Parashah Ki Tavo: Prayer, Brachot, and Courage in Troubled Times

Parashah Ki Tavo (“When You Come”) — Comments

I want to share with you a letter I recently sent on the Fellowship letterhead to United States Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra, and Iowa State Representative Robert Henderson. I offer it here as context for prayer and reflection in light of Parashah Ki Tavo.

A Letter to Our Leaders

Dear Senator, Congressman, Representative ______,

At the end of this letter is a weblink to an interview with a street preacher in the city of Springfield, Ohio. It was sent to me by one of the members of my congregation. It is very disturbing. It appears to describe the beginning of an invasion from within our own country, which is being “constructed” for the purpose of creating an excuse to declare Martial Law before the presidential election. I pray that I am wrong.

The link is an interview with a pastor in that city who has been ministering to the homeless population for many years. He describes a city that is being overwhelmed by tens of thousands of illegal immigrants in a city of 55,000 people. Many of them appear to be male, and of military age.

The pastor stated that many of them are Haitians. He also stated that these immigrants have received what they call “magic” cards, which allow them to make purchases of food and other goods. He described one incident where one of them was able to buy an AK-47 from a gun shop. The business allegedly contacted the federal government about this before completing the purchase, and was told that it was permissible to complete the sale.

The illegal alien in question here was living in a hotel/apartment building which had housed local residents until the management advised them that the building was being renovated. This required the renters to leave, and the management of the building told them they would be able to move back when the renovation was completed. Again, according to the pastor, when the building was renovated, the former tenants could not move back in because their homes were occupied by some of these illegal immigrants.

This appears to be a microcosm of what is happening throughout the city, and it would appear many people connected with this issue may have an improper financial interest to allow this to happen.

Reports of taking pets and eating them is only part of what appears to be an epidemic of killings of animals, including farm animals that are being used for religious purposes connected with the Haitian culture. Other crime also seems to describe a city out of control. The mayor has denied this.

The pastor states that the city seems to be unable to deal with as many as 25,000 illegal immigrants in a city of 55,000, and things are going from bad to worse despite the denials of city officials, and that the only way to stop this trajectory of lawlessness will be a federal takeover to restore the rule of law.

IF this is determined to be true, it seems to me that the risk of allowing this to continue one more day is deplorable and discouraging. Furthermore, if this is happening in Springfield, it would be a serious mistake to think that this is not just the tip of an iceberg: a coordinated effort to cause the suspension of our rights as citizens of this country.

I understand the FBI is investigating threats targeted at Haitians in Springfield. If what I have described is accurate, it is understandable that any “targeting” of Haitians is a symptom of the bigger issue.

This is the weblink to the interview: https://youtu.be/8iVNBtAt9xw?si=8xGR8So3LLP5rhpF

PLEASE have someone look into this urgent matter right away. I know you to be honorable. I wish I could say the same about the FBI at this moment.

Again, I pray I am wrong.

Sincerely,
Myron Slobin
Rabbi

Two Other Pieces of Information

1) According to a newscast aired yesterday from a reputable source, many of the anti-Israel/pro-Palestinian protests taking place across our country’s major college and university campuses have, at their source, an organization founded in the 1990s by an activist student at one of these prominent schools. Not only does his organization stand for the annihilation of Israel in embracing the mantra, “from the river to the sea,” it also declares this to be the first part of their greater ambition: to destroy the “American Empire,” as they call it. He is now a tenured professor at this institution of higher education.

2) As I write this, Israel has just exploded thousands of Hezbollah pagers and is bracing for an armed response expected at any time.

What Are We to Do?

Should we vote? Yes, if we get the opportunity to do so. Can we write letters as I have done? Yes—though few will have or make the time. However, there is one thing we can all do: pray.

The headlines may tempt us to despair. Before going down that road, consider what our parashah teaches us about crying out to HaShem and the power of blessing His Name in every circumstance.

Ki Tavo and Crying Out to HaShem

In this week’s Torah portion, Moses recounts the enslavement of the Hebrew people by the Egyptian king. The Israelites lived in Egypt 430 years (see Exodus 12:40–41). When the memory of Yosef faded, Pharaoh “imposed harsh slavery on us” (Deuteronomy 26:6), and the people cried out to G-d.

Whether the period of bondage was 150 years or longer, the principle remains: when Israel cried out, HaShem delivered—fulfilling the promises made to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov.

Brachot: Blessings That Enthrone G-d

Psalm 23:3 is often paraphrased to say that G-d is “enthroned in the praises of Israel.” In Jewish practice, the Bracha (blessing) is a primary way we enthrone Him in daily life. A bracha

(1) praises and greets G-d, (2) acknowledges Him as the b’reicha—the Source of all things, and (3) draws abundance into the world as we partner with His will. Yeshua’s model prayer follows this same pattern of praise and kingship.

Two brachot are biblically grounded: after eating bread and before learning Torah.

By extension, since we pray for daily bread, how much more should we thank HaShem for the gift of Torah.

The sages teach that we have reason to bless at least 100 times a day. Deuteronomy 10:12 asks, “What (mah) does Adonai require of you?” Adding a yud suggests m’ah—“one hundred”—a memorable hint toward a life saturated in blessing.

Specific Blessings Elevate Ordinary Moments

The more specific the blessing, the more present G-d becomes to us. Even ordinary acts—such as the blessing after using the bathroom—become doorways to wonder at the miracles of the body He fashioned with wisdom.

Blessed are You, our God, Source of the universe, who formed humans with wisdom and created within our body many openings and many hollows. Amen.

As Rabbi Dr. Elie Munk writes in The World of Prayer (Introduction), those who willingly allow themselves to be guided by the brachot—uttering the “hundred blessings” daily—become filled with an ever-deepening awe of G-d. These blessings are likened to the hundred sockets of silver that supported the Sanctuary in the wilderness; in like manner, they support the Sanctuary of our lives.

Practicing Brachot in Community

We practice brachot when we bless over bread and grape juice at Oneg. When I don my tallit before the service, I recite the blessing on its collar:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who commanded us in the wearing of the Tzitzit.

From Avraham to Moshe to Yeshua, HaShem has answered prayer both within and beyond the natural order. Whether He works through ordinary providence or extraordinary signs, our part is constant: recognize Him as Source, bless His Name, and align with His will.

From Worry to Worship

In this present moment we add repentance to our praying. As we practice brachot, HaShem guards us and keeps us in His holy will. If we do our part, He surely does His. As David declares:

Let us stop wringing our hands and start blessing G-d, becoming vessels of His chesed—lovingkindness—and the good things He promises in Deuteronomy 28.

Closing Prayer

Father G-d, help us to draw closer to You by applying the tools You have given us—to grow in Your truth and teach it to others. In the name of Yeshua, our Master, amen.