Ki Tavo – כִּי-תָבוֹא (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8)
This Week’s Torah Portion: Ki Tavo – כִּי-תָבוֹא (Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8)
“Amen” appears 12 times in 12 consecutive sentences in this week’s Parasha, Ki Tavo. Amen may be interpreted in several ways: 1) accepting the consequences of a statement; 2) agreeing to something that has happened or is currently the case; 3) expressing belief in something that will happen but has not yet come to fruition.
We are eight days away from Selichot and just two weeks away from Rosh Hashana. What are you saying “Amen!” to? What are you accepting, agreeing to, and stepping into faith for as you enter this New Year?
Amen also indicates a ritual of public performance. When the Hazzan completes the leading of a prayer, the kahal (congregation) will chant together “Amen” in response. It is a public affirmation of communal prayer. The linking of our voices in prayer gives even more sacred power to the season upon us. Let us come together as a community and imagine what we accept together. What are we stepping together in faith toward as we move forward as a sacred community?