not given you a heart to understand, eyes to see, and ears to hear.”

(וְלֹא־נָתַן֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם לֵב֙ לָדַ֔עַת וְעֵינַ֥יִם לִרְא֖וֹת וְאׇזְנַ֣יִם לִשְׁמֹ֑עַ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃—v’lo natan adonai lakhem lev la’da’at, v’eynei lir’ot, v’azna’yim lish’mo’ah ad hayom hazeh.)

I guess God left this work to us.

As we approach the High Holy Days, and work on these in ourselves, I send out the blessings from the parsha:

May we be blessed in the city, and blessed in the country.

May we be blessed by the produce of our land.

May we be blessed in our basket and our kneeding bowl.

May we be blessed in our comings and blessed in our goings.

And may we be blessed with open hearts that understand, with eyes that see, and ears that hear.

May we take the time to notice the marvels all around us, in each person and place where we are, wherever we find ourselves, every day.

May we each participate in increasing the abundance of blessing in the world, creating a land of milk and honey for all, a world where we are not dispersed, but walking together, hand in hand.

And may our blessings be strong enough to overcome the curses with our resounding "Amen!"