The second portion we read in the month of Elul is Ki Tavo. Elul is known as the month of repentance, so first of all we have to understand that this portion is coming to support us in the process of being able to see and elevate what we call ‘small desire’.
‘Small desire’ is the root of all chaos, and it refers to the exchange of the whole Light, the complete connection, for little, easy and fast desires that end up driving us away from our true essence. If we have ‘small desire’ we tend to settle for being right in arguments and letting go of unity.
In this portion we read about potential curses and blessings the Israelites could receive, depending on their behavior, and we could easily fall into thinking that the Torah is threatening us to do what we are commanded to do. This cannot be further from the truth; we know that the Creator can only give us what is good for us, so why would a curse be good? And how can I make sure I experience the Light in a way that actually feels like Light and doesn’t feel like a curse?!
Unfortunately, most of us awaken appreciation when we experience some type of lack. Like Rav Berg says, “Who has the desire to not have a tooth ache right now?” Nobody! Only someone that has a tooth ache has the desire to not have it. We don’t feel a huge appreciation out of the blue for our health unless we experience some lack.
The most effective way to awaken appreciation is through some kind of loss, and difficult times tend to be the key to cause someone to want to change. Aren’t we all like that? When things are going good, we kind of feel like we don’t need a connection to the Light, but suddenly something goes wrong and we all look towards the sky!
What if we would proactively awaken appreciation and desire for the Light when things are going well? What if we would constantly feel desire to be connected – no matter how good things are? This is the secret to experiencing everything that comes to us as a blessing, and this is the power we receive in this week’s portion.
