Ki Tavo 5778

Chapter 28 contains the potential blessings and curses we would receive for either following or not following the Torah's laws respectively. The Or Hachaim (28:21 and 28:47) splits up the Tocha'cha, or "Rebuke" into different sections by what is being addressed in each. Verses 21-44 address the punishments for not keeping the negative commandments. This is because the verse opens up with potential afflictions that would cling to us. Similarly, we afflict ourselves spiritually with "ailments" that cling to our soul. Verses 47-58 address the punishments for not doing the positive commandments. The verse states that we didn't worship G-d with happiness and wholeheartedly. The punishment is measure for measure as we would be sent into exile and "worship" the tyrant who enslaves us. If we don't accept the yoke of commandments, we'll get an actual physical yoke on our necks from our enemies.

The Or Hachaim then asks the question, why did Moshe have to repeat the concept of rebuke? The Torah already did so at the end of Sefer Vayikra! He offers the suggestion that the rebuke in Bechukosai was addressing the people as a whole; all the pronouns there are in the plural tense. One would think that if a good amount of the people were keeping the Torah's commandments, G-d would overlook the minute amount of people not doing so. This is not the case. Moshe used the singular tense here to stress the idea that G-d focuses on us as individuals as well.

Ki Tavo 5775

The parsha opens up with the mitzvah of Bikkurim, to bring your first fruits as a gift to the Mikdash. When a person brings the basket of fruit, he recites a paragraph about being freed from Egypt by Hashem and his gratitude towards Him. The Abarbanel explains that there are four purposes for this mitzvah:
1) In order to make a person's heart humble. A person cherishes his first produce of the year and cannot wait to eat them. The Torah then commands him to control his urges and to separate them as Bikkurim.
2) In order that a person will not be ungrateful towards Hashem Who gave him this produce. It "forces" a person to recognize the source and be thankful.
3) Reciting the paragraph reminds a person of his past hardships in his time of success. Many people forget the hard times when everything is going well for him.
4) It strengthens a person's humility and lowliness when he puts the basket on his shoulders and when he speaks about how tough it was for his ancestors back in Egypt

Ki Tavo 5774

In the tocha'cha (rebuke), the Torah says a sinner who is engaged to a woman, who builds a house, and grows a vineyard will lose all three. It is interesting to note that these three examples are what exempt a man from participating in war as mentioned two weeks ago. The Chizkuni points out the order there is building a house, growing a vineyard, and then getting engaged; this is the ideal order in life. Here, the man messes up the order and loses it all. The Chizkuni is teaching us the importance of order and structure in life. Disorganization is the antithesis to a growth-oriented individual.