In this week's parsha, Parshat Ki Tavo, Moshe speaks to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land of Israel. Moshe reminds Bnei Yisrael of their obligation to bring Bikkurim, the first fruits, to the Beit Hamikdash as an expression of Hakaras HaTov, "recognizing the good", to Hashem for the bounty of the land. The second half of the parshat explains how G-d will give blessings and curses to the Israelites. Moshe tells the Israelites the different blessings they will receive if they follow the laws of G-d, and he concludes with the curses that will fall upon them if they start to abandon the commandments of G-d.

Of the many sub-topics in Ki Tavo, one especially noteworthy expression is when the Torah says, “Yet to this day G-d has not given you a mind to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear”. Rashi says that on this day when Moshe gave the Book of Laws to the Levites, all the people of Israel gathered around him. The rest of the Israelites reminded Moshe that they were also present at Mount Sinai when the Torah was given to everyone, not just the Levites. They expressed concern that the Levites might claim exclusive rights to the Torah, saying it was only given to them. Upon hearing this complaint Moshe was happy. Rashi continues to explain that Moses actually was happy to hear the people's concerns because it showed their strong connection to G-d and their desire to be involved with the Torah. Earlier in the parshat he says, "This day have you become the people of the Lord," meaning that he finally realized how much they cared about their relationship with G-d. It was a moment of recognition that the entire community was united in their faith and commitment.

If we look closer at the Passuk we’ll see it even more clearly: G-d gave us eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to feel. Why does the Torah say that our hearts will know? The answer is that if we feel something strongly enough, in our hearts we know it to be true. The Jews knew in their hearts that they had to protect the future of the Torah by safeguarding against potential distractions, such as - for them idolatry - or today, for us students,  distractions in school.      And if we don’t know exactly what we need to do, we can use our eyes to look at customs of the past, our ears to listen to the existing rules and leaders.

And yet, in our fast-paced lives, it is easy to overlook these teachings. Life is busy with school deadlines and social lives, and it’s challenging to find any extra time. But the Torah teaches us something so vital here. No matter how crammed our schedules may feel, we must make room for rituals that strengthen our emotional connection to Hashem and our spiritual wellspring. Taking that short trip to the Cohen HaGadol with our Bikkurim was meant to reset our focus on what really matters - the incredible gifts Hashem showers upon us each day.

Jack, Grade 12