Ki Tavo contains the Tokhaha, the rebukes; some fear even to say the word 'curses,' yet the Torah itself uses it.
The Zohar Hadash tells of Rabbi Shimon hidden in a cave with a carob tree, a spring, and Elijah's visits; the disciples send their question by a dove.
Elijah's first explanation: Bechukotai (32 verses = 32 paths of hidden wisdom) has a verse of consolation; Ki Tavo (53 verses = 53 revealed sections of Torah) has none, because of baseless hatred.
Hashem's true answer: like a king who strikes his son out of love, the blows are for our good; the terrible verses turn into promises (ba-aniyot, 'no buyer' = protection).
The word קללות derives from קל (light): accept the trial lightly, knowing it flows from Hashem's love; all depends on teshuvah, from which Redemption begins.
With God's help, we continue our study of Parashat Ki Tavo. This parashah causes much apprehension because it contains the curses — the Tokhaha, the section of rebuke.
'All these curses will come upon you and overtake you.' The Torah plainly says 'curses' — shall we claim otherwise? The whole point of the class is to understand what this word truly conceals.
The Zohar Hadash on Parashat Ki Tavo tells that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai had fled to the desert of Lod and hidden in a cave with his son Rabbi Elazar.
One day all the disciples gathered in the absence of Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar, and a question arose in the study hall.
Rabbi Yossi saw birds flying and noticed a dove among them. He called to it and said: 'You have the face of the Community of Israel,' for Israel is compared to a dove.
'My dove in the clefts of the rock.' He wrote the question on paper, placed it in the dove's beak, and said: 'Go find Rabbi Shimon and bring us back an answer.'
Hearing this explanation, Rabbi Shimon wept until he fainted. Then the Holy One said to Elijah: 'Go wake him up, tell him he was mistaken. This is not the correct explanation. Here is the truth.'
The Holy One, blessed be He, is the King, and we are His children. When He gives us blows, it is for our good — like a father who sharply pulls his child back to keep him from crossing the road and being crushed.
'You will sell yourselves there as slaves, and there will be no buyer.' No one will be able to buy you as slaves, because:
'You are My servants' — and not servants of servants. Hashem cannot allow us to become slaves to another: the absence of a buyer is not a curse but a protection.
The word קללות (curses) shares its root with קל — light, easy. The 'curses' are not negative: they are light, easy to bear once we understand they come from Hashem out of love.
Thus the word קללות in fact holds a blessing within it: the blessing of taking things lightly, for Hashem wants our good and not our harm.
One who has a heart will look, will know how to return to his Master — and it is precisely from there that the Redemption begins.
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