S

torytelling is what makes us 
human. Interpreting events 
and constructing narratives 
about what happens to us in our lives 
is something we all 
do. Things happen to 
us — the basic, factual 
elements of a story — 
but as humans, we have 
unique perspectives that 
shape how a story is 
relayed, that give shape 
and meaning to the 
experiences we go through.
And this, perhaps, is why our 
sages refer to the human being as the 
medaber, “the speaker.” Animals also 
communicate with one another through 
sounds and gestures, but it is human 
beings alone who construct narratives 
and interpret events.
We see a stark illustration of how 
central constructing narratives is to 
Jewish identity in this week’s Torah 
portion. Ki Tavo opens with the 
requirement of a farmer to bring his 

first fruits to the Temple and make 
a declaration, in the presence of the 
Kohanim, dedicating the first fruits of 
his field to God. The wording of that 
declaration is precisely spelled out by 
the Torah and includes a significant 
word: higaditi — translated as “And 
I have told...” The farmer is telling a 
story.
What story is this farmer telling? 
There are the objective facts, the 
physical events, which led him to this 
point in time. He ploughed and planted 
and irrigated and harvested and reaped 
produce from his land. But, there is also 
a narrative running parallel to these 
events. There is metaphysical shape and 
meaning to be found nestled in these 
physical details. Because bringing the 
first fruits to the Temple and dedicating 
them to God is a gesture of gratitude 
to the Creator. In acknowledging 
God’s blessings — God’s crucial role 
in bringing all of those processes quite 
literally to fruition — the farmer is 
situating his agricultural endeavors 

within the context of a much grander 
narrative, a narrative that frames his 
entire farming experience in the context 
of spiritual meaning, vconnection to 
God and deep appreciation.
In fact, this narrative of the farmer 
extends further — connecting his own 
individual experience to a national 
narrative, situating his own farming 
efforts within the context of the Jewish 
people and land of Israel as a whole. 
As part of his declaration, the farmer 
tells the story of how God gave the 
Jewish people the land of Israel, but 
also how Jewish history is intertwined 
with our relationship with God, and 
how he brought us into being as nation 
through redeeming us from the slavery 
of Egypt. 
 The farmer’s declaration traces the 
story of how the Jewish people landed 
in Egypt, how we were afflicted by the 
Egyptians, how we called out to God, 
and how He answered our cries and 
redeemed us with signs and wonders. 
And so from this mitzvah, we learn how 

 The Farmer 
 and Telling 
 the Story of 
 the Jewish 
 People

Chief Rabbi 
Warren 
Goldstein 

SPIRIT
A WORD OF TORAH

continued on page 40

SEPTEMBER 15 • 2022 | 39

