Are 613 rules too heavy a burden?
Table for Five: Ki Tavo
In partnership with the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
Edited by Nina Litvak & Salvador Litvak, the Accidental Talmudist
You have selected the Lord this day, to be your God, and to walk in His ways, and to observe His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and to obey Him. -Deut. 26:17
Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz
Jewsforjudaism.org & Author of “Know What to Answer“
Imagine how thrilled people might be if their city eliminated traffic tickets. But what if this required that the city also stopped enforcing all traffic laws? The result would be chaos on the roads—accidents, injuries, and even death.
For a society to thrive, it must be built on law and order, even if that means living with thousands of laws and ordinances. Although running a red light at 3 a.m. might seem harmless to one person, it is a small inconvenience when we consider the greater good. When viewed this way, the Torah’s 613 commandments pale in comparison to the number of rules a city imposes on its citizens. Yet some still say, “613 rules—that’s too heavy a burden.”
At first glance, the mitzvot may appear irrelevant or outdated. But with deeper study, we discover their inner lesson: to build moral character and to guard the moral fabric of humanity. Even more so, because these commands come from God—as our verse emphasizes with the word His mentioned four times—each mitzvah is not just an obligation, but a divine opportunity.
The very word mitzvah comes from “tzavta,” meaning *connection.* Every commandment is an opportunity to connect spiritually with God and serve a higher purpose. For thousands of years, the Torah and its laws have been a light to the nations, guiding humanity with clarity and moral direction. But beyond its wisdom, it offers us something even greater: a chance for the finite to connect with the Infinite.
Rabbi Pinchas Winston
Thirtysix.org / Shaarun Productions
As the commentator Rashi points out, the Hebrew word used here for “selected” (he-emarta) is not one commonly found in Tanakh (Torah, Prophets, and Writings). In fact, it commonly translates as, “you said.” Perhaps it is used here specifically to allude to the “selection” the Jewish People made at Mt. Sinai when they responded to God’s offer of Torah with the famous words, “We will do and we will understand,” for which they are praised. That’s interesting because Rashi’s alternative explanation is that it is a word of praise, perhaps giving it a double meaning. One thing for certain, the Zohar says that you can tell a person by what they say. Actions can be deceiving, but you can size up a person by how they speak. Speech is the result of the soul in a person, as the commentator Onkeles explained back in Parashas Bereishis. And as we see every day, the more spiritually refined a person is, the more spiritually refined their speech is, making speech a kind of spiritual thermometer that indicates the current “mixture” of body and soul. This is why people speak differently in a synagogue than in a shopping mall. A synagogue tends to “strengthen” a soul’s involvement in life, whereas a shopping mall talks more to a body and its material drives, which shows up in speech. So, contrary to common ideology, talk is not cheap. On the contrary, it sealed our commitment to go with God and Torah for all of history.
Rabbi Abraham Lieberman
Judaic Studies, Shalhevet H.S.
One of the most significant statements found in the Torah regarding the long-standing relationship between the Jewish People and Hashem, is to be found in this verse. We speak much of the concept of the Chosen People and the responsibility we have that gave us that title, yet this verse puts the emphasis on us. We have elevated and accepted Hashem as our God and therefore it follows that we must observe all his laws. The mutual contractual reciprocal relationship continues in the next verse with the flipside of this connection, yet this verse puts the onus on us because we have made a conscious choice. The Netziv (Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1816-1893) explains that this relationship can only exist through intense Torah learning, in order to be knowledgably educated to carry out the responsibilities delineated in the verse. He quotes the oft quoted famous line from the Zohar: “Oraita Ve-Kidshu Barich Hu Ve-Ysrael Chad Hu” meaning The Torah and the Blessed One be He and the Jewish People are One. This point is accentuated and pushed further by the comments of Rabbi S. R. Hirsch (1808-1888) who states that this verse makes our responsibility an eternal one and gives us the right to refer to Hashem as our God and in return for us to be called Hashem’s nation. The lofty ideals expressed in this verse, can serve as the anchor that chains us and yet also a compass to direct us not lose our way.
Nili Isenberg
Pressman Academy Judaics Faculty
Our verse and the ensuing one express a reciprocal relationship. Verse 17 notes that the people of Israel have “selected” God and will follow God’s rules, while verse 18 describes how God “selects” the people of Israel as a holy nation.
With the High Holidays approaching, our Jewish minds hyper-link the unusual Hebrew word “he’emarta” (here translated as “selected”) to our Yom Kippur prayers. A well-known piyyut (liturgical poem) declares: “Ki anu amekha, ve’ata elokeinu” – For we are your nation, and you are our God! We are your children, and you are our father! We are your slaves and you are our master! And so forth. And finally, we conclude with “Ki anu mamirekha, ve’ata mamireinu.”
Rashi (1040 – 1105) argues for the meaning of our connecting word as “selected,” allowing us to translate the end of the piyyut as, “We are your selected ones, and you are our selector.” Other commentaries connect the meaning to the root for “speak” (A.M.R.): “We address you, and you speak to us,” or perhaps, “We give you our word, and you give us yours,” or even, “We speak for / represent you, and you speak for / represent us.”
At this time in the Jewish calendar, we must ask ourselves how we can attest to God’s presence, and how God can attest to ours. Can we stand up with pride as Jews in the world? And in turn, can we have faith that God will redeem our captives speedily and bring justice and peace?
Dr. Erica Rothblum
Head of School/Pressman Academy
This pasuk is best read with the one following: Israel affirms its allegiance to God, and God affirms its allegiance to Israel. The relationship is mutual and is rooted in action. It echoes a pattern in the TaNaKH that is meant to teach us that love is not simply something you feel – it is something you do. God’s love is expressed by entrusting the Jewish people with mitzvot, and Israel’s love is expressed by living them out.
This is a timely reminder. We live in a culture that often prizes quick fixes, instant gratification, and relationships that don’t require much work. We even have reality TV shows about people finding their life’s partner with barely any time or work. But true love – with God, with people, with community – is sustained not by ease, but by effort.
Think about marriage or deep friendship. Love is not proven in grand moments alone, but in the daily acts of showing up: listening when it’s hard, keeping promises, investing time and care. The same is true in our covenant with God. Walking in God’s ways, keeping the mitzvot, obeying God’s voice — these are not just obligations, they are expressions of love.
Love, in its truest form, is reciprocal, steady, and active. That’s what transforms Israel into God’s treasured people, and what transforms our lives into places where love can take root and endure. Love is covenant, not convenience; it is the ongoing choice to bind ourselves to God and to one another.
With thanks to Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz, Rabbi Pinchas Winston, Rabbi Abraham Lieberman, Nili Isenberg and Dr. Erica Rothblum.
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