Parashat Kitavo

Shlomo Zargari

By: Rabbi Shlomo Zargari

Shalom! Our Sages taught us in the Talmud (Megila 31:A) that Ezra Hasofer instituted for us (approximately 2600 years ago) to recite before Rosh Hashana the portion in the Torah where we are given rebuke if we don’t keep to the commands of the Torah and go after our own desire.

This seems to be symbolic, as if to say :”Let the year end and together with it all the curses and troubles we had in the past year, and let us start the new year with a clean slate and full of Beracha.” A question however should be asked: If that is the case, why don’t we read it even closer to Rosh Hashana? We still have some time to go!

The answer to that lies in the understanding that this is not just a cute blessing we are giving ourselves. It’s to remind us and show us that it all depends on us. If when we read and understand what’s written in this Parasha and realize what the cause of it all was, if we pay attention to the fact that everything that happened to us nationally and individually over the past year was determined and judged and decreed starting last Rosh Hashana, and we regret and make decisions to change and come close to The Creator the way He wants, then we could bring that “Let the new year begin with its blessings.”

Our Sages knew this would not happen overnight. That’s why they dictated that we should read this portion over a week before Rosh Hashana so that we should pay attention to our actions and prayer and Selihot, to open our hearts and make decisions while we still have time, to learn more Torah, to perform more Misvot and more than anything to prove we are sincere. We should all have the true and wholesome Beracha, AMEN!

Shabbat shalom

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